As we’ve reached the midway point of the District 10 football regular season, contenders are starting to separate themselves, while plenty of key matchups will help shape the playoff field.
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One of those games, Northwestern at Cochranton, was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19 issues at Northwestern.
Regions 1, 2 and 5 have a full slate of games, including showdowns between Farrell and Sharpsville and Meadville at Warren, among others. Those games will have major playoff implications as will others on the scheduled this week.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Week 5 slate.
Region 1
Farrell (3-0) at Sharpsville (3-1)
Can anyone slow down the Steelers? Farrell has rolled so far through the Region 1 slate, outscoring their opponents 182-6 in the process. The Steelers can score any which way you want – on the ground, through the air and on special teams and defense.
The Steelers are averaging an astounding 13.1 yards per carry as a team, led by Anthony Stallworth, who had 472 yards and nine touchdowns on just 31 carries. Kylon Wilson and Omar Stewart lead the receiving core, catching passes from Kabron Smith and Trian Holden. The defense, led by Taidon Strickland, Anthony Jackson and others, has been equally dominant.
Sharpsville comes in with a record of 3-1 and a defense that is allowing just 17.2 ppg. Chris Roth (295 yards) and Ian Smith (171) lead the ground game, while Caullin Summers has thrown for 298 yards, with 94 of those going to Garen Levis.
Greenville (1-3) at Kennedy Catholic (0-3) (Saturday)
A pair of teams looking to get on track. Greenville is coming off a 42-15 loss to Wilmington. Levi Swartz (260 yards) and Mason Dickens (146) lead the ground game. Jalen Ritzert has thrown for 446 yards and three touchdowns, with 249 yards and two of those scores going to Jase Herrick.
Quarterback Rayvion Wilbon-Venable has been a big bright spot for Kennedy Catholic, throwing for 483 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for 107 yards. Simeir Wade has easily been his favorite target, with 18 receptions for 310 yards and three scores.
Lakeview (1-2) at Wilmington (2-1) (Saturday)
Wilmington got back on track with a win over Greenville last week after having its 22-game winning streak snapped the week before. The Greyhounds get it done on the ground, and that starts with their offensive line, as well as running back Luke Edwards, who has rushed for 404 yards through three games. Gage DeCaprio has 230 yards rushing, while Tuff McConahy has 183 yards passing and three scores, two of which have gone to Cole McAllister.
Lakeview is led by do-it-all quarterback Gavin Murdock, who has rushed for 257 yards, thrown for 455 and has six total touchdowns. Calogano Wilkins leads the receiving core with 129 yards and Mitchell Tingley has 95.
Region 2
Cambridge Springs (1-1) at Eisenhower (3-1)
With the Northwestern/Cochranton game off, this is the marquee game in Region 2 this week. Eisenhower is looking to bounce back after having its 11-game regular-season winning streak snapped at the hands of Cochranton last week. The Knights are allowing 18.5 points per game, and offensively are led by a solid ground game. Keegan Eckstrom leads the way with 386 rushing yards, while Benji Bauer checks in at 298 and Shawn Pascuzzi 276. Garrett Jensen has also thrown for three scores.
Cambridge Springs is eager to get back on the field coming off of a lengthy delay because of COVID. The last time they took the field on Sept. 3 was a 30-6 win over Seneca. Garrett Hodak made the switch to running back and has 292 yards rushing through two games, while Van Jones has 149 rushing yards.
Seneca (0-3) at Iroquois (2-1)
The Braves come in feeling good about themselves, winners of two straight over Kennedy Catholic and Union City following a season-opening loss to Maplewood. Michael Hoopsick is a workhorse at running back and has carried the ball for 377 yards and four scores, while Ethan Klinzing has 156 yards on the ground.
They will be facing a Seneca team that is still in search of its first win after losses to Northwestern, Cambridge Springs and Cochranton. They are also coming off a bye week. Ryan Miller and Nolan Seabury lead the ground game, with Seabury a dual-threat quarterback throwing for 288 yards so far this season.
