The Funding Zone
 
SAFR: Safer Through Science
 

ProfessorBriggs.com: WEEK FIVE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Tagged under: District 10, News

| September 19, 2019


ProfessorBriggs.com

(Statistical Information Courtesy of Professor Briggs’ archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News)

WEEK FIVE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

The midpoint of the 2019 regular season features a mixed bag of games on the Week Five calendar. There is one league game, two games between undefeated teams, one game between winless teams, two all-local matchups between longtime rivals, a pair of rematches from the 2017 District 10 playoffs and two return bouts from last year’s postseason.

Overall, nine games comprise the Week Five schedule. Seven games are scheduled for Friday night. Saturday night, Sharpsville hosts Sharon, while Wilmington (4-0) hosts 3-0 Conneaut, Ohio.

Slippery Rock at Grove City, 7:00 p.m.

Undefeated Grove City (4-0) begins a four-week run of region games Friday night by hosting archrival Slippery Rock (2-2, 0-1) on Homecoming at Forker Field. It is Grove City’s only home game in league play as the Eagles will then visit Hickory, Sharon and Conneaut over the subsequent three weeks.

Grove City tuned up for league play by blanking Pittsburgh City League foe Brashear last week, 36-0, in Pittsburgh. The victory marked Grove City’s 22nd straight regular season win. Slippery Rock, meanwhile, opened Region 5 action with a 14-0 loss at Sharon.

Grove City has forced a county-high 14 turnovers this season and the Eagles recorded four takeaways last week at Brashear. Curtis Hovis recovered a fumble in the end zone and the Eagles also recorded a safety. Grove City limited Brashear to 152 total yards as the Eagles recorded their first shutout since a 48-0 win at Corry in Week Three last year.

Junior quarterback Logan Breese completed 12 of 20 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns for Grove City. Sophomore H-back Zack Martin caught two touchdowns while senior wide receiver Jake Reddick also hauled in a touchdown pass. Senior running back Colby Nelson ran for 115 yards on 25 carries while Hovis added 74 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Breese shares the county lead with nine touchdown passes and also ranks second with 616 passing yards. He has also thrown a county-high four interceptions, however. Nelson leads the county with 84 rushing attempts. He ranks second locally with 480 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Reddick, meanwhile, ranks second in the area with 12 receptions, 244 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.

Slippery Rock executed 74 offensive plays, accumulated 307 offensive yards and 17 first downs, and did not turnover the ball, yet scored zero points at Sharon. Quarterback Vito Pilosi had a hand in 55 of the plays as he ran for 81 yards on 21 carries and completed 15 of 34 passes for 143 yards.

Nathan Hyatt added 51 rushing yards on eight carries. He also caught four passes for 32 yards. Ethan Plesakov (45 yards) and David Duffalo (28 yards) had four receptions each. Defensively, Slippery Rock yielded 192 passing yards to Sharon’s top-ranked passing attack.

Pilosi leads the area with 743 yards of individual total offense. He has also been involved in a county-high 122 plays, with 68 pass attempts and 54 runs. Pilosi is 11th in the area with 265 rushing yards. Hyatt leads Slippery Rock with 359 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Hyatt ranks fifth locally in rushing. Duffalo’s 12 catches are tied for second in the county and Hyatt is tied for fifth with 11 catches. Slippery Rock is one of two teams (Sharon) with two players with double-digit catch totals this season.

While Grove City leads the area in turnovers caused, Slippery Rock has forced only two turnovers this season. The Rockets are also tied for 11th in the 12-team area with a minus-3 turnover margin.

Grove City and Slippery Rock respectively rank 1-2 in offensive plays this year. Grove City has executed 239 offensive plays while Slippery Rock has run 217 plays this season. Grove City ranks second in total offense (387.0) while Slippery Rock sits third (345.8).

Grove City won both meetings last year. The Eagles won at Slippery Rock during the regular season, 33-7, then secured a 26-9 win in the District 10 Class 3A semifinals. Grove City forced six turnovers in the regular season victory, then outgained the Rockets, 443-240, in the playoff win at Slippery Rock University.

