By Chris Rossetti – www.d9sports.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
PITTSBURGH – After going 18 years between Pittsburgh City League (District 8) championships, Brashear made it two in a row Saturday with a 26-20 win over Perry at Cupples Stadium on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
James Reed was the hero for the Bulls scoring four touchdowns and picking off four Perry passes returning one for a score.
“We knew what kind of athlete we had coming into the year,” Brashear head coach Rick Murphy told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Today was one of the most unbelievable performances I’ve ever seen.”
Perry (8-2) jumped out to a 13-0 first-quarter lead thanks to a 90-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Rakim Swinton and a 21-yard Deon Waters run.
But Reed scored his first touchdown of the game on a 6-yard run with just 36 seconds left in the first half to give the Bulls (9-1) the momentum going into the lockerroom down by just seven at 13-6.
Reed then got Brashear within a point with a 7-yard run in the third quarter before returning an interception 37 yards to give the Bulls the lead for good at 18-13 later in the third quarter. Reed then added another 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 26-13 before Aaron Paterson’s 2-yard touchdown run to give the Commodores one last chance. But Reed, who else, was the hero picking off a pass to seal the victory.
“We’ve been a second-half team all year,” Reed told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It’s like a switch we turn on. Thank God for it, because the first half was ugly.”
Bruce Patterson led Brashear with 153 yards rushing, while Henri Chatman was 7 of 15 passing for 115 yards and an interception.
The back-to-back titles were Brashear’s first since 1987 and 1988 but continued a tradition of repeat champions in the City League. In the 90 years since 1919 that the league has been crowning champions, a repeat winner has been crowned 38 times.
Brashear will now face District 9 Class AAA champion Clearfield in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Cupples Stadium. The game is basically a play-in game with the winner facing the District 10 champion.
Clearfield Wins District 9 Class AAA Title
Clearfield reached the PIAA playoffs with a 42-20 win over St. Marys in the District 9 Class AAA title game Friday night in Brockway. It’s the Bisons first District 9 title since 2005.
The Bisons (9-2) had a hero of their own, as quarterback/defensive back Jarrin Campman ran for four touchdowns, threw for two scores and picked off two passes on defense.
“Phenomenal game,” Clearfield coach Tim Janocko said. “He decided he wanted to win, and he took over.”
Campman ran 27 times for 175 yards and was 4 of 7 passing for 109 yards and a pair of scores.
His effort helped the Bisons offset a great St. Marys’ rushing attack that saw three backs go over 100 yards. Kevin Hoy (133), Mitchell Straub (108) and Shane Krise (111, 2 TDs) each topped the 100-yard mark, but the Dutch (6-5) couldn’t overcome three first-quarter interceptions by Greg Simchick.
“I give Clearfield a lot of credit,” St. Marys coach Joe Schlimm said. “They’re really a sound football team, and I congratulate them on their district title.”
WPIAL Class AAAA: Bell Leads Gateway to Win
In the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs, top-seeded Gateway (11-0), the third ranked team in Pennsylvania by MaxPreps.com, got three touchdown runs from Dorian Bell and 188 yards rushing from Brian Williams to top ninth-seeded Shaler 24-0. Tyler Bills threw for 164 yards for Shaler (8-3).
Gateway will now face fifth-seeded Penn Hills (8-3), who got a convincing 27-0 shutout win over fourth-seeded North Hills (9-2), the 19th ranked team in PA by MaxPreps.com.
Teddy Blakeman ran for 159 yards and a touchdown, Mike Ferraco nailed two field goals including a 42-yard kick and the Indians defense returned two fumbles for touchdowns while pulling the mild upset.
On the other half of the bracket, second-seeded Bethel Park, MaxPreps.com’s 11th ranked team in PA, scored 28 second-half points on its way to a 42-21 win over seventh-seeded North Allegheny (6-5). Lyle Marsh had 221 yards rushing and four touchdowns for the Blackhawks (11-0), who also got two touchdowns from John Schabeman including a 98-yard fumble return. Brian Austin had 18 catches, four shy of the state record, and 241 yards receiving for North Allegheny, who also got 356 yards passing and a touchdown from Mike Locke.
