News, notes, scores, photos and videos from Week 2 of the high school football season.
A season ago, Seton LaSalle didn’t win a game, among the losses being a 62-7 beatdown by a Steel Valley team that went on to win the WPIAL Class 2A title.
What a difference a year makes.
O’Malley Daly scored on a 3-yard run in the second overtime to push Class 3A Seton LaSalle to a thrilling 23-20 win against Class 2A No. 1-ranked Steel Valley in a nonconference game Friday night at Peters Township.
“We were 0-10 last year,” second-year Seton LaSalle coach Tim Storino said. “I’d like to think we’re on the map and people will start paying attention to Seton LaSalle again.”
Daly rushed for three touchdowns for Seton LaSalle (2-1), which had picked up a strong non-conference win a week earlier at Serra Catholic.
“After last week and seeing where we’ve been, we’re not afraid of anybody. We’re not backing down from anybody,” Storino said.
With the score tied, 14-14, at the end of regulation, Seton LaSalle and Steel Valley (1-1) traded field goals in the first overtime and Steel Valley then added another to go up, 20-17, in the second extra period. Seton LaSalle kicker Nick Cherry followed with a field goal to tie it, but Steel Valley was whistled for a running into the kicker penalty, giving Seton LaSalle a first down. Daly then scored the winning touchdown on the next play.
DUGGER DELIVERS PENN HILLS BIG WIN
Pitt recruit Julian Dugger put forth a big-time performance to propel Class 5A No. 1 Penn Hills (3-0, 1-0) to a 26-20 win at No. 2 Pine-Richland (1-2, 0-1) in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams. Dugger accounted for all four Penn Hills touchdowns. He hooked up with Naytel Mitchell and Martel Palmer for scoring strikes, but Dugger did most of his damage on the ground, rushing for 150 yards and touchdowns of 4 and 60 yards. Talan Hill-Ressler and Ethan Pillar ran for touchdowns for Pine-Richland.
TOP-RANKED BELLE VERNON SURVIVES
Braden Laux scored on a 3-yard run in overtime to push Class 3A No. 1 Belle Vernon (2-0) to a 21-14 non-conference home win against Class 4A No. 3 McKeesport (2-1). Following Laux’s scoring run, McKeesport was unable to score on its overtime possession. Anthony Crews scored two touchdowns for Belle Vernon, one on a 30-yard pass from Laux and the other on a 65-yard run. Anthony Boyd and Garrett Tarker ran for touchdowns for McKeesport.
MONTOUR STORMS BACK TO BEAT SOUTH FAYETTE
Jake Wolfe’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:17 left allowed host Class 4A No. 5 Montour (3-0) to rally from 17 points down in the second half to stun Class 5A No. 5 South Fayette (2-1), 42-35, in non-conference play. South Fayette took a 35-18 lead on Nico Lamonde’s 2-yard touchdown run less than three minutes into the third quarter, but Montour outscored the Lions, 24-0, the rest of the way. Wolfe ran for Montour’s final four touchdowns and also passed for a score.
It was the 200th career win for Montour coach Lou Cerro.
“I’ve had some great players,” Cerro said. “I’ve had great coaches. It means I’ve been a coach of high school football for a long time. Every win is exciting. To get 200 is also exciting, but I’m just happy for the kids, the way they came back and fought tonight.”
CORNELL UPSETS DEFENDING CHAMPS
Cornell (3-0) racked up 317 yards rushing to run to a 30-14 road upset of Class 1A No. 2 and defending WPIAL champion Union (2-1). Khylil Johnson (179 yards, one touchdown), C.J. Jackson (74 yards, two touchdowns) and Julian Cordice (64 yards, one touchdown) combined for all of those yards and all four Cornell rushing touchdowns. Jackson also completed 8-of-17 attempts for 111 yards and a 23-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.
SHALER DOUBLES UP PLUM
In a non-conference matchup of unbeaten teams, Keegan Smetanka completed 16-of-24 attempts for 282 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) to propel Class 5A No. 4 Shaler (3-0) to a 28-14 win against visiting Plum (2-1). Smetanka threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Orga and scored on two 1-yard runs. Orga was Smetanka’s favorite target, finishing with six catches for 137 yards. Plum’s Nicholas Odom ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
LATE FG KEEPS SOUTHMORELAND UNBEATEN
Jake Kaylor booted two fourth-quarter field goals, including the winning 32-yard attempt with 2:32 left, to lift Class 3A No. 4 Southmoreland (3-0) to a 24-21 nonconference win against visiting Derry (1-2). Southmoreland’s Da’sjon Craggette, the WPIAL’s leading rusher, ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Derry’s Ahmad Ward rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
PUP BITES
• Mike Evans passed for 164 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown to drive host Class 6A No. 4 Canon-McMillan (2-1, 1-1) to a 38-0 win against No. 5 Seneca Valley (0-3, 0-1). It was the second shutout of the season for the Big Macs, who outgained Seneca Valley, 343-147.
• In a game when the teams combined to score 108 points, Central Catholic’s Payton Wehner put together another outstanding performance to lead the Class 6A No. 1 Vikings (3-0) to a 62-46 non-conference win against Bethel Park (1-2) at Carnegie Mellon. Wehner was 17 of 21 for 299 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for two scores. Central Catholic led, 62-20, at halftime.
