One of the highest-scoring local high school football games in recent memory had to end one way or another, so Highlands coach Matt Bonislawski decided enough was enough.
“I don’t second guess. I went for two last week [in an overtime loss against Armstrong], and I would do it again,” Bonislawski said. “To be honest, if there was no kicking involved and 2-point conversions involved, we probably would still be playing. It was just score after score after score.”
In the end, Bonislawski’s bold decision paid off for the Golden Rams (1-1), who eked out a thrilling 53-52 home win against Class 3A No. 4 Elizabeth Forward in triple overtime. With the game hanging in the balance, Bonislawski put his faith in senior quarterback Menage Lucas and Lucas did the rest, rushing in the game-winning 2-point conversion before being mobbed by his teammates in the end zone.
Lucas rushed for 170 yards on 21 carries in the win, but he saved his biggest contribution for last.
“Menage is tremendous. I think last week he had like 240 yards passing and 200 yards rushing with five total touchdowns,” Bonislawski said. “We have a lot of athletes who can make a lot of plays.”
After a quiet first game in the season-opening loss to Armstrong, Darius Cherry enjoyed a breakout game for Highlands, rushing for 126 yards and three TDs on 19 carries. For the Warriors (0-2), junior quarterback Ryan Messina passed for 159 yards and a TD, while standout senior Charlie Nigut rushed for 165 yards on 18 attempts in the defeat.
“It was a great football game. EF is a really, really good team,” Bonislawski said. “For our kids’ sake, two overtime games in a row — it didn’t go our way last week, but we fought it out until the end.”
PINE-RICHLAND REIGNS SUPREME OVER CENTRAL CATHOLIC
For the third year in a row, Class 5A No. 2 Pine-Richland laid claim to bragging rights in its heated rivalry with Class 6A No. 1 Central Catholic, as the Rams (2-0) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to secure a rain-soaked 22-17 victory against the visiting Vikings (0-2). Central’s punishing defense shut out Pine-Richland for the entire first half, but sophomore quarterback Oobi Strader came to life for the Rams after the break. Strader got Pine-Richland on the board with a rushing touchdown, then helped seal the win with a long TD pass to Jay Timmons late in the fourth quarter.
PETERS TOWNSHIP MUSCLES PAST MCKEESPORT
In a highly anticipated clash of styles between Class 4A No. 5 McKeesport‘s flexbone rushing attack and Class 5A No. 1 Peters Township‘s high-octane passing offense, it was the Indians (2-0) who flexed their muscles en route to a commanding 42-7 home win. Junior quarterback Nolan DiLucia passed for one touchdown and ran for another, and senior Nick Courie ran for two TDs to help power Peters Township to the mercy-rule victory against the Tigers (0-2).
THOMAS JEFFERSON TOPPLES CENTRAL VALLEY
Coming off a season-opening loss at Montour, Class 3A No. 1 Central Valley encountered another ranked Class 4A foe in the form of No. 3 Thomas Jefferson, and after a back-and-forth first half, the Jaguars took control in the second half to emerge with a 27-13 road win. Tyler Eber tallied 190 yards from scrimmage (124 rushing, 66 receiving) for Thomas Jefferson (2-0), while Jance Henry rushed for 120 yards and two TDs on 14 carries for the Warriors (0-2).
BETHEL PARK BLOWS OUT MARS
In the highly anticipated first-ever matchup between the teams, Class 5A No. 4 Bethel Park traveled to Mars and issued an emphatic statement with a 49-13 mercy-rule win in the PUP Game of the Week. JaVaughn Moore and David Dennison combined to rush for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns for the Black Hawks (2-0), while Mason Childress scored both TDs for the Planets (1-1).
LATROBE PULLS AWAY FROM PLUM
With the excitement surrounding Latrobe‘s potential playoff hopes continuing to rise, the Wildcats leaned on star seniors Alex Tatsch and John Wetzel to pull out a 32-18 victory against visiting Plum (0-2). Tatsch rushed for 158 yards and two TDs on 12 carries, while Wetzel rushed for 89 yards and a score while adding another TD through the air for Latrobe (2-0). T.J. Futeles passed for 160 yards and a touchdown to go with 60 yards rushing for the Mustangs.
DEER LAKES UPENDS SOUTH PARK
In an underrated matchup of two title contenders, Deer Lakes (2-0) picked up an impressive road win at Class 2A No. 2 South Park (1-1), outlasting the Eagles down the stretch for a 35-22 triumph. Zier Williams rushed for 116 yards and three TDs and Jake Fleischer added 86 yards and a score while passing for 91 yards and another TD to lead the Lancers to victory. Robert Lenzi led the way for South Park with 82 yards and two TDs on nine carries, while Eric Doerue rushed for 51 yards and a score.
