High school football roundup
Nate Stephenson rushed for 250 yards on 40 carries and scored three first-half touchdowns as Waynesburg snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 21-20 victory over Burrell in a nonconference game.
Stephenson scored on runs of 20 and 7 yards in the first quarter and one yard in the second quarter, giving Waynesburg (2-7) a 21-7 lead. Scott Benco made all three extra points.
Burrell (2-7) pulled to within 21-14 on a 10-yard TD pass from Seth Fishbach to Will Clark off a reverse pass with only 11 seconds left before halftime.
Logan Phillips threw his second TD pass of the game, a six-yarder to Luke Kostelic, late in the third quarter that pulled the Bucs to within 21-20. However, Burrell was penalized 15 yards after the touchdown and the Bucs missed the long extra-point kick, leaving Waynesburg with a one-point lead.
Burrell lost a fumble around midfield in the fourth quarter and Waynesburg ran out the clock by churning out three first downs.
California 56, Chartiers-Houston 0
Jelani Stafford rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns on only seven carries, and Lucas Qualk added 108 yards and two scores as California continued its push toward the postseason with a 56-0 victory over Chartiers-Houston in the Tri-County South Conference.
The win moved California (5-1, 5-4) above the .500 mark for the season and kept alive the Trojans’ hopes of sharing the conference title. California led 27-0 after one quarter and 43-0 at halftime.
California rushed for 310 yards and took advantage of four turnovers by Chartiers-Houston (3-4, 3-6).
South Fayette 55, Ambridge 0
Jamie Diven completed 8 of 11 passes for236 yards and four touchdowns as South Fayette routed Ambridge, 55-0, Class 4A Northwest 8 Conference game.
Diven hit Payton Tinney from 60 and 51 yards, Raquin Glover from 6 yards and Joey Audia from 43 for the Lions (6-0, 8-1). Andrew Franklin rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns and Ryan Coe kicked field goals from 30 and 51 yards.
South Fayette’s defense held Ambridge 0-6, 1-8) to 37 total yards and three first downs. Linebacker Tristan Bedillion had an interception.
Avella 47, Mapletown 14
Owen English rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns, and also returned a punt 65 yards for a score, as Avella defeated Mapletown 47-14 in a Tri-County South Conference game.
English scored on runs of 15, 7 and 35 yards as Avella (1-5, 2-7) defeated Mapletown (0-6, 0-9) for the second time this season. Avella edged the Maples 14-12 in the season opener in Washington County.
This time, it wasn’t close as Avella raced to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. Frank Craig had TD runs of one and 28 yards and Noah Taylor threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Ty Jaworowski.
Lance Stevenson threw a 23-yard TD pass to Chuckie Lash and scored on a 25-yard run for Mapletown.
Belle Vernon 48, Plum 0
Anthony Bertram and Larry Calloway each ran for two touchdowns, and Andy Pacak threw for one score and ran for another as Belle Vernon overwhelmed Plum 48-0 in a nonconference game.
Belle Vernon (7-1) forged leads of 14-0 after one quarter and 28-0 at halftime. Bertram had TD runs of three and six yards, Calloway ran nine and 69 yards for scores, both in the first half. Calloway finished with 263 rushing yards on 26 carries.
Knoch 41, Trinity 14
Chase Mullen scored four touchdowns as Knoch dropped Trinity 41-14 in a nonconference game.
Mullen scored on runs of 8, 3 and 5 yards as the Knights outscored Trinity 20-7 in the second half. He also hit Scott Fraser from 32 yards to open the scoring. Matt Goodlin had two rushing touchdowns.
Talon Cain went over from the 1-yard line and Cole Bair caught an 8-yard pass from Kaden Kolson for Trinity (1-7). Kolson completed 10 of 20 passes for 162 yards.
SS Beaver 21, Fort Cherry 14
Jake Botkin scored with 6:16 to play to give South Side Beaver a 21-14 victory over Fort Cherry in a Class AA Three Rivers Conference game.
Botkin finished with 119 yards on 22 carries and also scored on an 11-yard run for SSB (5-2, 7-2). Anthony Navarra rushed for 126 yards on 10 carries and scored on a 26-yard run.
Zach Vincente, who rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries and caught 3 passes for 58 yards, scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game, 14-14 with 11:55 to play. Maddox Truschel completed 8 of 17 passes for 98 yards and score on a 17-yard run in the second quarter.
Frazier 30, Carmichaels 8
Julian Muccioli threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, and Shane McGavitt had a touchdown run and booted a field goal on the final play of the first half to power Frazier to a 30-8 victory over Carmichaels in a Class 2A Interstate Conference game.
The win keeps the playoff hopes alive for Frazier (33-3, 4-5). The Commodores must win next week at Beth-Center to make the playoffs.
Frazier overcame an 8-7 second-quarter deficit. Muccioli threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Fine on the first play from scrimmage after Carmichaels (0-6, 1-7) had taken the lead.
McGavitt booted a 20-yard field goal on the final play of the half and ran five yards for a touchdown that made it 23-8 in the third quarter.
Muccioli threw a 12-yard TD pass to Colton Arison to open the scoring but Carmichaels took the lead on a Bailey Jones touchdown run in the second quarter after the Mikes recovered a Frazier fumble.
Leechburg 28, Bentworth 0
Jake Blumer scored twice to help Leechburg shut out Bentworth, 28-0, in a nonconference game.
Blumer had a 7-yard scoring run and returned an interception 42 yards for another TD for Leechburg (4-5). Bret Kardos rushed for 158 yards and a TD.
Owen Petrisek rushed 10 times for 70 yards for Bentworth (4-5). Trent Cavanaugh rushed 18 times for 66 yards and now has 1,020 yards on the season.
In other games
Charleroi assured itself of at least a share of the Interstate Conference championship by rolling over host Brownsville 57-0. West Mifflin was a 53-0 winner over Ringgold in the Big Eight Conference and Rochester edged Monessen 22-14 in a nonconference battle of playoff-caliber teams in Class A. Game details were not reported to the Observer-Reporter by press time.