The regular season is coming down the home stretch, and there are still plenty of things to be decided in District 10.
Regions 2 and 3 and still have to decide their champions, while Farrell has clinched Region 1, Fort LeBoeuf Region 4, Meadville Region 5 and McDowell Region 6.
There are a pair of showdowns on tap in Region 3 this week as Hickory travels to Grove City (both teams are 3-1 in region play) and Slippery Rock hosts Sharon (both teams are 2-1 in region play).
Here’s a look at what’s on tap, beginning with the Region 3 slate.
HICKORY (5-2) at GROVE CITY (5-2)
Both of these teams come into this showdown riding a wave of momentum. Hickory is coming off a thrilling last-second win over Slippery Rock (its fourth straight win), handing the Rockets their first loss of the season, while Grove City has won three straight, all in convincing fashion over Fairview, Sharon and Titusville.
First-year starting quarterback Logan Woods has gotten better and better as the season has gone on, throwing for 1,349 yards and an 18-5 touchdown to interception ratio. His receiving core is a really good one, led by Ramarion Whitehead (488 yards, five touchdowns), Keenan Scullin (528 yards, four touchdowns) and tight end Jackson Pryts (295 yards, six touchdowns). Sean Kennedy (384 yards, six touchdowns) leads the ground game.
Grove City hasn’t given up more than 13-points during its three-game winning streak. The Eagles are very balanced offensively, as quarterback Hunter Hohman directs the unit to the tune of 1,200 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. His top targets are Gavin Lutz (321 yards, two touchdowns), Joey Hathaway (385 yards, five touchdowns) and Anthony Pereira (217 yards, four touchdowns). Curtis Hovis, meanwhile, has been a workhorse on the ground, rushing for 896 yards and nine scores.
SHARON (5-2) at SLIPPERY ROCK (4-1)
Slippery Rock and its vaunted defense look to bounce back from the heartbreaker against Hickory. Sharon, meanwhile, is coming off its second-highest offense output of the season in a 48-21 win over Conneaut (Ohio).
Quarterback Mikey Rodriques had directed the Sharon offense to the tune of 990 passing yards and 12 touchdowns this season, with playmaking receiver Ja’on Phillips has 610 receiving yards and nine scores. Jayveerh White has rushed for 264 yards and four scores, while Cortez Nixon and Labrae Norris both have three touchdowns on the ground.
The 27 points allowed by the Rockets against Hickory were 13 more than they had given up in any game this season, showing just how dominant the unit has been. The Rockets haven’t been slowed despite the fact that COVID has forced other teams to cancel games on them on multiple occasions. William Mokel has thrown for 863 yards and 12 touchdowns, while John Sabo has 17 receptions for 389 yards and six touchdowns. Brett Galcik leads the rushing attack with 258 yards and two scores, while Mokel has rushed for four touchdowns and Shane Thompson and Ryan Montgomery three each.
TITUSVILLE (2-3) AT CONNEAUT, OHIO (3-5)
Titusville has found rough sledding the last couple weeks against talented foes Hickory and Grove City. Garrett Knapp is putting together a strong season at quarterback with 627 yards and six touchdowns, while also adding a pair of scores on the ground. His favorite targets are Brock Covell (246 yards) and Antonio Malvae (191 yards).
They will have to contend with do-it-all Zach Rice for the Spartans, who leads them in both rushing and receiving yardage.
Region 1
REYNOLDS (3-3) AT LAKEVIEW (1-5)
Reynolds looks to build back some momentum following a 35-21 loss to Greenville, a game in which they led going into the fourth quarter, while Lakeview is looking to snap its five-game losing streak.
Jalen Wagner has turned in a strong season on the ground for the Raiders, accounting for 784 yards and 13 scores, while Brayden McCloskey has thrown for 327 yards and two touchdowns. Haydin McLaughlin has 421 yards rushing and five scores as well.
Gavin Murdock returned from a scary injury last week for Lakeview and has put together a stellar season, rushing for 384 yards and seven touchdowns and throwing for four more scores and 747 yards. Calogano Wilkins has a pair of receiving touchdowns for the Sailors and Mitchell Tingley, Sean Cole and Aiden Osborne one each.
SHARPSVILLE (4-3) at MERCER (3-3)
The co-op between Sharpsville and West Middlesex has been a rousing success, as the Blue Devils are coming off a 34-6 win over Kennedy Catholic and look for their fifth win when they travel to Mercer. Chris Roth has rushed for three touchdowns and 602 yards, while Ian Smith has put together a terrific season on both sides of the ball and has three scores on the ground, while Zack Tedrow has four rushing scores. Caullin Summers has thrown for 666 yards and nine touchdowns, five of which have gone to Garen Levis (376 yards). The Blue Devils defense has held its opponents to single digits in three of its four wins.
