Playoff picture comes into focus in season finale
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Nick McCullough stretches for the end zone for a touchdown despite the defensive efforts of Ezra Heidenreich during Peters Township’s 42-0 victory against Mt. Lebanon.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township running back Preston Blair (26) shakes off Mt. Lebanon tackler Matthew Nguyen (12) during non-conference football action. Blair ranks as one of the top rushers for the Indians, who are looking to seal the Allegheny Six Conference title with a win against Bethel Park on Oct. 27.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
After making a reception, Nate Miller (2) of Peters Township is stopped shy of the goal line by Timmy Jenkins (8) Vinny Sarcone scored on the ensuing play to give the Indians a 27-0 lead against Mt. Lebanon. Miller ranks as one of the top targets for Nolan DiLucia, who is among the Top 10 passers in the WPIAL.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Vinny Sarcone (No. 7) goes airborne to score Peters Township’s first touchdown of the game against Mt. Lebanon. Sarcone had another rushing score in the 42-0 victory.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Nick McCullough (No. 24) is off to the races for a touchdown after beating Mt. Lebanon defenders Grayson Beck (16) and Ezra Heidenreich. McCullough scored twice in the first half to stake Peters Township to a 27-0 lead against Mt. Lebanon. The Indians went on to victory, 42-0.
Eleanor Bailey/ The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eliot Schratz had an interception in the first half of action during Peters Township’s victory over Mt. Lebanon. Schratz is one of the key components of a PT defense that has four shutouts and allows 3.3 points per game this season.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Nick McCullough (No. 24) is off to the races for a touchdown after beating Mt. Lebanon defender Grayson Beck (No. 16). The score was one in the first half as Peters Township staked a 35-point lead against Mt. Lebanon, on the way to a 42-0 victory.
Speculations on playoff scenarios ends Oct. 27 when scholastic teams suit up for the final regular season football game. At the end of the evening, local squads will know for certain whether their season is over or extended.
Winning makes the playoff picture clearer because anything else is “too complicated” says Bethel Park football coach Phil Peckich.
Only one thing was certain after action on Oct. 13. Peters Township had already clinched a postseason berth.
The Indians would also nail down the conference championship with a victory against the Black Hawks. The two border towns square off at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Confluence Financial Partners Stadium in McMurray.
“Winning a conference championship and a WPIAL title is always the goal for football teams but our goal is to go 1-0 every week,” said PT head coach TJ Plack. “If you don’t hold to that position, you can get smacked around.
“Bethel Park is a dangerous team any week you play them. Whether or not they are backed up into a corner, we get their best. They are a good program with good kids and especially this year, we are the team that has the bullseye. They need to win and we are the target. It’s going to be one heck of a game.”
The Indians improved to 8-0 overall with a 42-0 triumph against Mt. Lebanon in non-conference action. It was the fourth shutout of the season for a Peters Township club that had outscored the opposition, 314-27. In fact, the Indians rank No. 1 in defense in the entire WPIAL, allowing 3.3 points per game.
“They are a well-coached, quality team,” said Peckich. “We respect the heck out of Peters Township and the program they are. Every year, they present a challenge.”
Regarding Xs and Os, the Indians present problems for any team they encounter.
Coordinators Darrin McMillon and Troy Grunseth have fashioned the standout defensive unit that is headlined by safeties Justin Tornatore and Ethan Wertman as well as linebacker Mickey Vaccarello, who recently picked up an offer from Syracuse University.
Against Lebo, Reston Lehman had a pick-6 for 32 yards. Eliot Schratz also had an interception in the win. The defense also registered three sacks and multiple tackles for losses.
“Our defense is shining now,” said Plack. “For a half decade easily, it has been really good. People are just noticing it more.
“We have a great group of kids. Justin gets us lined up right. Ethan is a very energetic, violent young man in the way he plays physically and tackles. Mickey causes a lot of havoc. He is so smart on the field. We just have good ball players,” Plack emphasized.
Nolan DiLucia has blossomed into the offensive general as a sophomore quarterback. In a half of work against Lebo, he completed 15 of 19 passes for 269 yards and two scoring strikes of 69 and 44 yards to Nick McCullough.