Union City (0-3) at Saegertown (0-2)
One team is going to come away with its first win of the season. The Panthers returned after a COVID-forced hiatus and fell to Northwestern last week. Henry Shaffer is the quarterback, and he is a threat both as a runner and a passer. Also, look for Zach Yoder and Aaron Shartle to figure heavily in the ground game.
Union City, meanwhile, is coming off a week off as well. Quarterback Kyler Shaffer is the leading ground gainer as well with 224 yards, while Owen Kerns checks in at 207 yards.
Region 5
Meadville (2-2) at Warren (3-1)
A game with major implications in the Region 5 standings, Warren has three region wins over Conneaut, Harbor Creek and Franklin, with its lone loss a non-region contest to Cathedral Prep. Meadville’s only losses are non-region as well against Grove City and Butler. They also own a win over Harbor Creek as well as General McLane.
Eric Dippold has turned in a strong season to date for the Dragons at quarterback, throwing for 579 yards and eight touchdowns. Ben White (10 receptions, 351 yards, 5 touchdowns) has emerged as one of the top big-play threats in D10. Behind a strong offensive line, Tommy Nyquist (424 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Ethan Senz (259 yards, 2 touchdowns) have found success on the ground.
What Meadville is going to do is no secret. They are going to run, run and run some more. They have three players who have amassed at least 300 yards rushing, led by Khalon Simmons and his 500 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 9.6 ypc. Griffin Buzzell has 453 yards and six scores and Brady Walker 302 yards and five scores.
Harbor Creek (1-3) at Oil City (2-2)
As teams continue to jockey for position in this region, this game has major implications as well. Oil City’s offense is looking to get back on track following a 23-0 loss to Sharon. Big-play back Ethen Knox will be a big part of that, with 603 yards and four touchdowns to his credit this season.
Harbor Creek also features a workhorse running back in the form of Cam Williamson, who has 500 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Aso look for Matt Cassidy (336 yards, 3 touchdowns)
Franklin (0-4) at Conneaut (0-4)
Another game where one team is guaranteed to come away with its first win. Franklin did have some bright spots last week against Warren, putting up a season-high 29 points. Carson Wible (292 yards rushing) and Cole Buckley (191 yards passing) lead the offense. Conneaut’s offense is led by quarterback Logan Groover and running back Ethan Stright.
Region 6
McDowell (3-0) at Erie (1-3) (Saturday)
McDowell looks to remain perfect when they take on Region 6 rival Erie High. After COVID-19 forced a bye week, the Trojans came back with a 38-21 win over Butler, this after non-region wins over Lake Catholic and Brashear. The McDowell ground game has been strong, with Artis Simmons (421 yards, 6 touchdowns) leading the way. Ray Jackson has added 195 yards on the ground, while Christian Santiago has four rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Ben Moore has spread the ball around to the tune of 415 yards.
Erie, meanwhile, is coming off a 26-12 loss to Brashear, after beating Harbor Creek the week before for its first win of the season. The Royals will look to the ground game as well and are led by Jermaine Selby (241 yards) and Adrian Tate (166 yards).
Non-Region
St. Francis (3-0) at Cathedral Prep (4-0)
Prep was put to the test for really the first time last week, coming away with a hard-fought 44-35 win over Solon (Ohio), the first time this season they gave up double-digit points. They get another stiff test this week in one of the top teams in the state of New York.
Carter Barnes has a 9-1 touchdown to interception ratio so far this season, throwing for 497 yards, with DeMario Crawford (193 yards) and Tyson Simon (11 yards) his favorite targets. Mike Parks (472 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Suhtaun Lewis (236 yards, 2 touchdowns) leading the ground game.
St. Francis is led offensively by running back Ricardo Kidd and quarterback Steve Otremba Jr.