STEEL VALLEY STYMIES TOP-RANKED WASHINGTON
After starting the season as the top-ranked team in Class 2A, Steel Valley stumbled to a season-opening defeat against Class 1A No. 2 Clairton last week, falling to No. 4 in the PUP’s “Best in Show” rankings. The Ironmen bounced back in a big way on Friday, though, taking down Class 2A No. 1 Washington (1-1) for a 28-8 win at home. Star senior Donald Barksdale did the heavy lifting with four touchdown runs for Steel Valley (1-1).
FORT CHERRY RUNS AWAY FROM OLSH
Ryan Huey rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries, and coveted junior quarterback Matt Sieg ran for 79 yards and three scores on 15 carries to propel Class 1A No. 1 Fort Cherry (2-0) to a 41-14 blowout win at home against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (1-1). The Rangers led by a score of 21-14 late in the first half before polishing off the victory with three unanswered TDs.
FOX CHAPEL SNAPS LENGTHY SKID
Coming off back-to-back winless seasons, Fox Chapel (1-1) brought a resounding end to its 22-game losing streak with a 38-7 beatdown at Baldwin (0-2). Victor Nernberg rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, while Noah Saccani caught five passes for 113 yards and a score in the win. Harran Zureikat also drilled a trio of field goals for the Foxes.
PUP BITES
- Some of the night’s most anticipated games were unfortunately called off early due to inclement weather, including the rare clash of reigning state champions between Class 4A No. 1 Aliquippa and Class 4A No. 4 Belle Vernon. The Quips were leading, 12-0, at the time of the stoppage. Class 4A No. 2 Montour (1-0) also held a 13-0 lead against Class 5A No. 5 Moon (1-0) when the game was called. Both will be ruled as no contests and will not be rescheduled.
- Another game was called early for a different and more disturbing reason, as shots were reportedly fired in the parking lot during the fourth quarter of the game between Penn Hills (1-1) and Woodland Hills (1-1) at the Wolvarena. The Wolverines will be credited with a 26-6 victory. It is unclear at this time how many people were injured in the shooting.
- Fresh off his phenomenal 422-yard, four-touchdown debut for South Fayette (2-0), junior quarterback Drew Welhorsky delivered an epic encore for the Lions in a 28-6 win against visiting Shaler (1-1). Welhorsky passed for 167 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 100 yards and a pair of scores, giving him back-to-back games with 100-plus yards on the ground and through the air.
THREE STARS
*** — Peter Notaro, North Allegheny. The Alabama recruit showed off his coveted right leg by converting a pair of field goals, including a booming 52-yard boot, to help the Tigers cruise to a 42-7 win against Gateway.
** — Elliot Premus, Southmoreland. Premus caught six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns and also tacked on a 53-yard rushing TD in a 49-14 win against East Allegheny.
* — Jino Mozzoccio, Neshannock. The dual-threat quarterback rushed for 165 yards and four TDs on 12 carries to go with 112 yards passing and another TD in a 48-20 victory at Union.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
SCOREBOARD
Albert Gallatin 42, Carrick 6
Armstrong 42, Hampton 30
Avonworth 28, West Mifflin 22
Bethel Park 49, Mars 13
Burgettstown 11, Bentworth 6
Butler 42, Brashear 0
Carlynton 21, Avella 0
Chartiers-Houston 52, Springdale 0
Clairton 43, Serra Catholic 0
Deer Lakes 35, South Park 22
Derry 21, Freeport 7
Fort Cherry 41, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 14
Fox Chapel 38, Baldwin 7
Franklin Regional 49, Hempfield 26
Frazier 36, Mapletown 0
Greensburg Salem 43, Ligonier Valley 14
Highlands 53, Elizabeth Forward 52 (3OT)
Hollidaysburg 42, Allderdice 0
Imani Christian 34, Beaver Falls 0
Indiana 14, Ringgold 13 (OT)
Jeannette 42, Apollo-Ridge 28
Jefferson-Morgan 34, Waynesburg 28
Knoch 28, North Catholic 17
Latrobe 32, Plum 18
Leechburg 42, Beth-Center 8
Mohawk 32, Laurel 27
Mount Pleasant 36, Greensburg C.C. 34 (OT)
Neshannock 48, Union 20
New Castle 42, Hopewell 19
North Allegheny 42, Gateway 7
North Hills 13, Seneca Valley 6
Northgate 29, Riverside 25
Norwin 33, Kiski Area 21
Penn-Trafford 28, Mt. Lebanon 7
Peters Township 42, McKeesport 7
Riverview 38, Valley 36
Seton LaSalle 21, Bishop Canevin 14
Shady Side Academy 42, Burrell 7
South Allegheny 50, Brentwood 7
South Fayette 28, Shaler 6
Southmoreland 49, East Allegheny 14
Steel Valley 28, Washington 8
Thomas Jefferson 27, Central Valley 13
Upper St. Clair 41, Canon-McMillan 6
Woodland Hills 26, Penn Hills 6
Yough 21, Charleroi 9
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