DiLucia ranked among the WPIAL’s top 10 passers after the Lebo win. He had completed 100 of 160 attempts for 1,429 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Nate Miller (30 catches for 257 yards), Carter Shanafelt (19 for 374), McCullough (17 for 400), Ethan Wertman (17 for 230) and Thomas Aspinall (10 for 154) are DiLucia’s top targets.
Shanafelt is the team’s top scorer with eight TDs to go along with 34 PATs and three field goals.
Vinny Sarcone leads the rushing attack. His two touchdowns against Lebo gave him 12 for the season. He had 74 points for the Indians and 416 rushing yards on 100 carries. Preston Blair followed with 342 yards and four scores.
Chris Cibrone is a reliable back-up, who completed the scoring against Lebo with a TD toss to Dominic Sirianni.
Defensively, Reston Lehman had a pick-6 for 32 yards. Eliot Schratz also had an interception.
Because the Black Hawks dropped a 42-34 decision to Moon, they were forced to beat South Fayette on Oct. 20 to keep their playoff hopes alive and to give them momentum heading into their clash with the Indians.
In the loss to the Tigers, BP fell behind, 28-0, before waging a second-half comeback.
Tanner Pfeuffer completed 19 passes for 285 yards and touchdowns to Ryan Petras, Jovian Smith and Jack Bruckner. Petras, who has 12 receptions, also rushed for scores of 6 and 3 yards. He finished with 113 total yards of offense.
“When you get into conference games against quality opponents, these border games hold a lot of meaning,” Peckich said. “These kids have grown up together playing against each other in a lot of different sports. They know each other well. So there is a lot on the line.”
In Class 5A of the WPIAL, the top two teams in each of the three conferences are guaranteed a playoff spot. Two of the three third-place teams earn wild card spots based on conference records, Gardner Points and tiebreaker points.
Upper St. Clair and South Fayette held out slim hopes for a playoff slot heading into their season finale on Oct. 27.
The Panthers, who hosted Moon on Oct. 20, picked up a character-building win against Canon-McMillan, 24-17. USC scored 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points to seal the upset.
Ethan Hellman rushed for two of those scores and connected with Charlie Bywalski for another touchdown on a 14-yard pass. Hellman finished with 123 passing yards on 13 completions, four of them for 62 yards to his brother, Van, and four more for 35 yards to Julian Dahlem. Bennett Henderson also kicked a 26-yard field goal.
“St. Clair kids don’t give up easily,” said Panthers coach Mike Junko. “It really was a team win that we will draw upon moving forward.
“Our kids have grown up a lot this year,” Junko continued. “Despite the ups and downs this season has presented, I am happy with the level of compete our kids have brought to Friday nights.”
Bywalski, Dahlem and running back Mason Chambers all made big plays and Hellmann played one of his best games of the season against the Big Macs, said Junko. He also acknowledged the defensive efforts of linemen Michael Albert, Marco Carone and Nate Stohl for controlling the line of scrimmage and keeping the Panthers in the game.
Nico Lamonde has kept South Fayette in contention. He guided the Lions to victory against Baldwin, 28-14.
In addition to rushing or 130 yards, Lamonde completed 9 passes for 102 yards and scoring strikes to Michael Gimigliano (11 and 1 yards) as well as Dom Monz (17 yards). Talan Mizenko also rushed for a 41-yard score.
“South Fayette plays everybody tough and they have a number of talented kids on offense,” Junko said. “Their staff does a great job of putting those guys in space and letting them make plays. They also play a physical style of defense and have made a lot of their opponents one dimensional over the years.
“It seems like every time we play them it is a back-and-forth battle. I don’t expect this one to be any different. It will be a game that is going to come down to the fourth quarter.”
The final quarter might determine the fifth and final playoff spot in the Parkway Conference as Chartiers Valley hosts Ambridge at 7 p.m. Oct. 27.
Most recently, the Colts succumbed to Montour, 49-7. Julius Best caught an 8-yard pass from Chase Schofield for CV’s only points and Austin Efthimiades rushed for 127 yards.
In Class 6A action, Mt. Lebanon hosts Canon-McMillan at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in a game deciding the final finish in the Tri-County Five Conference.
As the top teams in the conference, Central Catholic and North Allegheny will host the respective No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the semifinals of the WPIAL 6A playoffs. The Big Macs and Blue Devils each boasted wins against Seneca Valley in the league. Both had league losses against the Vikings and NA.