It’s Week 7 of the high school football season and there are showdowns all over District 10.
In Region 1, perennial powers Farrell (4-0) and Wilmington (4-1) do battle, while unbeaten Northwestern squares off with 4-1 Eisenhower.
In Region 3 Hickory (4-2) travels to Slippery Rock to face the unbeaten Rockets (4-0), while Oil City (3-2) travels to Warren (3-3), as Oiler running back Ethen Knox looks to put on an encore performance after rushing for a school-record 484 yards in a Route 8 rivalry win over Franklin.
Farrell at Wilmington is the headliner. The Greyhounds won all three meetings last season, including a thriller in the District 10 Class 2A title game, 19-14, a game in which Farrell was driving the ball late before Wilmington forced a turnover to end it.
Farrell is coming off a bye week, with their last game coming in the form of a 40-0 win over Sharpsville. The Steelers have three shutouts and have allowed just six points all season. Farrell running back Anthony Stallworth has rushed for 728 yards and a whopping 15.2 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns. He is just over 200 yards (204) away from 4,000 in his career, per Bob Greenburg of Sports Radio 96.7. The Steelers have a multitude of weapons offensively, including Kylon Wilson, Brandon Chambers, Lamont Samuels, Omar Stewart Jr., Trian Holden and Kabron Smith. They are averaging 55.5 ppg.
Wilmington also played Sharpsville last and staged an epic second-half rally to win 28-27. Like Farrell, the Greyhounds have had a ton of success running the ball this season. Luke Edwards has rushed for 576 yards and eight touchdowns, while Gage DeCaprio (353 yards) and Ben Miller (296) are also big threats. Tuff McConahy has brown for 337 yards, 145 of which have gone to Edwards and 115 to Cole McCallister.
Here’s a snapshot of the other games in District 10 this week.
Region 1
LAKEVIEW (1-4) at MERCER (2-3)
Lakeview suffered a tough break when do-it-all quarterback Gavin Murdock went down with an injury last week against Kennedy Catholic. Without him, look for Mitchell Tingley (65 rushing yards, 140 receiving yards) and Calogano Wilkins (193 receiving yards, 39 rushing yards) to have a big impact. Expect Tingley to step in at quarterback.
Mercer is coming off of a 28-7 loss to Greenville. The Mustangs are led by Jake Badger (236 rushing yards), Logan Turton (184 rushing yards, 157 receiving yards) and quarterback Ethan Wiley, who has thrown for 269 yards and four scores.
GREENVILLE (3-3) at REYNOLDS (3-2)
This has all the makings of another really good game in Region 1. Reynolds has been putting up a lot of points as of late, including in its most recent game, a 54-28 win over Saegertown. Jalen Wagner has been a workhorse at running back, rushing for 652 yards and 11 scores. Haydin McLaughlin has rushed for 368 yards and five touchdowns, while Brayden McCloskey has thrown for 236 yards and a pair of scores.
Greenville comes in winners of two straight – 50-14 over Kennedy Catholic and 28-7 over Mercer. The Trojans will also look to the ground game, as Levi Swartz has rushed for 448 yards and nine touchdowns and Mason Dickens has 303 yards rushing and a trio of scores. Jalen Ritzert has thrown for 562 yards and four scores, three of which have gone to Jase Herrick, who has 318 receiving yards.
SHARPSVILLE (3-3) at KENNEDY CATHOLIC (1-4) – Saturday
Sharpsville suffered heartbreak last week in its loss to Wilmington, while Kennedy Catholic looks to continue its momentum after beating Lakeview for their first win since re-booting the program last season. Simeir Wade stepped in at quarterback for Rayvion Wilbon-Venable last week and threw a pair of touchdown passes to Blaze Campbell. Wade has 355 receiving yards and Wilbon-Venable has thrown for 614 yards.
