Five things we learned in Week 11
Each week we’ll look back at the highlights from the week that was in local high school football. This week saw three teams from Washington County advance to the WPIAL semifinals.
Defensive masterpieces: Coaches say defense wins championships ad nauseum. But they say it because it’s true.
If Wash High and Fort Cherry can put forth defensive performances next week like they did Friday, they’ll have a long stay in the postseason.
Wash High limited South Allegheny’s high-flying offense to one touchdown in a 31-7 win in the Class 2A quarterfinals and Fort Cherry held Neshannock to two yards of offense in the first half in a 36-9 win in the Class A quarterfinals.
South Allegheny scored 50 or more points six times this season, but the Prexies shut them down. Tristan Reed and Blaise Naraskivitch returned an interception for a touchdown, giving the Prexies more points than the South Allegheny offense.
Fort Cherry harassed Neshannock quarterback Jino Mozzocio for the entirety of the first half and he did not complete a pass. Even when the Lancers had a late interception in the second quarter that set them up deep in Fort Cherry territory the Rangers defense held strong and forced a field goal.
Matt Sieg had an interception in the second half with Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi in attendance. The Panthers seem to be making a late push to try and land Sieg.
Sieg opened his recruitment after James Franklin was fired at Penn State.
Neupaving the way: Cole Neupaver had five touchdowns to lead Peters Township to a 42-14 over Bethel Park. Not bad for someone who’s only been on the football team for two years. Neupaver scored three of those five touchdowns in the second half. He had a one-yard run in the first quarter, caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Nolan DiLucia in the second quarter, had runs of one and four yards for scores in the third quarter and finished off his night with a 13-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Neupaver is also a member of the Peters Township hockey team. He had four goals and eight assists last season.
Rematches set: Peters Township had a rematch with one conference opponent on Friday in Bethel Park and will get another one this Friday against Upper St. Clair. Meanwhile, Wash High gets another shot at Seton LaSalle.
Peters Township and Upper St. Clair will meet for the fourth time in the last two years and the second consecutive season in the Class 5A semifinals.
The Indians beat the Panthers, 7-3, in last year’s semifinal after losing to them in the regular season.
This year Peters Township won 24-20 on Sept. 26 and will look for the sweep.
Moon also made the semifinals, giving the Allegheny Six three of the four teams.
Wash High lost 27-14 to Seton LaSalle in a battle for the Class 2A Century Conference championship on the last night of the regular season.
The Prexies will have to solve Kymarr Freeman, who had 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first meeting.
C-H’s dream season ends: The best football season in a quarter century for Chartiers-Houston came to an end with a 40-21 loss to Laurel in the Class A quarterfinals. The Bucs upset South Side Beaver in the first round last week for their first playoff win in 25 years, but couldn’t replicate the magic against the Spartans.
Aaron Walsh threw three touchdown passes, two to Brody McCrerey, in his final game as the Bucs’ quarterback.
Char-Houston definitely has a lot to build on going into next season.
Canon-Mac can’t slay Goliath: The night started well for Canon-McMillan with Matt Hirsch returning a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown, but Central Catholic scored the next 44 points and secured a 44-7 win and a seventh straight trip to a WPIAL championship game.
It was going to be a monumental task to beat the heavily favored Vikings, but the Big Macs made the playoffs while their coach Mike Evans was battling cancer.
Evans took a medical sabbatical and his good friend Brian DeLallo stepped in and guided Canon-McMillan to a respectable season.
Staff writer Jerin Steele can be reached at jsteele@observer-reporter.com