If you play for Greensburg Central Catholic, the game against Jeannette is the one you circle on the calendar each season.
And if you play for Jeannette, that annual game against GCC is as big as they come.
“It’s a huge rivalry,” Greensburg C.C.’s Samir Crosby said. “It’s family against family. People that have been playing against each other since second grade.”
But in Crosby’s case, he had played not against, but with, many of Jeannette’s players since he was a youngster.
You see, the importance of the rivalry between the schools sitting 5 miles apart is bigger for Crosby than most. A sophomore, Crosby is a Jeannette resident who transferred from Jeannette to Greensburg C.C. midway through his eighth grade year. He’s also cousins with Jeannette’s top player, Noah Sanders.
The Centurions captured the win in the latest chapter of the storied rivalry Friday, and it was Crosby, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound running back-wide receiver-cornerback, who continued to make big plays in what has been an outstanding season that has seen him emerge as one of the area’s top sophomores.
Crosby scored three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the third quarter, to help Greensburg C.C. rally from 11 points down to defeat Jeannette, 42-24, in front of a large crowd at Jeannette’s McKee Stadium.
This was a huge win for Greensburg C.C. (5-3), which improved to 3-1 in the Class 1A Eastern Conference. The Centurions and Jeannette (6-2, 3-1) are now tied for second place in the conference behind Clairton (6-2, 4-0). Clairton defeated the Centurions, 40-28, on Sept. 29. Jeannette hosts Clairton in the regular-season finale on Oct. 27.
It looked like this would be the night Jeannette would pick up a huge statement win during what has been a resurgent season for a program that has 776 all-time wins, tied with Aliquippa for most among all WPIAL and City League teams. After winning a WPIAL title and advancing to the PIAA final in 2020, Jeannette fell on hard times, going just 1-9 in 2021 and 3-8 last season. One of the main reasons for that was the large amount of underclassmen starters who transferred after the 2020 season, many of whom went to Greensburg C.C. Tom Paulone, a 2010 Jeannette graduate, took over the team last season and has guided the return to prominence. The Jayhawks took a five-game win streak into Friday’s matchup.
“What coach Paulone is doing with them is outstanding, and they are a good football team. And so are we,” said Greensburg C.C. coach John Thompson, who is in his first season. “I know we’ve played some tough competition. People didn’t believe in us or give us a chance. I know this team. I’m proud of them. The work they’re putting in, it’s such a young group that we have. The experience that they’re getting week after week and getting better week after week, that was a huge win for us.”
It was also the third in a row for Greensburg C.C. against Jeannette, following a 49-3 rout in 2021 and 44-0 shutout last season. Prior to that, the Jayhawks had taken seven consecutive meetings in the series.
“Huge win,” Crosby said. “At practice, we just kept going over, ‘We’ve got to win this game.’ For me to come back home here, we just had that chip on our shoulder that we’d come out and win.”
Greensburg C.C. was held to just one score Friday during a first half that saw Jeannette take a 12-7 lead. Thompson said he informed his team to continue to stick to the game plan, saying that the big plays would come eventually. Thompson was right, because in the second half the offense erupted for 35 points.
After Jeannette took an 18-7 lead less than three minutes into the third quarter, Greensburg C.C. ripped off 21 unanswered points to take control. Crosby’s 2-yard scoring run with 2:14 left in the third put the Centurions in front, 21-18. He then added what was the nail in the coffin, a 15-yard touchdown run with 3:49 left in the game that made it 42-24. Crosby’s other touchdown came on an 8-yard pass from Tyree Turner in the opening quarter.
“He’s shifty. He’s fast. He’s just a smart football player. And I think he had a pretty good night,” Thompson said of Crosby, who finished with seven carries for 89 yards.
Turner had a special night, too. A senior, Turner ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns and added another 88 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Crosby set up his first touchdown with a long kickoff return, and his 52-yard run set the stage for a Turner rushing touchdown that increased the Greensburg C.C. advantage to 35-24.
This was no flash-in-the-pan performance for Crosby, who has made a giant impact all season long. He leads the team in receiving, is their second-leading rusher, and is tied with Turner for the team lead in touchdowns with 11. Oh, he ranks among the state leaders with six interceptions, too.
“He’s having a good season,” Thompson said. “He’s a leader on the defense, as well. I know he had the picks early. But he’s doing the other things now that we need done on the defensive side, whether it’s tackles or getting us in the right coverages. The picks come in spurts, but on both sides of the ball he’s being a leader. He’s a sophomore, but he plays like a fifth-year veteran.”
On Friday, Crosby at times lined up directly across from his cousin, Noah Sanders, when one of them was split out wide on offense. Sanders ran for 143 yards and a touchdown.
And just because they’re relatives doesn’t mean the trash talk is pushed to the side when they go at it.
“You know, it’s all love. But huge trash talking. You’ve got to let him know,” Crosby said.
Colleges have let Crosby know that they want him. UNLV was the first to extend an offer back in February, and many other schools are showing interest, Crosby said. He’s made gameday trips to Penn State and West Virginia, and hopes to make it to Pitt soon, as well.
“I’m hoping Pitt will [offer], Penn State, all of them,” said Crosby.
According to Thompson, Crosby’s future is bright.
“Time will tell, but obviously it’s very bright right now,” Thompson said. “But like I tell him, ‘Just stay grounded. Stay within yourself.’ We take one game at a time. God’s got a plan and the rest will take care of itself.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.