Central Catholic has won three straight games at home, while Norwin has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Vikings will host the Knights at 8:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Central Catholic put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They really took it to Shaler Area for the full four quarters, racking up a 69-7 victory. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 49-7.
Central Catholic found their leader in sophomore Owen Herrick, who threw for 214 yards and two TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes. Jay Ross Szczypinski helped Herrick out on the ground, rushing for 59 yards and one score on only seven carries.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Central Catholic, adding 15 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Aiden Nasiadka, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Central Catholic's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Sami Tapu, Jaylen Smith, and Dom Petruzzi, who each picked up one sack apiece. Nick Curinga got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Norwin beat Hempfield Area 33-26 on Friday.
Central Catholic's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Norwin, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
Everything came up roses for Central Catholic against Norwin when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 59-14 win. In that game, the Vikings amassed a halftime lead of 59-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
