Welcome to the 2023 District 10 playoffs!
A pair of champions will be crowned this weekend in Class 6A (Friday) and Class 4A (Saturday), with McDowell and Meadville looking to defend those titles.
The Class 3A field gets underway with a quartet of quarterfinal games on Friday, while there are three Class 1A games on Saturday (No. 1 seed Lakeview has a bye) and the Class 2A semifinals will wait a week before playing next Saturday.
Reynolds is the two-time defending champion in Class 1A, as is Farrell in 2A and Grove City in 3A.
All games are at 7 p.m.
Here’s a look at each game to be played this weekend.
CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) MCDOWELL vs. (2) ERIE, PennWest Edinboro
The 6-4 Trojans take on the 4-6 Royals, with McDowell owning a 47-21 win over Erie on Sept. 15.
In that regular season game, McDowell quarterback Blayze Myers threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns and also had a rushing touchdown. On the season, Myers has put together a terrific campaign, throwing for 1,942 yards while completing 69 percent of his passes and a 23-6 touchdown to interception ratio.
The Trojans have spread the ball around on offense, with Dominic Beraducci (466 yards, 6 TDs) and Stephon Porter (396-7) leading the ground game and James Zigler Jr. (21 receptions, 369 yards, 3 TDs) and Leo Whitaker (15-274-5) leading the receivers behind an offensive line led by Cooper Cousins and Aidan Probst.
In the regular season meeting for Erie, Adrien Tate had 90 yards rushing and Cam Barnes 60, with each scoring a touchdown. Tate and Tajhae Thomas have both rushed for over 500 yards on the ground, while Quani Darnell has over 500 yards passing from his quarterback position.
CLASS 4A CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) MEADVILLE vs. (2) CORRY, PennWest Edinboro
The only two teams in Class 4A, the 7-2 Bulldogs meet the 3-6 Beavers for the title. The two teams met back in the first week of the regular season, a 27-14 Meadville victory.
The Bulldogs’ only two losses have come to Class 6A McDowell and Butler. Take those two games out of the equation and Meadville has outscored its opponents 332-51. The Bulldogs have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Jordan Lawrence (1,034-10) and Bradyn Miller (1,003-16), with Brighton Anderson not far behind (717-10).
Corry owns wins over Harbor Creek, Girard and Fort LeBoeuf this season. Nolan Carey has thrown for 1,412 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, with Rylan Smith (37-573-7) and Will Allen (24-270-0) his top receivers.
CLASS 3A
(1) SHARON vs. (8) FAIRVIEW, Wilmington H.S.
Sharon (7-2) has put together one of the great defensive seasons in recent memory, allowing just 51 points all season, including five shutouts. It’s a defense led by Bryson Roberson (92 tackles, 11.5 TFL) and Brodie Miller (81 tackles, 7 sacks).
Offensively, Mister Ham has thrown for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 662 yards and six touchdowns. Cortez Nixon (581-6) also carries a heavy workload in the run game.
A 28-14 Week 9 win over North East helped propel Fairview (6-4) into the playoffs. Vinny Campoli has thrown for 1,148 yards and nine touchdowns had has rushed for 639 yards and 15 touchdowns. Tyler Benford (524-7) also helps lead the ground game for Fairview, while Jacob Harkness (21-398-4) is the top receiver.
(2) HICKORY vs. (7) GENERAL MCLANE, Greenville H.S.
Hickory (7-2) comes in on a 4-game winning streak (including a win over Grove City) and has allowed more than 20 points in a game just twice this season. It’s a defense led by Tim Krivosh (97 tackles).
Offensively, Zander Telesz had thrown for 1,168 yards and 15 touchdowns, with Tylon Cuosin 24-317-5) and Luke Nevil (15-295-4) his top receivers. Freshman Kelvin Morrison (519-5) leads the running game.
General McLane comes into the postseason on a 3-game winning streak and has not allowed more than 17 points in a game in any of its six wins. Offensively, Isaac Zietz has thrown for 1,067 yards and 15 touchdowns, with a bulk of those going to brother Jacob Zietz (60-927-15). Magnus Lloyd (1,055-12) lead the ground game.
