South Allegheny is 0-5 against Steel Valley since October of 2014 but things could change on Friday. The South Allegheny Gladiators are on the road again to play the Steel Valley Ironmen at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
South Allegheny's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 48-0 victory over Sto-Rox on the road. Given the Gladiators' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 214th, while the Vikings are ranked 511th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
South Allegheny's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cameron Epps, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries. Tyreeke Chatman was in the mix too, providing South Allegheny with two touchdowns.
South Allegheny wouldn't let Sto-Rox keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. South Allegheny can thank Camden Lewis and Drew Cook for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, Steel Valley entered their tilt with Ligonier Valley on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Rams 53-7 on the road. The Ironmen pushed the score to 47-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Rams had no chance of recovering from.
Donald Barksdale was his usual excellent self, rushing for 314 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. Da'Ron Barksdale was another major influence, as he rushed for 101 yards and ran in a TD.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Steel Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 538 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Steel Valley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Dejr'Rion Hughley, Rasaun Hough, and Barksdale picked up one apiece. That's the most rushing yards Barksdale has posted since back in August.
South Allegheny's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1. As for Steel Valley, their record now sits at 6-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. South Allegheny has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 208.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Steel Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 257.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
South Allegheny was dealt a bruising 41-7 loss at the hands of Steel Valley in their previous matchup back in September of 2019. Thankfully for South Allegheny, Nijhay Burt (who rushed for 304 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 14.5 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