On the other side, Sharpsville is looking to snap its two-game losing streak. Caullin Summers and Garen Levis had games to remember last week, as they combined for all four of Sharpsville’s touchdowns. On the season, Summers has thrown for 626 yards and Levis has 321 yards receiving. Chris Roth (350 yards) and Ian Smith (175 yards) lead the ground game.
Region 2
NORTHWESTERN (4-0) at EISENHOWER (4-1)
Northwestern looks to stay atop the Region 2 standings (along with Cochranton) after a shutout win over Union City last week. In fact, the Wildcats have yielded just 18 points all season. Ryan Tewell has been stellar at quarterback, with a 12-0 touchdown to interception ratio and 763 yards through the air. Eric Steinle (262 yards) and Jake Kelley (184 yards) are Tewell’s top targets. Ben Campbell (258 yards) and Gage Hanisek-Brockett (178 yards) lead the ground game.
Eisenhower, meanwhile, is coming off a bye following its 14-0 win over Cambridge Springs. The Knights’ defense has also been strong, pitching two shutouts so far this season. Offensively, Keegan Eckstrom (434 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns), Benji Bauer (388 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Wyatt Lookenhouse (169 yards receiving, 2 touchdowns) lead the way. Shawn Pascuzzi has taken over at quarterback for the injured Garrett Jensen.
CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS (1-3) at MAPLEWOOD (3-2)
Maplewood is coming off a 30-8 win over Seneca, while Cambridge Springs played unbeaten Cochranton tough in a 14-8 setback. Ben Gilberto has rushed for 538 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Maplewood offense, while Dominick Kinney has thrown for 208 yards and a pair of scores.
Morgan Applebee took over at quarterback last week for Cambridge Springs and threw a touchdown pass to Ethan Counasse. Garrett Hodak (365 yards) and Van Jones (234 yards) lead the offense.
SENECA (1-4) at SAEGERTOWN (1-3)
Seneca is coming off a 30-8 loss to Maplewood, while Saegertown fell to Reynolds, 54-28. For Saegertown, Henry Shaffer has thrown for 207 yards and rushed for 94, while Keenen Schaefer leads the ground game with 232 yards and Aaron Shartle has four touchdowns. For Seneca, Nolan Seabury has thrown for 636 yards and three scores and rushed for 303 yards and three scores. Collin Libra has 230 yards receiving.
COCHRANTON (4-0) at IROQUOIS (2-2) – Saturday
Cochranton’s defense has been stellar in vaulting to the top of the Region 2 standings. The Cardinals have yielded just 29 points through four games. Offensively, Jack Martinec has been a workhorse, rushing for 664 yards and seven touchdowns, while Noah Cummings has thrown for three scores.
Iroquois, meanwhile, is coming off a bye. Michael Hoopsick leads the ground game with 472 yards and six scores, while Ethan Llinzing has rushed for 185.
Region 3
HICKORY (4-2) at SLIPPERY ROCK (4-0)
This one has all the makings of a classic. Hickory has won three straight since starting the season 1-2, while Slippery Rock has battled other teams’ COVID issues to begin the season 4-0. The Hornets have scored 152 points in their last three games and have been getting it done through the air. Logan Woods has thrown for 1,216 yards and 16 touchdowns and has a pair of talented receivers and tight end to get the ball to in the form of Ramarion Whitehead (473 yards, 5 touchdowns), Keenan Scullin (457 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Jackson Pryts (211 yards, 5 touchdowns). Sean Kennedy (344 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns) leads the rushing attack.
After being tied with Conneaut (Ohio) 14-14 last week, Slippery Rock rattled off the game’s final 35 points to improve to 4-0. The Rockets’ defense has been stellar, allowing just 9.5 points per game. They feature a balanced offensive attack led by William ‘Zip’ Mokel who has thrown for 743 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for three more scores. His top targets are John Sabo (343 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Shane Thompson (176 yards, 3 touchdowns). Brett Galcik (328 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Thompson (155 yards, 3 touchdowns) are the top rushers.
