Laurel defense shuts down unbeaten Sto-Rox
The Laurel defense began Friday as a unit that allowed just 15.6 points per game. Against Sto-Rox, a team that averaged a whopping 44 points per game, the Spartans performed even better than advertised.
Laurel shut out Sto-Rox in the second half and held the previously unbeaten Vikings to a season low in points, as the Spartans scored a 23-15 victory in Class 1A Big Seven Conference.
The third-ranked Vikings (8-1, 6-1) held a 15-10 lead at halftime before Laurel (6-3, 42) scored 13 unanswered points in the second half.
Laurel’s Dom Wade carried the ball 27 times for 89 yards and scored on two short runs. The Spartans held a 231-43 advantage in yards rushing.
Eric Wilson, who led the WPIAL in passing with 2,377 yards prior to the game, went 14 for 26 for 129 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for Sto-Rox.
More Class 1A
Cornell 8, Greensburg Central Catholic
0: Neither team could find the end zone in regulation, so it went to overtime to decide a winner. Zaier Harrison sealed the non-conference victory for Cornell (7-1) with a 10yard run in the extra frame. The Centurions (6-3) lost their second consecutive game.
OLSH 34, Union 0: The No. 4-ranked Chargers (7-2, 5-1) blanked their opponent for the second consecutive week. They have outscored the opposition, 94-0, in that time. OLSH’s Jaymar Pearson went 11 for 17 with 178 yards passing and a 67-yard strike to Eric Alexa. Pearson also snuck in a 1-yard run and returned an interception 42 yards for another touchdown in the Big Seven Conference rout.
Mapletown 27, Avella 25: Despite being outscored, 13-0, in the final quarter, the Maples (2-7, 1-5) escaped with a Tri-County South victory. Landon Stevenson scored three touchdowns for Mapletown. Derek Tarolli of Avella (1-8, 0-6) completed 14 of 16 passes for 219 yards and three scores.
California 40, Chartiers-Houston 12: The Trojans ran away with the win in a matchup for second place in the Tri-County South. Cochise Ryan returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a score and the Trojans (6-3, 51) never looked back.
West Greene 62, Jefferson-Morgan 8: Ben Jackson ran his way into the West Greene and Greene County record books with a 313-yard performance. He now has 6,354 yards for his career. That bests the previous mark of 6,304 yards held by 1993 graduate Rodney Wilson. Last night, Jackson scored on runs of 57, 1, 71, 7, 8 and 63 yards. He also caught a 26-yard pass and turned it upfield for another score. The Pioneers (8-1, 7-0 Tri-County South) got back on track after suffering their first loss of the season to Clairton last week.
Rochester 41, Monessen 12: The Rams (2-7) picked up a second consecutive victory after an 0-7 start. Denny Rubinson carried 19 times for 140 yards and three touchdowns to pace Rochester in the non-conference matchup.
Jeannette 61, Riverview 6: The topranked Jayhawks (9-0, 5--0) scored 20 points in the first, 28 more in the second and routed the Raiders (2-6, 1-5) in the Eastern Conference. Jeannette racked up 442 yards of offense against 133 for Riverview. Imani Sanders ran for 110 yards and Roberto Smith added another 87 yards on the ground for the Jayhawks. Smith completed 6 of 15 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Class 2A
Washington 44, Southmoreland 19: The top-ranked Little Prexies remained unbeaten while the Scotties continued their slide. Zack Swartz contributed to scores in three different ways for Washington (9-0, 6-0). He completed 5 of 8 passes for 148 yards and two scores. He punched in another touchdown on a 1-yard run. In the fourth quarter, he put the game away with a 53-yard interception return to the end zone. Southmoreland (5-4, 4-3) has lost four in a row after a 5-0 start.
South Allegheny 28, Carlynton 20: A 21point burst in the second quarter propelled the Gladiators (4-5, 3-3) to the Three Rivers Conference win. Antonio Epps scored all four touchdowns for South Allegheny. He ran in the first two and then found the end zone on 66 and 37-yard pass plays. He finished with 204 yards receiving and 63 on the ground.
Apollo-Ridge 27, Freedom 19: Logan Harmon carried the ball 21 times for 140 yards and scored on runs of 4 and 39 yards, as the Vikings (7-2) picked up a nonconference victory. Cole Beck of Freedom (7-2) threw for 116 yards and a score, but he was picked off twice as the Bulldogs lost their second game in a row.
Serra Catholic 41, Seton LaSalle 6: The Eagles used a 20-0 run in the second half to roll to a Three Rivers Conference victory. Ray Holmes ran for 138 yards and two scores, while Max Rocco threw for 133 yards and a touchdown for Serra Catholic (54, 3-3). Emmett Harris of Seton LaSalle (26, 2-4) passed for 185 yards, including a 22-yard scoring strike caught by Alex Shaughnessy.
Riverside 24, Valley 14: Nate Sciarro hauled in eight passes for 164 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Panthers (62) in the non-conference matchup against Valley (1-8).