Bethel Park will face third-seeded McKeesport, ranked 16th. The Tigers (9-2) knocked off sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Central Catholic (8-3) 28-6 behind 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns by Nico Price and 77 yards rushing and a score by Ty-Meer Brown.
WPIAL Class AAA: Highlands Survives Montour Upset Bid
In the game of the night if not the entire playoffs, second-seeded Highlands (11-0) survived an upset bid from 10th-seeded Montour to get 35-34 in overtime in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals.
Highlands led 20-0 at one point and 20-7 going to the fourth quarter but watched Montour rally to tie the score at 28 at the end of regulation
Montour (6-5), playing most of the game without starting quarterback E.J. Banks, who was hurt early on, actually scored the first two touchdowns of the fourth quarter to take a 21-20 lead before Jeff Sinclair’s 9-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run gave Highlands the lead back, 28-21, with 2:18 to play.
Backup quarterback Phil Peckich, though, rallied Montour throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to Nick McCune to tie the game at 28 with 39.1 seconds left.
In overtime, Sinclair gave Highlands a 35-28 lead on a 10-yard touchdown run that was coupled with a David Buterbaugh extra point. Peckich answered back for Montour with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 35-34. The Spartans went for the win, but Cary Dieter was stopped shy of the goal line to give Highlands the victory.
Sinclair finished with 146 yards rushing and four touchdowns and 120 yards passing a touchdown for Highlands. Peckich threw for 121 yards and two scores and ran for a score off the bench for Montour.
Highlands will face third-seeded Blackhawk (10-1), who got an easy 47-7 win over 11th-seeded Mars (7-4). The Cougars, ranked 22nd in Pennsylvania by MaxPreps.com, used a 26-point second quarter to break open a scoreless game. Zack Hayward was 9 of 10 passing for 157 yards and three scores for Blackhawk who also got 117 yards rushing, a touchdown and kickoff return for a score from Bryan Stefanik. Mike Pearson was on the receiving end of two of Hayward’s scoring tosses.
On the other side of the bracket, top-seed Thomas Jefferson (10-1) continued its quest for a third straight WPIAL Class AAA title with a 35-16 win over ninth-seeded Hopewell (8-3). Tyler Wehner, the son of former Major Leaguer John Wehner, threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores for the Jaguars, who are trying to win their fourth title in five seasons. Brian Baldridge added a touchdown run and 168 yards on the ground for TJ, while Dan Virgin had six catches for 130 yards and a score. Rushel Shell led Hopewell with two touchdown runs and 156 yards rushing.
Thomas Jefferson will face fourth-seeded New Castle (8-3) who beat fifth-seeded Indiana (8-3) in an old-fashion shootout 55-49. The Hurricanes, who have scored 108 points in two playoff wins, outscored the Indians 27-21 in the second half after the teams each scored 28 first-half points. Michael Bongivengo ran for 197 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for 112 and two scores to lead New Castle, who also got 186 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Keith Keene. Ben Fiscus led Indiana with 210 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
WPIAL Class AA: Beaver Falls-Jeannette Rematch Set
The long-awaited, long-talked about Beaver Falls-Jeannette rematch is set in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs.
Last season, Jeannette beat Beaver Falls 61-12 to win its second straight WPIAL Class AA title on its way to the PIAA title. But this season, Beaver Falls (11-0), has been ranked ahead of the Jayhawks (10-1) most of the season. Now they meet in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Beaver Falls, the eighth ranked team in Pennsylvania by MaxPreps.com, got the semis with a 42-21 win over eight-seeded Ford City (9-2). Admire Carter combined for 125 yards of offense and two touchdowns (93 receiving, 1 TD; 32 rushing, 1 TD) and Cody Cook (90 yards rushing) and Todd Thomas (80 yards rushing) each added touchdown runs for Beaver Falls.