Grove City has won 11 of the last 14 meetings and leads the all-time series 23-11. The teams have never alternated winners over a three-year period, as it’s been a series of win streaks for each team. The all-time series is below:

Year Result
2018 Grove City, 26-9 (D-10 3A Semifinal)
2018 Grove City, 33-7
2017 Grove City, 28-0
2016 Grove City, 47-6
2015 Slippery Rock, 52-18
2014 Slippery Rock, 47-21
2013 Slippery Rock, 49-21
2012 Grove City, 34-14
2011 Grove City, 55-0
2010 Grove City, 45-16
2007 Grove City, 28-17
2006 Grove City, 21-13
2005 Grove City, 34-31 (2 OT)
2004 Grove City, 24-0
2003 Slippery Rock, 33-14
2002 Slippery Rock, 7-0
2001 Slippery Rock, 34-6
2000 Slippery Rock, 60-19
1999 Slippery Rock, 37-30
1998 Grove City, 41-13
1997 Grove City, 22-6
1996 Grove City, 13-6
1995 Grove City, 26-13
1994 Grove City, 22-20
1993 Grove City, 36-0
1992 Grove City, 34-0
1991 Grove City, 41-0
1990 Grove City, 13-12
1989 Slippery Rock, 21-9
1988 Slippery Rock, 27-8
1985 Grove City, 27-0
1984 Slippery Rock, 22-13
1977 Grove City, 7-0
1976 Grove City, 29-20

The game will be heard on Sports Radio 96.7.

Reynolds at Maplewood, 7:00 p.m.

Seven District 10 football teams own 4-0 records through the first month of the season. Two of those teams are in Class 1A and they will meet Friday night in Guys Mills when Maplewood hosts Reynolds. It is a rematch of last season’s District 10 Class 1A quarterfinals, won 36-0 by Reynolds. It is also Reynolds’ first road game after opening the season with four straight home games.

This season, both teams feature explosive offenses that average over 40 points and 400 yards per game. Reynolds leads Mercer County in points per game (41.8), total offense (416.2), yards per play (9.0), rushing yardage (301.8) and yards per carry (8.2). Maplewood averages 41.8 points and 417.3 offensive yards per game. The Tigers also average 9.6 yards per carry and 10.4 yards per offensive play.

Reynolds opened Region 1 play last Friday night by rolling to a 40-13 victory over Mercer. Cole Toy set a county high for this season by rushing for 229 yards in the win. He scored four touchdowns while backfield mate Sean O’Hara added 120 yards and a score. Overall, Reynolds ran for 407 yards, the most for the Raiders since a 432-yard effort against Union City in the 2018 opener. The 407 yards are the most by a county team this season.

Toy has taken over as the county’s leading rusher with 497 yards this year while O’Hara ranks sixth with 308 yards. Quarterback Bryce McCloskey leads the county in completion percentage (73.0), yards per attempt (12.4) and passer rating (212.6). Senior wide receiver Marketis Stevens has 226 receiving yards and four touchdowns on six catches this season.

While McCloskey is in his first season as a regular, Maplewood senior J.D. McFadden is midway through his fourth season as the Tigers’ quarterback. McFadden has 4,530 career passing yards and is Crawford County’s all-time leading passer. He has also thrown 48 touchdown passes in his career.

This season, McFadden is 29 of 52 for 634 yards and eight touchdowns. He has rushed for 271 yards and four scores while averaging 9.0 yards per carry. McFadden ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-12 Week Three win at West Middlesex. Last week, McFadden completed 9 of 14 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in Maplewood’s 41-0 win over Cambridge Springs.

Junior Kaleb Donor leads Maplewood with 497 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He averages 14.2 yards per attempt. Sophomore Sam Wright has added 138 rushing yards this season. Sophomore Jesse McFadden, newcomer Clay Cox and senior Levi Butryn comprise a deep receiving corps for Maplewood. Jesse McFadden leads Maplewood with 10 catches for 224 yards. Cox has nine receptions for 196 yards and two scores while three of Butryn’s five receptions have gone for touchdowns.

While each team’s offense has generated headlines, both Reynolds and Maplewood have produced stout defenses as well this season. Reynolds has allowed only 40 points while Maplewood has three shutouts. The Tigers held Cambridge Springs to 35 total yards and one first down last week.

Maplewood rallied for a 27-18 victory at Reynolds in the regular season last season. Reynolds led 18-14 before a lightning delay halted the game. Maplewood then rallied for the win after the stoppage. Reynolds outgained Maplewood, 386-209, but the Raiders committed three turnovers and allowed Jesse McFadden to return a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown. O’Hara completed 6 of 9 passes for Reynolds.

In the playoff meeting at Meadville’s Bender Field, Reynolds amassed 395 rushing yards as a team. Jordan DeCarmen ran for 147 yards and a touchdown while O’Hara had 54 rushing yards and a score. Reynolds held a 416-23 edge in total offense. Maplewood lost J.D. McFadden to an early ankle injury and never recovered. That game featured 19 total penalties and four disqualifications.