• Class 4A No. 2 Thomas Jefferson (3-0) used two second-half touchdowns to snap a halftime tie and defeat visiting West Mifflin (0-3), 28-14, in a non-conference game. Thomas Jefferson’s Elias Lippincott scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter, and his 19-yard interception return in the fourth quarter closed the scoring.
• Michael Malone passed for 184 yards and two touchdowns to lead Class 6A No. 3 Mt. Lebanon (3-0) to a 20-17 non-conference win against visiting Moon (0-3). Malone threw an 80-yard touchdown to Ezra Heidenreich in the first quarter and added a 19-yard scoring strike to Matt Nguyen in the fourth. Mt. Lebanon’s Fred LaSota ran for 113 yards, including an 82-yard touchdown.
• Az’Jaun Marshall returned the opening kick of the second half 75 yards for a touchdown to help Class 1A No. 1 Bishop Canevin (2-0) snap a halftime tie before going on to defeat Keystone Oaks (1-2), 21-7, in a non-conference game at Dormont Stadium. Canevin’s Kole Olszewski had touchdown tosses to Jayden Lindsey and Jason Cross. Keystone Oaks’ Giovante Hutchinson returned the game’s opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown.
THREE STARS
*** — Eric Doerue, South Park. Doerue helped South Park remain unbeaten by rushing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Eagles (3-0) to a 38-0 non-conference win at Brentwood (0-3). Doerue ran for scores of 70, 5 and 25 yards, all in the first half.
** — Mason Childress, Mars. A kicker, Childress accounted for 16 points while helping Mars (2-1) roll to a 49-7 win against visiting Blackhawk (0-3). Childress booted three field goals (32, 23 and 37 yards), kicked five extra points and also added a two-point run.
* — Justin Boston, Mohawk. Boston had a well-rounded performance for Mohawk (2-1) in a 28-6 non-conference win against Laurel (1-2). Boston ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, had three catches for 64 yards, collected a game-high 11 tackles, and also had a sack and forced fumble.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
SCOREBOARD
WPIAL CLASS 6A
Tri-County Five Conference
Canon-McMillan 38, Seneca Valley 0
WPIAL CLASS 5A
Allegheny Six Conference
Upper St. Clair 42, Baldwin 34
Northeast Conference
Penn Hills 26, Pine-Richland 20
NON-CONFERENCE
Aliquippa 33, North Catholic 7
Armstrong 49, New Castle 19
Avella 14, Mapletown 7
Avonworth 41, Sto-Rox 6
Beaver 42, Freedom 0
Belle Vernon 21, McKeesport 14 (OT)
Bishop Canevin 21, Keystone Oaks 7
Buckeye Local, Ohio 40, Brownsville 6
Burrell 30, Valley 8
Butler 38, Brashear 0
Carmichaels 27, Chartiers-Houston 7
Central Catholic 62, Bethel Park 46
Central Valley 55, Hampton 0
Clairton 38, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 7
Cornell 30, Union 14
Deer Lakes 49, Apollo-Ridge 21
Dover, Ohio 47, Allderdice 14
Elizabeth Forward 45, East Allegheny 15
Ellwood City 25, Carlynton 12
Fort Cherry 49, Beth-Center 6
Franklin Regional 38, Connellsville 0
Freeport 38, Quaker Valley 6
Greensburg C.C. 48, West Greene 30
Greensburg Salem 34, Ligonier Valley 7
Highlands 35, Chartiers Valley 15
Imani Christian 41, South Allegheny 14
Indiana 31, Shady Side Academy 21
Jeannette 31, Jefferson-Morgan 20
Kiski Area 28, Laurel Highlands 24
Knoch 28, Beaver Falls 24
Latrobe 27, Hempfield 7
Leechburg 28, Bentworth 21
Mars 49, Blackhawk 7
Mohawk 28, Laurel 6
Monessen 48, Frazier 19
Montour 42, South Fayette 35
Mt. Lebanon 20, Moon 17
Mount Pleasant 26, McGuffey 21
Neshannock 42, Ambridge 12
North Allegheny 43, McDowell 24
North Hills 26, Gateway 8
Northern Garrett, Md. 27, Albert Gallatin 6
Northgate 38, Riverview 21
Norwin 33, Fox Chapel 18
Penn-Trafford 28, Woodland Hills 26
Peters Township 34, Trinity 7
Rochester 42, New Brighton 6
Seton LaSalle 23, Steel Valley 20 (2 OT)
Shaler 28, Plum 14
Shenango 24, Riverside 19
South Park 38, Brentwood 0
South Side Beaver 41, Burgettstown 7
Southmoreland 24, Derry 21
Steubenville, Ohio 43, University Prep 20
Thomas Jefferson 28, West Mifflin 14
Uniontown 45, Carrick 14
Washington 40, Serra Catholic 15
Waynesburg 27, California 9
West Allegheny 48, Ringgold 6
Western Beaver 47, Hopewell 0
Yough 20, Charleroi 14
Steve Rotstein and John Santa contributed.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.