(3) GROVE CITY vs. (6) FORT LEBOEUF, Slippery Rock H.S.
Grove City (6-3) comes in winners of five of six, scoring at least 40 points in five of those games. Hunter Hohman has put together a special season at quarterback, throwing for 1,920 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gavin Lutz (50-559-6) and Nathan Greer (46-735-8) lead a potent receiving core.
The two-time defending champs will be facing a 7-3 Fort LeBoeuf team that is led by the 1,000-yard rushing duo of Aiden Lesik and Conner McChesney. The Bison got off to a 6-1 start to the season and snapped a 2-game losing streak with a 43-7 win over Sharpsville last week.
(4) NORTH EAST vs. (5) OIL CITY, Veterans Stadium, Erie
The Grape Pickers completed an 8-2 regular season with a 51-19 win over Reynolds last week. There only two losses of the season have come to Farrell and Fairview.
It’s been an explosive offense led by Jackson Humes (2,045 passing yards, 28 touchdowns) and Jamari Curlett (49,1047-18) and Donnell Gamble (19-369-3). The defense is led by Logan Latimore (9 sacks) and Jacob Babo (89 tackles).
Oil City comes into the playoffs at 6-3 and features a potent rushing attack. Ethen Knox has rushed for 1,888 yards and 28 touchdowns in just eight games, behind an offensive line paced by Henry Milford. Kevin Pearsall leads the defense with 78 tackles, including 13 for loss.
The two teams met on Sept. 8, a 35-0 North East victory. Knox did not play in that game.
CLASS 1A
(2) CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS vs. (7) MAPLEWOOD, General McLane H.S.
The only blemish on the 9-1 Blue Devils’ regular season mark was a 28-22 loss to Lakeview on Oct. 6.
They come into the game having outscored their opponents 420-93. Brett Kania (1,037 yards, 16 TDs) leads the ground game, which also features Jordan Washington (553-5), Preston Gorton (515-9) and Josh Gorton (505-7).
Josh Gorton (113 tackles) and Tristen Mazzadra (11 sacks) lead a defense that has four shutouts on the season.
The two teams met back on Sept. 8, a 41-0 win for Cambridge Springs.
Maplewood (3-7) owns wins over Iroquois, Reynolds and Kennedy Catholic. Freshman quarterback Kyle Jordan has thrown for 881 yards and 12 touchdowns, with Dorian Doubet (450-4) and Dominick Kinney (351-5) his top receivers.
(3) EISENHOWER vs. (6) REYNOLDS, War Memorial Field, Warren
The Knights (7-3) and Raiders (4-6) meet for a fifth consecutive time in the postseason, including a 28-14 win by Reynolds last year in the 1A title game.
Eisenhower comes in winners of 4-straight, surrendering 14 points or fewer in each of those games. The Knights feature a powerful rushing attack led by Logan Penley (711-5), Tucker Lindell (635-12) and Shawn Pascuzzi (563-6). Pascuzzi has also thrown for 715 yards and 11 touchdowns, but top receiver Kris Bunk is likely out due to injury.
Reynolds comes in having lost three of its last four games. Gabe Minjarez 769 yards, seven touchdowns and Gavin Alabran 353 rushing yards, five touchdowns, lead the offense.
(4) COCHRANTON vs. (5) MERCER, Meadville H.S.
These two teams met on Sept. 22, a 16-13 win for Cochranton (5-3). Noah Cummings (970 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns) and Blake Foulk (599 rushing, 10 touchdowns) lead the Cochranton offense. Defensively, the Cardinals have allowed just 48 points combined in their five wins.
Mercer is led by the dynamic duo of Daemyin Mattocks (1,027 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns) and Carter Addison (757 yards, 11 touchdowns). The Mustangs come into the postseason winners of three of four, including a win over Lakeview, with their only loss coming to Cambridge Springs.
