South Fayette travels to Knoch
South Fayette’s longest bus ride of the year to play at Knoch Oct. 5 may come with some sweet snacks aboard.
See, assistant coach Bill Yoest promises his defense doughnuts whenever they post a shutout. The Lions (5-1) have been rewarded three times this year.
The Lions earned those snacks when they held Blackhawk to a doughnut, 21-0, last week in a clash between two unbeaten Northwest Eight Conference clubs. That effort was particularly pleasing as the Cougars boasted a potent offense. The Lions limited Blackhawk to 203 total yards and no points.
“We’re all eating because that was well-earned against a very good football team that’s going to go deep in the playoffs,” South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi said.
If the Lions continue their defensive and offensive escapades, they too will go far. They are ranked only behind No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (5-0) in Class 4-A.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mike Trimbur makes the reception and bolts 47 yards for a touchdown during South Fayette’s 21-0 win against Blackhawk. The senior caught two scoring strikes in the victory and Andrew Franklin rushed for the final score.
They boast one of the top passers in the WPIAL in Jamie Diven. The senior completed 8 of 19 attempts for 241 yards and two scoring strikes to Mike Trimbur of 47 and 36 yards in the second half.
But it was the defense that led the way against Blackhawk. Tinney and Ryan Koskoski recovered fumbles. Nolan Lutz, Joe Mowod, Quentin Franklin and Rayquin Glover rank as the team’s top tacklers with 28 or more. Tom Elia and Glover are tops in sacks followed by Zack Blank and Ben Coyne. Ryan Coe, who has 36 points as a place kicker, is also an asset on defense because of his punting abilities. Trimbur, Rossi, Tinney and Eli Snider each have an interception on defense for the Lions, who stretched their conference winning streak to 53 games.
In facing the 2-4 Knights, the Lions must stop their triple-option offense designed by head coach Frank Whalen. Chase Mullen directs the offense at quarterback while Matt Goodlin and Noah Cetnar are his go-to backs. Dalton Reed affords the protection on both sides of the line.
“It’s the offense you see from Army or Navy in college football,” Rossi said. “They have been able to move the ball on everybody this season because it is difficult to prepare for in just one week. They force you to be disciplined and limit what you can do on defense.”
After back-to-back shutouts and three on the season, that really shouldn’t be a problem for South Fayette as these Lions relish sweet success.