Fourth-seeded Jeannette, meanwhile, cruised to a 57-28 win over 12th-seeded Beaver (8-3) thanks to two touchdown passes from Cameron Baradziej (8 of 11, 190 yards), including a 97-yard touchdown throw to Moziah Harris, who also returned an interception 49 yards for a score and had four catches for 127 yards. Jordan Hall added 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns while also returning a fumble for a score. Jake Nardone had 157 yards rushing and a touchdown for Beaver.
On the other side of the bracket, seventh-seeded Aliquippa (9-2) stunned second-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (10-1), the 13th ranked team in Pennsylvania by MaxPreps.com, 32-14. Maurice Carter ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns for the Quips.
Aliquippa will face third-seeded Shady Side Academy (11-0), a 28-14 winner over 11th-seeded Center (8-3), in the semifinals. Shady Side got a pair of touchdown runs from Brian Nickel and a touchdown pass from Billy Nickel in the win.
WPIAL Class A: Top Four Seeds Advance
There are no party crashers in the WPIAL Class A semifinals, as the top four seeds all advanced to the final four with wins Friday.
Top-seeded Clairton (11-0) remained unbeaten with a 47-0 thrashing of eighth-seeded Monessen (6-4), the Bears second win of the year over the Greyhounds. Andrew Currington was 8 of 11 passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a touchdown and returned a punt 95 yards for a score to lead Clairton. Kevin Weatherspoon added 116 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Fourth-seeded Rochester (10-1) will face Clairton in the semifinals after a 35-14 win over Beaver County rival Western Beaver. The game was tied at 14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored the Beavers 21-0 in the second half including 14-0 in the fourth quarter. Chad Pennington ran for two touchdowns for Rochester, while Trey Johnson caught a touchdown pass and also ran for a touchdown. Zach Cavalier (106 yards) and Sean Stiffey (137 yards) each scored rushing touchdowns for Western Beaver.
Second-seeded Avonworth (11-0), looking for its first-ever WPIAL title, moved one step closer with a 30-8 win over 10th-seeded North Catholic (8-3). Kairy Watts ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and Jim Zubic returned a punt for a touchdown while also catching a touchdown pass for the Antelopes, who picked off North Catholic quarterback Martin Long four times.
Third-seeded Monaca (10-1) had an easy time with 11th-seeded South Side Beaver rolling to a 48-7 win behind two touchdown passes from Tony Reda and a defense that limited the Rams (7-4) to 66 yards of offense.
District 9 Class A: Lower Seeds Finally Win
Going into this year’s District 9 Class A Playoffs, lower seeds were 0-15 vs. higher seeds in first-round games since the district expanded to an eight-team playoff format in 2004.
But this year, the lower seeds went 2-2 after seventh-seeded Clarion (7-4) dominated second-seeded Redbank Valley (7-3) 19-0 Friday night, and sixth-seeded Elk County Catholic (7-3) stunned third-seeded Curwensville (7-3) 27-24 in double overtime Saturday night. Both games were rematches of regular-season match-ups, and in both cases the winning team in the playoff lost the regular-season game.
For Clarion, it was all about controlling the line of scrimmage. The Bobcats rolled up 304 yards of total offense while limiting Redbank Valley to 101. Clarion had 21 first downs to the Bulldogs six and possessed the ball for 31:52. Kevin Grejda rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, Jon Kemmer 79 and a score and Bubba Rue 93 for Clarion.
ECC, meanwhile, blocked a pair of punts and got three 1-yard touchdown runs from Joe Jacob to beat Curwensville despite picking up just 153 yards of total offense. Jacob’s 1-yard touchdown run in double overtime after a Curwensville field goal in the second extra session was the game winner. The contest was tied at 21 at the end of regulation.
ECC and Clarion will meet in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday in Brockway.
In the other semifinal contest, top-seeded Cameron County (10-1) will rematch with fourth-seeded Coudersport (8-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Bradford. The Red Raiders beat Coudy 13-7 earlier in the season.