Expect to see a heavy dose of Jake Badger for Mercer, which is coming off a 20-6 win over Lakeview. Badger has rushed for 386 yards and two scores, while Logan Turton has combined for nine touchdowns – four rushing and five receiving, accounting for all of quarterback Ethan Wiley’s (284 yards passing) scores.
KENNEDY CATHOLIC (1-5) at WILMINGTON (4-2)
Wilmington seeks a bounce-back game following a loss to region champion Farrell, which is off this week. The Greyhounds will lean on the ground game, led by Luke Edwards (612 yards, eight touchdowns), Gage DeCaprioJ(375 yards, four touchdowns) and Ben Miller (329 yards, three touchdowns). Tuff McConahy has thrown for five scores, four of which have gone to Cole McAllister.
They will be facing a Kennedy Catholic team that has a star connection in the form of Rayvion Wilbon-Venable and Simeir Wade. Wilbon-Venable has thrown for 767 yards and seven touchdowns, with Wade accounting for 461 yards and four touchdowns. Blaze Campbell also has four receiving touchdowns.
Region 2
MAPLEWOOD (4-2) at COCHRANTON (5-0)
Cochranton chose to play a Region 2-only schedule this season and it has worked out tremendously, as they sit tied atop the standings with Northwestern. Jack Martinec has been a force on the ground, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Cardinal defense has been dominant, allowing just 29 points all season, including shutouts of Union City and Iroquois. The most points they allowed this season was 13 in a 34-13 win over Eisenhower.
Maplewood boasts a strong defense of its own, coming off a 16-0 blanking of Cambridge Springs. They have allowed just 24 points in their four wins. Offensively, Ben Gilberto has rushed for 610 yards and five touchdowns, while Logan Kennedy has three scores on the ground. Dominick Kinney has thrown for 208 yards and a pair of scores.
IROQUOIS (2-3) at EISENHOWER (4-2)
Eisenhower is looking for a bounce-back game after falling to unbeaten Northwestern last week. In their four wins, the Knights have yielded just 40 points – 26 of which came in mop-up duty against Union City. Benji Bauer (536 yards, seven touchdowns) and Keegan Eckstrom (474 yards, five touchdowns) lead a potent rushing attack, while Shawn Pascuzzi has made the transition to quarterback.
Iroquois, meanwhile, comes in after dropping a tough one to region co-leader Cochranton. Michael Hoopsick has eclipsed 500 yards rushing on the season and accounted for six touchdowns.
SENECA (1-5) at UNION CITY (0-5)
After snapping a lengthy losing streak early in the season, Seneca looks for its second win when they travel to Union City. Nolan Seabury has accounted for over 1,000 yards of offense and seven combined touchdowns rushing and receiving for the Bobcats. Union City, meanwhile, will lean on the dynamic Kyler Shaffer (445 rushing yards, 274 passing yards, nine total touchdowns).
SAEGERTOWN (2-3) at CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS (1-4)
Cambridge Springs dropped a 16-0 slugfest to Maplewood last week, and they look to bounce back on their home field. Garrett Hodak (380 yards, three touchdowns) and Van Jones (248 yards, one touchdown) lead the rushing attack.
Saegertown is coming off a hard-fought 26-24 win over Seneca. Keenan Schaff has rushed for 315 yards and five touchdowns, while Zach Yoder (265 yards) and Aaron Shartle (247 yards) will also see plenty of touchdowns in the running game.
Region 4
FORT LEBOEUF (5-1) at CORRY (0-4)
Fort LeBoeuf has wrapped up the region title and they look to keep humming when they make the short road trip from Waterford to Corry. The Bison defense has been terrific as of late, including in a 56-0 win over Girard last week. They have a number of guys who can beat you on the ground in front of their physical offensive line, led by Tristin Harris, who has accounted for 600 yards and nine touchdowns, while Justin Leuschen has 449 yards and six scores.
Corry is returning following a lengthy COVID-19 hiatus. In their most recent game, they lost to Fairview 34-20 on Sept. 17. Nathan Lesher directs the offense from his quarterback position.
MERCYHURST PREP (3-2) at FAIRVIEW (4-2)
After a hitch to begin the season in the form of a COVID halt, Mercyhurst Prep has rallied to put together a 3-2 mark, including a 27-8 non-region win last week over Pymatuning. Dual-threat quarterback David Bahm leads the offense with 12 total touchdowns. Dewey Byrd (470 yards) is his top receiving target.
Fairview looks to re-gain its form after dropping back-to-back games and then not playing last week. Jared Gennuso (544 yards, 12 touchdowns) leads the Tigers rushing charge, while Tyler Corbin has thrown 586 yards, rushed for 149 and accounted for seven total touchdowns. Logan Frazao (263 yards, four scores) is the top receiving target.
NORTH EAST (1-5) at GIRARD (0-5)
Girard is in search of its first win as they host North East. Zach Lowe and Gunner Bax have combined for five rushing scores for the Jackets. North East is coming off a 21-14 loss to Mercyhurst Prep and will lean on the rushing duo of Casey Burch and Tyler Wittman.