General McLane (2-1) at Butler (1-2)
A Region 5-6 crossover sees the Lancers travel to Butler to take on the Golden Tornado. After a week layoff due to COVID, GM came back with a resounding 54-8 win over Conneaut. John Amon (296 yards) leads the rushing attack, while Dylan Sheeder has thrown for 296 yards, with Eric Samuelson (96 yards) and Magnus Lloyd (92 yards) his top targets.
Butler is coming off a loss to McDowell in which do-it-all Cooper Baxter didn’t play. Max Schnur has thrown for 407 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with Lance Slater accounting for 294 receiving yards. Baxter has 236 yards on the ground and four scores.
Fort LeBoeuf (3-0) at Sharon (3-1)
An intriguing non-region matchup, LeBoeuf owns wins over Grove City, Mercyhurst Prep and North East, while Sharon’s lone loss has come at the hands of University Prep.
The Bison are going to run the ball a ton, led by Tristin Harris (372 yards, 5 touchdowns) And Justin Leuschen (242 yards, 3 touchdowns). Isaac McGuire has thrown for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Sharon’s defense has been terrific this season, pitching shutouts against Corry and Oil City and allowing just seven points in a win over Hickory. Ja’on Phillips has done it all for Sharon, including 379 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Mikey Rodriques has thrown for 462 yards, while LaBrae Norris (125 yards) and Cortez Nixon (115 yards) lead the rushing attack.
Fairview (4-0) at Grove City (2-2)
The unbeaten Tigers will be put to the test this week against Grove City. The Tigers played their closest game of the season last week, a 34-20 win over a scrappy Corry team. Jared Gennuso has emerged as one of the top backs in the district, rushing for 487 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Tigers are equally adept at throwing the football, with quarterback Tyler Corbin collecting 500 yards through the air, with Logan Frazao (196 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Jeremy Frazao (169 yards) his top targets.
Grove City, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from a 34-7 loss to Slippery Rock. The Eagles do own impressive wins this season over Meadville and Conneaut (Ohio). Hunter Hohman is one of District 10’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 832 yards and six touchdowns, with Joey Hathaway (278 yards) and Gavin Lutz (228 yards) his top targets. Running back Curtis Hovis has gained 520 yards on the ground.
Corry (0-4) at Slippery Rock (3-0) – GAME CANCELED
COVID has forced some bumps in the Slippery Rock scheduled, but it hasn’t affected them as they have outscored their opponents 107-24 through three games. Zip Mokel has thrown for 558 yards and eight touchdowns, with John Sabo (182 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Shane Thompson (176 yards, 3 touchdowns) emerging as his favorite options. Thompson also leads the rushing attack with 155 yards.
Corry gave unbeaten Fairview a battle last week, and will look to do the same against the Rockets. Quarterback Nathan Lesher has thrown for 238 yards and run for 121 more. Hunter Savits has rushed for 172 yards.
Mercyhurst Prep (1-1) at Hickory (2-2)
Hickory is coming off perhaps its best performance of the season in a 41-14 win over Conneaut (Ohio). The Hornets’ passing game has had tremendous success, with Logan Woods throwing for 745 yards and nine touchdowns, with Ramarion Whitehead (225 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Keenan Scullin (337 yards,s 3 touchdowns) doing much of the receiving work.
Mercyhurst Prep is another team that has had COVID wreak havoc with its schedule. They are coming off an impressive 28-12 win over Girard. David Bahm has thrown for 265 yards and rushed for 41 more and three scores.
Maplewood (2-1) at Mercer (1-2)
Maplewood added a game late last week, an 18-7 win over District 9 foe Brockway. Ben Gilberto has had a strong season through three games on the ground, rushing for 309 yards and three scores, while Dominick Kinney has 138 yards and two scores. Kinney has also thrown for 151 yards, 101 of which have gone to Connor Palmiero.
Mercer, meanwhile, is coming off a 26-7 loss to Reynolds. Jake Badger leads the rushing attack with 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Logan Turton has eight receptions for 108 yards, accounting for most of Ethan Wiley’s 151 passing yards.
Other Games: Conneaut (Ohio) at Reynolds; North East at Titusville
