News, notes, scores, photos and videos from Week 0 of the high school football season.
Tim Storino knew what the stakes would be — even nearly a year ago.
And that’s exactly why the Seton LaSalle coach connected with his counterpart at North Catholic, Chris Rizzo, to get Friday night’s Week 0 game against the perennial WPIAL championship contender on the books.
“We knew last October when we scheduled them, I’m good friends with their head coach, we knew that they were going to be a dog fight,” Storino said.
With a 23-12 victory against North Catholic at Dormont Memorial Stadium to open its 2024 campaign, Seton LaSalle may just have announced to the rest of the WPIAL that it is back among the big dogs again.
“It means everything,” Storino said. “An 0-10 season (in 2022) and then 5-5 (in 2023), our boys two years ago, it was a lot of tears and it was … sleepless nights. Last year was a little bit of momentum and now we’re where we need to be. We’re back to where Seton LaSalle was for 50 years.
“We’re important and relevant again,” he said. “It feels good to be a part of it, but I’m so happy for my kids.”
Senior running back Logan King carried the football 30 times for 174 yards and touchdown runs of 10 and 34 yards to pace Seton LaSalle’s offensive attack.
The Rebels’ ability to control the line of scrimmage was critical, Storino said.
“Those guys up front did it,” he said. “Logan hit the holes. They go where they’re supposed to go and it works.”
Sophomore receiver Khalil Taylor — who already has scholarship offers from Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia to his credit — caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Seton LaSalle quarterback Michael Pastirik to open the game’s scoring.
From there, the Rebels took control of the contest and outscored the Trojans, 17-6, over the game’s final three quarters.
“I wouldn’t say we were surprised, but I’d say happy ,” said Seton LaSalle starting left guard Brayden Carter, who made his 23rd consecutive varsity start Friday night. “The fact that we were able to blend together and really just move people from Point A to Point B, that’s really special.”
Quarterback Joey Felitsky threw for 242 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to lead North Catholic. He connected with Jack White for an 80-yard touchdown through the air in the first half and later found Will Waskiewicz for a 4-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter.
“All week we were preparing,” Carter said. “We really came in hot, didn’t take anything for granted and made minimal mistakes.”
Seton LaSalle will have another test next Friday when it faces its second consecutive WPIAL title contender, this time in Bishop Canevin.
Carter said he is looking forward to again having a chance to assert his team’s dominance.
“The tables have turned,” he said. “Going from 0-10 to now starting off 1-0, that’s big. Hopefully we can keep going with that.”
MCKEESPORT STUNNED IN DOUBLE OT
Quarterback Ty DeGeorge capped a thrilling opening game in Friday night’s KDKA Kickoff Classic at Woodland Hills’ Wolvarena, plunging over the goal line for a 2-point conversion for Uniontown Lake, Ohio, to send last season’s WPIAL Class 4A runner-up McKeesport home with a 36-35 loss in double overtime. Tigers sophomore running back Kemon Spell, a Penn State recruit, led the Tigers with 84 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Spell scored on runs of 55, 2 and 5 yards.
WEST MIFFLIN HANGS ON AGAINST ELIZABETH FORWARD
Elizabeth Forward nearly completed a miraculous comeback as Ryan Messina completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Nigut as time expired, but a fumbled snap on a potential game-tying, extra-point attempt doomed the Warriors as West Mifflin escaped with a 17-16 victory. Titans quarterback Zahir Ismaeli led his offense with a 60-yard scramble and a 25-yard touchdown run.
PETERS TOWNSHIP RALLIES FOR WIN
The defending WPIAL Class 5A champion Indians fell behind by 17 points in the first half against rival Canon-McMillan before exploding for 42 unanswered points to emerge with a 42-17 victory Friday night. Sophomore quarterback Nolan DiLucia completed 16-of-21 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Nick McCullough had five catches for 174 yards and a score to pace Peters Township. After racking up just 62 first-half yards, the Indians came alive, eventually eclipsing 400 yards of total offense by the time the game ended.
ALLDERDICE WINS ONE FOR HASLETT
Quarterback Trecyn Ford threw for 126 yards, while running back Nasir Scott added 131 yards on 23 carries as Allderdice knocked off Fox Chapel, 20-9, Friday night in its first game since the passing of longtime coach Jerry Haslett last month. In 15 seasons as head coach, Haslett led the Dragons to nine City League championship game appearances and three titles. Allderdice also reached consecutive PIAA championship games in 2022 and 2023 under Haslett, whose career record was 63-85 and 47-31 in City League play.
