Steel Valley gets a no-mercy win
Steel Valley plays its home games 10 minutes from Kennywood, and the Ironmen’s next stop isn’t too far from an amusement park, either.
It started raining midway through the second quarter Friday night at North Allegheny’s Newman Stadium, but the Ironmen had already started pouring it on — again — to continue their no-mercy roll with another mercy-rule victory, 49-13, against Wilmington to reach the PIAA Class 2A title game Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.
It’s the first state championship appearance in school history, in a season when Steel Valley has won every game with the clock running continuously in the second half.
“Ever since Day 1, that was the main objective,” said senior star and Pitt recruit Paris Ford. “This is big for our school, so this is a huge accomplishment.”
DeWayne Mercy — sorry, DeWayne Murray — needed just 11 carries to run amok, piling up 107 yards and three touchdowns, his last a 54yarder on his final carry early in the third quarter to enforce another running clock at 35-0.
It also was his only carry in the second half, as the Ironmen (14-0) put touchdowns on the board on three consecutive drives in the second quarter to take a 28-0 lead at the break.
“I don’t feel like I have to set a tone,” said Murray, the senior running back with more than 6,000 career yards and now more than 2,000 this season. “We’ve just got to find that player to set the tone for the whole team, to get us going.”
Steel Valley actually didn’t get going until a little later than usual against District 10 champion Wilmington (14-2). The Greyhounds entered on a seven-game winning streak and used their Wing-T offense under longtime coach Terry Verrelli, who has more than 300 career wins.
After Steel Valley scored on a 3-yard run by Murray on the first drive, Wilmington marched into Ironmen’s red zone. But after two incompletions that were nearly intercepted, a pass on fourth-and-11 at Steel Valley’s 19 couldn’t connect — a warning of what was to come when the Greyhounds entered halftime without a single completion and finished with two in the game.
And yet, they responded by making Alex Grace dust off his punting skills after stopping Steel Valley a yard short of midfield. Grace put it inside the 15, Wilmington then punted from its 34, and the rout was on.
Ford took a pitch, weaved through the defense and accelerated to split two defenders for a 30-yard touchdown early in the second quarter that made it 14-0. On the ensuing possession, sophomore linebacker Todd Hill blocked a punt to the Wilmington 13. Two plays later, Murray bowled over a defender at the goal line for a 4yard score. All of a sudden,, it was 21-0 as Steel Valley shifted back into high gear.
“I think that comes from us being balanced,” said coach Rod Steele. “There were so many teams we’ve played that they try to do a variety of different things against us, and we just have a lot of weapons on the field.”
Junior running back Najhier West caught a pass from Ryan Harper and took it 23 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, all West did was his best Murray impression. With Murray held out after his long touchdown because of a nagging hamstring injury, West went north and south all over the Greyhounds. He finished with 119 yards rushing on five carries, all after halftime, and two more scores on the ground.
“He’s another one that’s waiting his turn,” Steele said. “That’s what happens when you get a program and you get it rolling, guys have to wait their turn.”
The Ironmen certainly have it rolling — mercy-ruling — and there’s no more waiting. They’re Hersheybound.
“We’re the Mercy Boys,” Ford said, as Hershey kisses rained down from the stands thrown by fans who can’t wait for one more thrill ride.