Five things we learned in Week 3
Each Monday we’ll look back at the highlights of the week that was in local high school football.
This week there was an epic comeback by South Fayette, Fort Cherry’s revenge, more success for unbeaten teams and a first win for Peters Township.
1. Heart of a Lion
South Fayette was down 28-13 at home to Montour in a matchup of teams that believe they can contend for the Class 4A title.
It was looking like the Lions might have a tough night ahead against the Spartans, but they were just setting up an epic rally.
South Fayette scored 22 unanswered points to rally for a 35-28 win and improve to 3-0. After missing the playoffs the last year in Class 5A, it looks like this South Fayette team is poised for a big season.
Braeden Plasko scored the game-winning touchdown on a 34-yard run. Plasko showed poise after throwing a pick-six in the first quarter, leading the Lions offense in the second half.
He was 8 of 12 passing for 145 yards.
The other thing that was clear to those watching the game Friday is that Aayden Wright is one of the most dynamic players in the entire WPIAL. Wright is only a sophomore, but he’s already got major Division I offers and had several electric runs on his way to 176 yards on the ground. He had a 22-yard touchdown out of a wild cat formation.
South Fayette puts its unbeaten record on the line with a game at Trinity Friday.
2. Revenge game
During training camp, several Fort Cherry players pointed out that the Week 3 game at Laurel was one they had circled.
That’s because the Spartans knocked Fort Cherry out of the playoffs with a 24-14 win in the WPIAL Class A semifinals last season.
The Rangers got their revenge Friday with a 21-17 victory, making it a sweet trip to New Castle.
Senior running back Eli Salvini led the way with 136 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including the game-winner a 16-yard score that came after Laurel had taken a brief lead in the third quarter.
Fort Cherry opens Black Hills Conference play with a trip to Monessen Friday.
3. Black Hills Four
There are seven local teams that are still unbeaten and four of them: Washington, Burgettstown, Fort Cherry and Monessen are in the Black Hills Conference. Bentworth and Sto-Rox are 2-1, so it should be a fun conference to follow the rest of the season.
Beth-Center and Waynesburg also unbeaten.
Monessen beat Frazier 20-14, with the game-winning score coming when Kaier Payne threw a 79-yard touchdown to Kayden Kolbeck in the fourth quarter.
This will be the second year in a row that Monessen faces Fort Cherry when both teams are unbeaten.
Burgettstown continued its hot start with a 37-0 thumping of Rochester. The Blue Devils are 3-0 for the first time since 2019 and have won every game in convincing fashion. They’ll look to keep it rolling Friday against Sto-Rox.
Wash High appears to be a juggernaut. The Prexies have put up 50 or more points the last two weeks, including a 50-6 romp of California Friday. Next week the Prexies play Brentwood in their conference opener.
Beth-Center matched its win total from last year with a 46-13 drubbing of Leechburg. The Bulldogs look to be one of the favorites in the Tri-County South and will begin conference play Friday at Avella.
Waynesburg has had a strong start, which includes a 35-0 shutout of Albert Gallatin. The schedule gets a little tougher this Friday with a trip to Elizabeth Forward to begin conference play.
4. Simons Says
How about this unique stat line from Friday night: McGuffey’s Caleb Simons had four carries for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Talk about making the most of your opportunities.
Simons averaged 46 yards per carry in the Highlanders’ 48-0 win over West Greene. Not a bad night’s work.
5. Peters gets 1st win
Through the first few weeks of the season, Peters Township’s defense has played well enough to win.
The offense finally got on track against Mt. Lebanon in a 16-0 victory.
In the first two weeks, the Indians scored three total points, but finally got into the end zone when Troy Abbiatici caught a 45-yard pass from Luke Wagner in the second quarter. Jaden Blair added a five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Indians’ defense has allowed only 31 points in three games. If the offense can continue to gel, they’ll have a recipe for success.
Staff writer Jerin Steele can be reached at jsteele@observer-reporter.com