Central Catholic rallies to get past Canon-Mac

CANONSBURG – Since 1953, Canon-McMillan, when it dated back to Canonsburg, has not defeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic in football.
That drought will stretch at least one more season. In a tail of two halves, the Big Macs were held scoreless in the second half and fell 31-20 to the Vikings in a Class 6A Tri-Country Five matchup.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic hoisted a 2-3 overall record when the bug rolled onto Pike Street, headed for Big Mac Stadium. The Vikings had suffered consecutive 6A losses to Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny coming into Week 5.
The Big Macs also entered the contest with a record of 2-3. Canon-McMillan was coming off a 21-17 win at Class 5A South Fayette.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re excited,” Canon-McMillan head coach Mike Evans said before the game. “I feel really good about it. I’m as calm as I have been on a Friday in years.”
The Big Macs came out of the gates with two first-quarter touchdowns. Junior quarterback Michael Evans found senior wide receiver Austyn Winkleblech across the middle on a 23-yard touchdown pass. After stopping the ensuing Vikings drive, Evans found another senior wideout, Treyvon Mullen, from 66 yards out.
Canon-McMillan led 13-0 after a quarter of play. The Vikings did not go quietly into halftime as they responded with a 25-yard field goal from sophomore placekicker Billy Lech.
The Big Macs looked to improve on their lead on their next drive, but Central Catholic sophomore cornerback Xxavier Thomas had other ideas. Thomas intercepted Evans near midfield and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. The defensive touchdown made the score 13-10 midway through the second quarter.
The Big Macs needed to recover the momentum they had lost after the first quarter ended. They did just that when senior Jacob Kasper returned a kickoff to midfield and set Canon-McMillan up with excellent field position.
The Big Macs capitalized on their chance with a 54-yard touchdown drive. With less than two seconds on the clock, Evans found senior tight end, Kent McMahon, in the back of the end zone. The Big Macs led 20-10 at the half.
The Big Macs’ offense went three and out on their first possession of the second half. Central Catholic tightened the score with a 72-yard touchdown drive, capped with a Vernon Settles 20-yard touchdown pass from Payton Wehner.
Settles turned around and stole a touchdown from the Big Macs when he intercepted an Evans pass in the back of the end zone. The next drive for the Vikings went 80 yards for another touchdown. This time Wehner found junior fullback Dylan Deasy in the end zone on a fourth and goal from the 1-yard line. Central Catholic led 24-20 at the end of the third quarter.
Again, the Big Macs were held to three plays before punting back to the Vikings. Thomas made another splash play for Central Catholic when he returned the punt 75 yards for a third and final unanswered Vikings touchdown. The long return extended Central Catholic’s lead to 31-20.
Settles sealed the game for the Vikings when he intercepted Evans for a third time at midfield. Settles finished the game offensively with nine catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.
Winkleblech had four receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Mullen ended his night with three catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Kasper had 15 rushing attempts for 71 yards.