Region 5
MEADVILLE (5-2) at OIL CITY (3-3)
Meadville’s only losses are by a combined 16 points to Grove City and Butler. They have rolled through the region slate, including a blanking of second-place Warren. Their rushing attack this year has mirrored what they have done in previous seasons. In other words, it’s been really good. Behind a strong offensive line, Griffin Buzzell (865 yards, 11 touchdowns), Khalon Simmons (799 yards, 14 touchdowns) and Brady Walker (596 yards, 13 touchdowns) have run roughshod. Defensively, they have yielded just 14 points in region play, including back-to-back shutouts.
They will be facing Oil City and District 10’s top rusher, Ethen Knox. The Oilers are coming off a 21-18 loss to Warren, a game in which they led 18-0 at halftime. Knox managed over 200 yards in that contest and has totaled 1,536 yards on 199 carries and 12 touchdowns this season.
HARBOR CREEK (2-5) at CONNEAUT (0-6)
Harbor Creek snapped its five-game losing streak with a 13-6 win over General McLane last week. Matt Cassidy was a workhorse in that game for the Huskies and on the season has totaled over 600 yards and six scores.
It’s been a tough season for the Eagles, who are coming off a shutout loss to Meadville. Brayden Groover and Dylan Lehmann lead the rushing attack.
GENERAL MCLANE (3-3) at FRANKLIN (1-6)
After a big 34-31 win over Warren, GM looks to get back on track following the tough loss to Harbor Creek. John Amon has been a star for the Lancers this season, accounting for 456 passing yards and five scores and 590 rushing yards. GM’s defense has also been very good at times this season, allowing just a combined 20 points in region wins over Oil City and Conneaut. Eric Salamonsen has 233 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns, while Owen Martin has three receiving scores for the Lancers.
Carson Wible has rushed for over 400 yards and six scores to lead the Franklin offense this season.
Region 6
BUTLER (3-3) at CATHEDRAL PREP (5-1)
An intriguing matchup as Butler has made significant strides this season. Prep, meanwhile, is coming off an unexpected bye after their game against Benedictine (Ohio) got canceled last week due to weather.
The Golden Tornado is coming off a 44-34 loss to unbeaten Westinghouse out of the Pittsburgh City League. Max Schnur has thrown for 1,009 yards and six touchdowns for Butler, while do-it-all Cooper Baxter has 363 yards and six scores on the ground. Ethan Trettel (475 yards, four touchdowns) and Lance Slater (292 yards, one touchdown are the top receivers).
The Ramblers are looking to bounce back from their lone loss, 31-12 to McDowell on Oct. 1. Carter Barnes has thrown for 654 yards, rushed for 163 and accounted for 17 total touchdowns. Mike Parks has been strong in the run game with 663 yards and six scores. Wakeem Page, DeMario Crawford and Tyson Simon have all had an impact at receiver, with Page accounting for five receiving touchdowns.
Non-Region
WARREN (4-3) at NORTHWESTERN (5-0)
An intriguing non-region matchup as the Class 4A Dragons travel to Albion to take on the unbeaten Class 2A Wildcats. Warren is coming off a thrilling 21-18 win over Oil City, while Northwestern rolled past Eisenhower, 48-7.
Eric Dippold was perfect in the fourth quarter last week in directing the Dragons’ comeback, firing a late touchdown pass to Kody Vega to help seal the deal. Dippold has thrown for 910 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Ben White is one of the top receivers in District 10 with 482 yards and seven touchdowns, including a pair last week. Tommy Nyquist has rushed for 533 yards and five scores and also tossed a 50-yard touchdown last week to White.
Northwestern, meanwhile, has been dominant. They intercepted Eisenhower four times last week and have allowed just 26 points all season. Offensively, quarterback Ryan Tewell has directed them to the tune of 1,011 yards and a perfect 16-0 touchdown to interception ratio. He has also added four more scores on the ground, a run game that will also heavily feature Ben Campbell, Gage Haniske-Brockett and David White behind a strong offensive line. Eric Steinle (315 yards, three scores), Jake Kelley (191 yards, five scores), Cam Perkins (187 yards, two touchdowns), Logan Stagle (184 yards, one score) keep with the balanced theme for the Wildcat offense.
CANISIUS, N.Y. (4-1) at ERIE (2-5)
It’s the second-straight New York foe for Erie High, as they host a talented Canisius team whose lone loss came last week to Washington (Ohio), 23-13.
Tyler Baker has thrown for 862 yards and nine scores for Canisius and has also added three scores on the ground. His top targets are Mike Doctor (285 yards, four touchdowns), Josh Fillion (212 yards, two touchdowns) and Lamar Thomas (203 yards, one touchdown).
Look for Erie to lean on its ground game, led by Jermaine Selby and Kree Thompson, as well as look for 6’7” tight end Marquell Darnell in the pass game.
