Nov 7, 2025 2 min read

WEST MIFFLIN – Just as it did two weeks ago when it played Central Catholic in the regular-season finale, Canon-McMillan had a fast start against the Vikings on Friday night in the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A football playoffs.

The Big Macs scored first when Matt Hirsch scooped up a fumble and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown that gave the Big Macs a 7-0 lead with 3:46 left in the opening quarter.

But just like two weeks earlier, top-seeded Central Catholic shook off the early deficit and controlled the remainder of the game.

Roman Thompson ran for three touchdowns and Colston Gatten caught an 80-yard TD pass as Central Catholic defeated Canon-McMillan 44-7 at West Mifflin High School.

After Hirsch’s fumble return, it took Central Catholic (10-1) less than three minutes to score a pair of touchdowns. Gatten caught his 80-yard scoring strike from Owen Herrick and a two-point conversion put the Vikings up 8-7 with 3:22 left in the first quarter. A little more than two minutes later, Thomaspn scored his first TD on a nine-yard run and Central vatholic led 16-7.

Thompson would add scoring runs of two and five yards, Chrys Black had a 10-yard scamper and Herrick tossed a seven-yard TD to Maceo Watkins. Herrick completed nine of 17 passes for 217 yards.

C-M’s offense took a big hit – actually three of them – in the second quarter when the Big macs lost tight end T.J. Sabatucci, quarterback Ty Jansma and tight end Brayden Collins to injuries. Jansma, who left after taking a late hit that cost Central Catholic 15 yards, did return to the game in the final two minutes of the first half.