CONNEAUT- OHIO (3-4) at SHARON (4-2)
Sharon is looking to bounce back after having its three-game winning streak snapped last week by Grove City in a 32-13 loss. The Tigers’ defense has been solid, yielding just 14.5 points per game. Offensively, it’s been the Mikey Rodriques to Ja’on Phillips show. Rodriques has brown for 792 yards and nine scores, 533 yards and seven scores of which have gone to Phillips. LaBrae Norris (185 yards, 3 touchdowns) is the top rusher.
To beat Conneaut, they will have to slow down Zack Rice, who has done it all for his team this season. Rice has 698 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns and 19 receptions for 343 yards receiving and an additional five scores. Kiefer Mandagelo has thrown for 528 yards.
GROVE CITY (4-2) at TITUSVILLE (2-2)
Grove City has won two in a row, rolling past Fairview 41-8 before its impressive win over Sharon last week. The Eagles can beat teams both through the air and on the ground. Quarterback Hunter Hohman has thrown for 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns, with Gavin Lutz (30 receptions, 271 yards, 2 touchdowns), Joey Hathaway (317 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Anthony Pereira (201 yards, 3 touchdowns) the top targets. Curtis Hovis has had a strong season on the ground, accounting for 802 yards and eight touchdowns.
Garrett Knapp leads the Titusville offense with 614 passing yards and six scores, while Brock Covell (19 receptions) and Antonio Malave (17 receptions) his favorite targets. The Rockets are coming off of a loss to Hickory.
Region 4
GIRARD (0-4) at FORT LEBOEUF (4-1)
The Bison bounced back from their first loss of the season to Sharon by rolling past Fairview, 54-7. They have a plethora of backs that can get it done, led by Tristin Harris (443 yards, 7 touchdowns), Justin Leuschen (362 yards, 4 touchdowns), Adam Lichtinger (225 yards, 3 touchdowns) And Aiden Lesik (145 yards, 4 touchdowns). Outside of the Sharon game, they have given up just 34 points in four games.
Girard has not played since a Sept. 17 28-12 loss to Mercyhurst Prep due to COVID-19 issues. Gunner Bax (238 yards) and Zach Lowe (210 yards) lead the rushing attack.
FAIRVIEW (4-2) at NORTH EAST (1-5)
After starting 4-0, Fairview is looking to bounce back following back-to-back losses. The Tigers have a very balanced offense, led by quarterback Tyler Corbin, who has thrown for 586 yards and five scores, with Logan Frazao (18 receptions, 4 touchdowns) his top receiver. Jared Gennuso has rushed for 544 yards and 12 touchdowns.
North East is coming off a 21-14 loss to Mercyhurst Prep. The Pickers primarily get it done on the ground courtesy of Casey Burch (514 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Tyler Wittman (481 yards, 5 touchdowns).
Region 5
GENERAL MCLANE (3-2) at HARBOR CREEK (1-5)
General McLane looks to keep the ball rolling following a wild 34-31 win over Warren that saw the lead change hands four times over the final eight minutes. John Amon is coming off a big game against the Dragons and has put up 612 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Dylan Sheeder has also thrown for five touchdowns for the Lancers, three of which have gone to Magnus Lloyd.
It’s been tough sledding for Harbor Creek since a season-opening win over Franklin. The Huskies have lost five straight, including 56-6 to Butler last week. Cam Williamson 534 yards and five touchdowns, while Matt Cassidy has 374 yards on the ground.
FRANKLIN (1-5) at MEADVILLE (4-2)
Meadville has been a machine offensively, They have scored at least 40 points in five of their six games this season, including a 72-0 trouncing of Conneaut (Pa.) last week. Behind a strong offensive line, the three-headed rushing monster of Khalon Simmons, Griffin Buzzell and Brady Walker have been outstanding. Buzzell has 773 yards and nine touchdowns, while Simmons has 702 yards and 11 scores and Walker 544 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Franklin is led by Carson Wible, who has 416 yards and six scores on the ground.