To advance to the semifinals, Cameron County rolled up 642 yards of offense including 600 on the ground in a 57-20 win over eighth-seeded Keystone (3-8). Andy Lippert ran for 290 yards and four touchdowns, while Randy Schatz had 163 yards rushing for the Red Raiders.
Coudersport moved into the semifinals with a 31-8 win over fifth-seeded Johnsonburg (6-4).
Erik Babcock threw a pair of scoring passes for the Falcons, who had four different players reach the end zone. Tim Thomas ran for 88 yards and a score.
District 9 Class AA: Moniteau-Karns City Rematch Set
The District 9 Class AA title game will be a rematch of last year’s game and a rematch of one of the best games of this season after top-seeded Moniteau (10-1) beat fourth-seeded Brookville (5-6) and second-seeded and defending champion Karns City (10-1) toppled third-seeded Kane (8-3) 42-14 in the semifinals.
Karns City beat Moniteau 50-14 in last season’s title game, but Moniteau knocked off the Gremlins 35-34 a couple of weeks ago at Karns City.
Moniteau got 229 yards rushing and three touchdowns from James Shope in the win over Brookville, while Karns City outscored Kane 28-7 in the fourth quarter to blow open a seven-point came going to the fourth. Anthony Stimac ran for 153 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 38 yards and a fourth score for the Gremlins.
District 10 Class AAA: Strong Vincent, Cathedral Prep to Play for Title
In the District 10 Class AAA playoffs, Erie Strong Vincent (11-0), the 24th ranked team in PA by MaxPreps.com, got 158 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Darrell Brooks to beat Meadville (6-5) 35-14.
Strong Vincent will take on in-town rival Erie Cathedral Prep (7-4) in the District 10 title game. Prep was a 45-21 winner over Grove City (7-3) behind 157 yards rushing and three touchdowns and 127 yards passing (11 of 14) and three scores by Shyquawn Pullium.
The title game will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Veteran Stadium in Erie.
District 10 Class AA: Wilmington Rebounds; Slippery Rock Pulls Upset
In Class AA, Wilmington (10-1) rebounded from its first loss of the season last week to beat Girard (7-4) 41-0 thanks for 118 yards and a touchdown from Derrick Burns, a pair of Matt Wagner touchdown passes and two Sutton Whiting touchdown runs.
Wilmington will face General McLane (9-2), a 42-28 winner over Greenville (8-3), in the semifinals. General McLane ran for 569 yards as a team including 226 yards and three scores from quarterback Kellen O’Neil, 192 yards and a touchdown from running back Cory Lee and 119 yards from Sam McCaughtry. The Wilmington-General McLane game will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Allegheny College.
On the other side of the bracket, Slippery Rock (8-3) upset North East (9-2) 21-7 behind 106 yards and a touchdown from Justin Angerett.
The Rockets will face Sharon, a 35-7 winner over Fairview, at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Slippery Rock University. Sharon got 340 yards passing and five touchdowns from Todd Rearick, who was 18 of 27 passing. Mike Tomko caught eight passes for 208 yards and three scores for the Tigers.
District 10 Class A: Mercer, Linesville, Saegertown, Farrell Advance
Top-seeded Mercer (10-1) beat Iroquois (6-5) 28-14 behind two touchdown runs by Terrence Davis in the opening round of the District 10 Class A playoffs.
The Mustangs will take on Linesville (9-2) at 7 p.m. Friday at Wilmington High School. Linesville beat Cambridge Springs (7-4) 21-7 behind three touchdown from Trevor Litwiler and 115 yards rushing by Doug Farley.
On the other side of the bracket, Saegertown (11-0) got a school-record 342 yards rushing and six touchdowns, including an 80yard kickoff return, from Keenan Ellison to beat Sharpsville (6-5) 49-27. The Panthers outscored Sharpsville 21-6 in the second half.
Nate Titus rushed for 149 yards and Marcus Llewellyn for 140 for Sharpsville.
Saegertown will face Farrell (9-2), a 25-0 winner over Union City (7-4), in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at Allegheny College. The Steelers got 91 yards rushing and a touchdown from Malcom Hailstock.
