South Fayette passes muster in usual style

This is supposed to be the season of change for South Fayette football. After all those years in Class 2A of the WPIAL, the Lions are now in 4A, playing almost an entirely new set of opponents.

But things are looking much the same at South Fayette.

“We do what we do,” said South Fayette coach Joe Rossi.

What the Lions do is throw the ball all over the lot – and win a lot. They did both again in the season opener Friday night and defeated Central Valley, 28-17, in a WPIAL non-conference game at South Fayette Stadium.

The win stretched South Fayette’s regular-season winning streak to 38 games. The Lions haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2011.

The last time Drew Saxton

this year. South Fayette made more plays than us tonight and it’s that simple.”

South Fayette and Central Valley have eight WPIAL championship appearances between them since 2010.

“I just wanted our guys to have another opportunity to have a Friday night experience,” Rossi said. “You only get nine [games under the old system]. Why not give them 10 and give them and opportunity to play a great program like Central Valley?”

Central Valley trailed, 14-10, at halftime and by 28-10 after the third quarter. In the third quarter, South Fayette’s defense accounted for a touchdown when Anthony Gedrys sacked Central Valley quarterback Nico Battisti and the ball popped into the air and into the hands of lineman Thayer Phillips, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

South Fayette scored its final touchdown with 1:51 to go in the third when Noah Plack turned a short pass into a 38-yard touchdown play. Plack, making his first start at tight end, finished with seven catches for 105 yards.

“He was a receiver for us last year,” Rossi said. “I thought he had a nice game. Our tight ends have always been productive.”

South Fayette got two firsthalf touchdown runs from Geavonie Love of 1 and 5 yards. Central Valley scored on a 21-yard middle screen play that Deante Bradley turned into a touchdown. Brendan Jugan made a 25-yard field goal. He missed two other field goals in the game.

Central Valley’s final touchdown came on Curtis Latshaw’s 31-yard pass to Anthony Mendicino with 5:07 left.

“This was 1,000 times better than a scrimmage,” Saxton said.

Rossi said, “To beat Central Valley is huge. That is a program that is never going to rebuild. Hopefully, we’re in the same situation.”