High school football roundup
Forget the conference losses to McKeesport and Latrobe.
The Trinity football team did.
And the Hillers went out and produced one of their biggest wins in recent memory, and certainly the biggest under second-year head coach Dan Knause, defeating previously unbeaten Thomas Jefferson 23-6 Friday night in a Class 4A Big Seven Conference game at Hiller Field.
The win gives Trinity a 2-2 record in the conference, a 4-3 mark overall and sets the Hillers up for a playoff berth.
Trinity scored the first 23 points of the game.
Quarterback Jonah Williamson scored two touchdowns, on a two-yard run in the first quarter and a three-yard scamper in the third.
Andrew Durig bolted 20 yards a touchdown in the second quarter to give Trinity a 14-0 halftime lead.
The Hillers made it 23-0 with a safety in the fourth quarter.
Thomas Jefferson avoided the shutout with a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
McGuffey 41, Charleroi 7
McGuffey scored early and often against Charleroi as the Highlanders rolled to a 41-7 victory in a Class 2A Century Conference game.
The win, combinbed with Wash High’s victory over Sto-Rox, clinched a playoff berth for McGuffey (4-0, 5-2).
McGuffey scored on the second offensive play of the game and never looked back. The Highlanders took a 7-0 lead only 25 seconds into the first quarter on a 37-yard play-action pass from Connor Crowe to Malachi Ealy.
Charles Wagers made it 14-0 with a one-yard touchdown run and Ealy scored his second TD of the opening quarter, a two-yard plunge, that made it 21-0.
Fullback Dylan Droboj capped a TD drive with a one-yard plunge early in the second quarter. After the Highlanders’ Jackson Keranko intercepted a pass, McGuffey reached the end zone again when Wagers scored from nine yards out on a counter play. A bad snap on the extra-point attempt left the score at 34-0.
Aiden O’Dell had a two-yard TD run with 41 seconds left in the first half that made it 41-0.
Charleroi avoided the shutout with the only score of the second half, a 26-yard TD scamper around left end by Gianni Pellegrini in the fourth quarter.
Washington 43, Sto-Rox 8
Washington received touchdowns from six different players and the Prexies rolled to a 43-8 win over Sto-Rox in a Class 2A Century Conference game at Wash High Stadium.
The Prexies remain undefeated at 3-0 in the conference and 7-0 overall.
The Prexies led 21-0 after one quarter and 36-0 at halftime.
Eddie Lewis had a 13-yard TD run that opened the scoring. The Prexies’ next two scores came from the defense and special teams. A 37-yard fumble return by Jahvon Woods and a 57-yard punt return by Zxavian Willis made it 21-0.
Ruben Gordon added a seven-yard TD jaunt and Elijah Thomas caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tristan Reed as the Prexies pushed their lead to 36-0.
The lone score by washington in the second half came in the third quarter when Treshawn Porter broke off a 31-yard touchdown run.
Sto-Rox (1-3, 1-5) scored its only points in the foruth quarter, when Eric McGuire raced 16 yards to the end zone.
Wash High’s defense was dominant as the Prexies held Sto-Rox to only 39 total yards and two first downs.
Fort Cherry 42, Avella 8
Fort Cherry didn’t have a letdown after last week’s huge victory over Bishop Canevin in a 42-8 victory over Avella in Class A Black Hills Conference play.
The Rangers (4-0, 7-0) jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Evan Rogers pulled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Matt Sieg for a 7-0 lead at 10:20 of the first quarter after Nik Massey made the first of six PATs.
Ethan Faletto scored on touchdowns runs of 11 and 7 yards before Nate Heirendt’s 3-yard run at 2:47 of the first quarter closed the first-quarter scoring for Fort Cherry.
Rogers caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Sieg in the second quarter and Ryan Huey’s 35-yard run closed the scoring for the Rangers.
Sieg was 5 of 8 for 134 yards and Faletto gained 52 yards on seven carries. Shane Cornali had a fumble recovery and Zach Serafin an interception for the Rangers.
Avella’s Chas Rush scored on a 17-yard run and Isaiah Bradick added the two-point conversion run with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles fell to 1-3 in conference play and 3-4 overall.
Waynesburg 48, Brentwood 14
Braylon Woods scored five touchdowns, including four rushing, as Waynersburg defeated winless Brentwood 48-14 in a Class 2A Century Conference game.
Woods scored on runs of 48, 6, 15 and 33 yards and took a screen pass from Jacob Stephenson 66 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.
Woods finished with 138 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
Stephenson had a one-yard QB sneak for a touchdown in addition to his scoring pass.
Waynesburg led 14-0 after one quarter and 28-6 at halftime.
Beth-Center 52, Bentworth 37
Beth-Center’s Ethan Varesko couldn’t be stopped in the Bulldogs’ 52-37 victory over Bentworth in Class A Tri-County South Conference play Friday night.
Varesko gained 433 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns as Beth-Center (3-1, 3-4) outlasted the Bearcats (1-3, 2-5).
Bentworth cut the deficit to one score at 4:44 of the fourth quarter after Ben Hays pulled in a 10-yard touchdown reception from Vitali Daniels. The Bearcats had scored on the previous possession and recovered an onside kick to set up the next touchdown for a 44-37 lead for the Bulldogs.
Varesko put the game out of reach on a 49-yard touchdown run and Jonah Sussan ran in the two-point conversion for a 52-37 advantage.
Varesko scored on another touchdown run of 49, and added touchdown runs of 65 and 48 yards.
Vitali Daniels threw for 202 yards with two touchdown passes to Ben Hays. He also ran for a touchdown. Teammate Caden Hackinson kicked a 24-yard field goal. The Bearcats’ Alex Leichty scored on a four-yard run.
Teagan Veatch scored two touchdown runs for Beth-Center and teammate Josh Howes recovered a fumble in the end zone for the game’s first score.