Aug 23, 2024 By Joe Smeltzer 3 min read

CANONSBURG – It didn’t take the defending Class 5A WPIAL champions and state runners-up long to be tested.

In the first half of Peters Township’s opening game of the 2024 season, it fell behind 17-0 on the road to Class 6A Canon-McMillan.

Then, everything flipped.

A punt return and a pick six within 54 seconds got Peters Township to within a field goal.

Peters Township built off that momentum with 42 unanswered points for a 42-17 win Friday night.

Indiana coach T.J. Plack attributed the win to his players for stepping up.

“They saw our guys were mentally tough last year,” Plack said, “and doggonit, they stayed mentally tough today.”

Canon-McMillan’s first drive had promise, with the Big Macs driving to the Peters 30-yard line. But quarterback Ty Jansma’s fourth-and-two pass fell incomplete, and Canon-McMillan turned it over on downs.

A PT three-and-out, followed by a shanked punt, set Canon-Mac up at the Peters 46. The Big Macs took advantage with a scoring drive highlighted by a third-and-10 conversion and completed with a seven-yard pass from Ty Jansma to tight end Talan Sabatucci.

Canon-Mac got more good field position on its next drive, starting at its 45. The Big Macs cashed in on a one-yard keeper by Jansma that was set up by a 16-yard pass from Jansma to Roman Cimarolli.

On PT’s next drive, it looked like quarterback Nolan DiLucia connected with Nick McCullough for an 80-yard catch-and-run TD. But an illegal-man-downfield penalty wiped out that score.

Peters Township struck again less than a minute later.

Linebacker Mickey Vaccarello picked off an errant Jansma pass and took it 20 yards to the end zone. The extra-point kick made it 17-14. Peters Township scored 14 points in 52 seconds without its offense taking the field.

Peters Township got the ball to start the second half and made the most of its first drive, going 80 yards in 2:47 and taking the lead on a one-yard run by Nick Courie, which was set up by a 17-yard run from DiLucia.

On Peters’ next drive, a 54-yard pass from DiLucia to Nick McCullough put the ball in the Big Macs’ red zone. Courie took it from there, scoring his second touchdown from two yards out to push the lead to double digits.

Canon-Mac wasn’t done, driving near the PT red zone two minutes into the fourth quarter. But an interception by Lucas Roast gave the Indians the ball back and essentially iced the game.

Peters Township than added a 30-yard TD pass from DiLucia to McCullough to make it a three-score game, and Courie added his third touchdown run for good measure.

Canon-Mac coach Mike Evans blamed himself for the loss and doesn’t feel the team’s backups were put in a position to succeed, thus hurting the depth.

“We didn’t have our backups ready,” Evans said. “We lost our Division 1 tight end, our extremely promising young running back and we lost our fullback. I’m not making excuses, stuff happens. We need to have the next guys ready.”

Peters Township will look to keep it going next week when it plays at home for the first time as defending WPIAL champs against McKeesport. Canon-Mac will look to bounce back against Upper St. Clair at home.