OIL CITY (3-2) at WARREN (3-3)
There could be plenty of fireworks in this one. The aforementioned Ethen Knox is coming off a performance for the ages against Franklin with his 484 yards and five touchdowns. On the season, Knox has 1,321 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
Warren is coming off a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to GM and is looking to bounce back following back-to-back losses (they fell to Meadville two weeks ago). Ben White is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. He has 406 receiving yards from quarterback Eric Dippold, averaging 27.1 yards per catch and also had a kickoff return for a touchdown last week. Dippold has thrown for 766 yards, while Tommy Nyquist (466 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Ethan Senz (268 yards, 3 touchdowns) lead the ground game.
Non-Region
HOLLIDAYSBURG (2-3) at MCDOWELL (5-0)
The Trojans look to stay on a roll following their big 31-12 win over rival Cathedral Prep. The Trojans have won four of their five games this season by double-digits, and are led offensively by the ground game and Artis Simmons who has racked up over 600 yards and eight touchdowns. Christian Santiago also has eight touchdowns on the ground, while Been Moore has thrown for 600 yards and four touchdowns.
Hollidaysburg is coming off a bye week, with their last game a 35-33 loss to Fort Hill (Maryland) on Sept. 24. They look to the air on offense, led by quarterback Jake McGinnis, who has thrown for 833 yards and eight touchdowns. Avery Sloan, Caden DeLattre and Justin Wolfe have all caught multiple touchdown passes.
CATHEDRAL PREP (5-1) at BENEDICTINE, OHIO (6-0)
It will be no easy task for Prep to get back on track, as they face one of the top teams in the state of Ohio in Benedictine In fact, they are the top-ranked Division II team in the state in the latest Associated Press rankings. Carter Barnes has thrown for 654 yards and 10 scores for the Ramblers while rushing for 163 yards and seven touchdowns. Mike Parks has ran for 663 yards and six scores, while DeMario Crawford (193 yards, three touchdowns) and Wakeem Page (five touchdowns) are the top receivers, along with Tyson Simon (126 yards).
Benedictine is coming off a 59-28 win over Burke County. Holden Geriner is a 4-star quarterback who is committed to Auburn. He threw for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week, both of which went to Kam Edge, who had 109 yards receiving and also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
WESTINGHOUSE (5-0) at BUTLER (3-2)
Butler has a tall task on its hands in search of its third-straight win, as they host unbeaten Westinghouse. Mac Schnur has thrown for 829 yards and five scores, with Ethan Trettel (320 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Lance Slater (298 yards) his top targets. Cooper Baxter has rushed for 236 yards and four scores.
Westinghouse is coming off a 25-19 win over University Prep, the first game they haven’t won by double-digits.
PYMATUNING VALLEY (5-1) at MERCYHURST PREP (2-2)
Following a 21-14 win over North East, Mercyhurst Prep will look to keep things rolling when they take on a talented Pymatuning Valley team. David Bahm has thrown for 627 yards and four scores, three of which have gone to Dewey Byrd. Bahm also has five rushing touchdowns.
Devin Ray and Robert Verba were both over 100 yards on the ground for Pymatuning last week, with Ray accounting for three touchdowns.
ERIE (2-4) at ST. FRANCIS, NY (3-2) – Saturday
Erie will look to keep the momentum going following a 43-7 win over St. Joe’s last week when they battle another New York state foe. The Royals have got it done offensively primarily on the ground this season, led by Jermaine Selby, who has over 400 yards, as well as Adrian Tate and Kree Thompson.
Ricardo Kidd has rushed for 516 yards to lead St. Francis, while Steve Otremba Jr. has had a solid season at quarterback. St. Francis is coming off a 23-3 loss to Archbishop Hoban.
