Football Recap: Connellsville Comes Up Short

Connellsville had lost four straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 1-7 to make it five. They had to suffer through a 52-12 loss at the hands of the University Hawks. The Falcons were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 31-0.

Connellsville lost despite a true team effort on offense. The best among them was Christian Thomas, who picked up 92 receiving yards and one touchdown.

As for University, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2. The final result isn't all that surprising considering their considerable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 13th in West Virginia, while Connellsville is ranked 303rd in Pennsylvania).

A big part of University's win came down to the chemistry between Harrison Helbig and his top target Kaleil Lewis. Helbig threw for 296 yards and a pair of TDs while Lewis picked up 88 receiving yards and one score. Lewis also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making five total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defending one pass. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Jack Byrer, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Connellsville will welcome Uniontown at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Falcons will be up against the Red Raiders' rather soft defense (which has allowed 36.63 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for University, they will face off against Spring Mills at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Cardinals' defense has only allowed 10.2 points per game this season, so the Hawks' offense will have their work cut out for them.