NORWIN COMES ON STRONG TO TOP PENN-TRAFFORD
Tristyn Tavares rallied Norwin in the second half, as the quarterback threw for 147 yards and a touchdown, while also running for another score, to lead the Knights to a 26-14 victory against Penn-Trafford. Tavares engineered three consecutive second-half touchdown drives to secure the win. He connected with Jake Knight for an 80-yard touchdown pass before running for a 6-yard score. Jake Sincak scored on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter to round out Norwin’s scoring. Tasso Whipple rushed for 174 yards and two scores to pace Penn-Trafford’s offensive attack.
MONTOUR HAS NEW QUARTERBACK IN TOWN
After sitting for three seasons behind former starting quarterback Jake Wolfe, Montour senior Trey Hopper shined in his first career start — a 24-14 victory against Central Valley. Hopper passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns.
PUP BITES
• Ethan Hellman threw for a 43-yard touchdown to Bryce Jones and added a 2-yard scoring strike to Dante Coury, while finding pay dirt from 11 yards out on the ground, to lead Upper St. Clair to a 42-22 thrashing of neighboring rival Mt. Lebanon. Julian Dahlem also rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers.
• Quarterback Drew Wehorsky threw for 248 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns, to lead South Fayette to a 26-0 victory against visiting Chartiers Valley.
• Andrew Cross connected with Paul Brona for a 24-yard touchdown and Jake Warnagiris for a 13-yard scoring strike to lead Moon to a 21-0 victory against visiting Trinity.
• Tanner Pfeuffer was efficient completing 13-of-20 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Ja Vaughn Moore rushed for 112 yards and a score to propel Bethel Park to a surprising 50-14 blowout of host Seneca Valley.
• Chase Lemke needed only six passes to throw for 189 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions as Franklin Regional knocked off Plum, 42-7. Kyle Dupill also rushed for 171 yards and two scores for the Panthers.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
SCOREBOARD
Allderdice 20, Fox Chapel 9
Armstrong 38, Highlands 37, OT
Avonworth 24, Burrell 7
Bentworth 48, Brownsville 0
Bethel Park 50, Seneca Valley 14
Blackhawk 56, Beaver Falls 0
California 62, Serra Catholic 26
Carlynton 33, Carrick 18
Deer Lakes 28, Keystone Oaks 7
Franklin Regional 42, Plum 7
Freedom 7, Quaker Valley 0
Freeport 30, Indiana 7
Fort Cherry 39, Northgate 0
Greensburg Central Catholic 46, Shady Side Academy 40
Greensburg Salem 28, Albert Gallatin 6
Hampton 22, University Prep 18
Hopewell 38, Riverside 25
Jeannette 28, Mount Pleasant 27
Jefferson-Morgan 35, Chartiers-Houston 6
Kiski Area 42, Knoch 7
Latrobe 41, Connellsville 0
Laurel 14, Ellwood City 7, OT
Laurel Highlands 45, Uniontown 20
Leechburg 19, Apollo-Ridge 14
Ligonier Valley 20, Derry Area 7
Mapletown 20, Avella 6
Mars at Boone, Fla., PPD
McDowell 34, Woodland Hills 28
Monessen 59, Charleroi 12
Montour 24, Central Valley 14
Moon 21, Trinity 0
Neshannock 42, Mohawk 37
New Brighton 9, Shenango 7
New Castle 49, General McLane 47
North Allegheny 22, St. Frances Academy Regional, Md. 20
North Hills 22, Hempfield 0
Norwin 26, Penn-Trafford 14
Our Lady of Sacred Heart 12, Rochester 6
Peters Township 42, Canon-McMillan 17
Pine-Richland 35, Hilliard Davidson, Ohio 24
Seton LaSalle 23, North Catholic 12
Shaler 20, Butler 14
Southmoreland 45, Valley 20
South Allegheny 28, Ringgold 14
South Fayette 26, Chartiers Valley 0
South Park 30, East Allegheny 16
South Side Beaver 44, Sto-Rox 8
State College 49, Gateway 14
Thomas Jefferson 63, Baldwin 12
Uniontown Lake, Ohio 36, McKeesport 35, 2OT
Upper St. Clair 42, Mt. Lebanon 22
Washington 14, McGuffey 7
Waynesburg Central 42, West Greene 7
West Mifflin 17, Elizabeth Forward 16
Western Beaver at Ambridge 30, Western Beaver 14
Yough 40, Brentwood 0
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.