Burgettstown recalls 1977 with first-round win

Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, a gallon of gas cost 65 cents, WPIAL football had three classifications and the No. 1 song on Billboard was Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night.” The year was 1977. Fast forward 40 years later and Friday night was the night for Burgettstown as the program won its first playoff game since 1977 when a Seth Phillis 37-yard field goal sailed through the uprights as time expired lifting the No. 9-seeded Blue Devils past No. 8 Neshannock, 31-28, in a WPIAL Class 2A first-round thriller.

Seth Fehrs tossed two touchdowns and ran for one for the host Lancers (6-5) who raced to a 14-0 lead.

Burgettstown (7-3) rallied behind a monster game from Ryan Lounder. He fired three touchdown passes and ran for a 28-yard score for the Blue Devils who not only snapped a 40-year postseason win drought but also a three-game losing streak. quarter on a Lance Hill 4-yard touchdown run but the Ironmen scored the next 35 points. Catholic (9-2) trounced No. 14 Brentwood (5-5) at Mars. Rocco scored on runs of 4 and 12 yards and Meinert scored on runs of 2 and 47 yards. After North Catholic took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, Brentwood tied the game on a Michael Trent 24-yard TD. first-round upset win at No. 5 Charleroi (9-2).

Serra Catholic 27, BethCenter 20: Evan Honick’s fourth touchdown pass of the game led No. 6 Serra (7-4) to a come-from-behind win against visiting No. 11 Beth-Center (74).