Reynolds aims for its first 5-0 start since 2005. Maplewood last started 5-0 in 2008.

The game can be heard on 790 WPIC. Live stats available here.

Hickory at Greenville, 7:00 p.m.

A pair of 3-1 teams meet Friday night when Greenville hosts Hickory in non-conference play. It is the 68th all-time meeting in a series that dates back to 1946, the second season of Hickory’s modern era of football. Greenville leads the all-time series, 44-21-2, although Hickory has won 10 of 18 meetings since the series resumed in 2002.

Greenville opened Region 4 Class 2A action last Friday by rallying from a 12-0 halftime deficit for a 20-12 home win over Sharpsville. Class 3A Hickory dropped to 1-1 in Region 5 play with a 38-12 loss at Conneaut, Pa.

Touchdown runs by quarterback Jon King and Levi Swartz helped Greenville take a 13-12 lead. Isaac Sasala’s 24-yard interception return for a touchdown with 39 seconds left sealed the victory. King led Greenville with 70 rushing yards while Sasala added 68 yards. Defensively, Greenville held Sharpsville to 145 total yards.

Swartz leads Greenville with 268 rushing yards and Sasala has gained 258 yards. Kaleb Achuff (175) and King (125) have helped Greenville produce the area’s second-ranked rushing attack. The Trojans average 246.5 yards per game. The Trojans have also committed only three turnovers this year and have a county-best plus-8 turnover margin this season.

Greenville will be without leading receiver Blair Paxton due to a season-ending knee injury. A senior, Paxton has 11 receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

Hickory finished last week’s game plus-2 in turnover margin at Conneaut but the Hornets managed only a season-low 150 offensive yards. Conneaut limited quarterback Michael Henwood to 60 passing yards on 6-of-23 accuracy. Kam Fisher led Hickory with 43 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight attempts.

Henwood still ranks seventh in the area with 307 rushing yards. He also has 371 passing yards and is the only county quarterback to be over the 300-yard mark in both categories.

Each of Hickory’s four opponents this season have finished with more first downs than the Hornets. The Hickory defense has been on the field for a county-high 263 plays this season. Hickory holds teams to an average of 4.8 yards per play, the fifth-lowest average locally.

Hickory outscored visiting Greenville 28-6 in the second half last year to earn a 35-13 win in Hermitage. Henwood made his first start at quarterback after moving from wide receiver. He completed 7 of 12 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 69 yards. Hunter Stoots added 49 yards and a touchdown.

Greenville and Hickory met every year from 1946 to 1985. Greenville won 12 straight games against the Hornets from 1964 to 1975. Hickory earned a 12-0 win in 1976, but Greenville strung together nine more consecutive wins, starting in 1977. Current Greenville head coach Brian Herrick quarterbacked the Trojans to the wins over Hickory in 1981 and 1982. The 1982 game marked the first non-league game between the programs as Hickory began play in the Keystone Football League that fall.

The teams did not play in 1986 or 1987. In 1988, Hickory rallied for a 22-20 win over Greenville as Andre Coleman scored on a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Dan Beahm accounted for all three Greenville touchdowns that night. The teams played from 1988 to 1993 and again in 1996 and 1997.

Two of Hickory’s wins came in District 10 title games against Greenville. In 1991, Hickory earned a 21-20 victory in the Class AA title game, avenging a 32-7 defeat in the regular season. Five years ago, Greenville secured a 13-10 win in the regular season over Hickory but the Hornets claimed a 12-7 win in the D-10 “AA” championship game.

Hickory’s longest win streak in the series is three games. The Hornets accomplished that feat in 1946-48, 2003-05, 2010-12 and 2014-16. The two ties occurred in 1953 (6-6) and 1959 (27-27).

West Middlesex at Cochranton, 7:00 p.m.

Coming off back-to-back losses to Class 1A powers Maplewood and Farrell, injury-riddled West Middlesex (2-2) visits Cochranton (0-4) in non-region action Friday night. Both teams look to bounce back from road defeats in league play last week. West Middlesex fell at Farrell, 33-0, in a lightning-shortened game while Cochranton dropped a 43-6 verdict at Union City.

Injuries have thinned an already-small West Middlesex roster. The Big Reds played without fullback/defensive end Zeb Rubaker, safety Connor Haddon and nose tackle Chris Morton against Farrell, then lost quarterback Ty Tate and tackle Noah Weiser during the game. The injuries forced guard Chase Tomko to switch from No. 59 to No. 28 and play quarterback in the second half.

Despite the injuries, West Middlesex trailed only 7-0 until the final scrimmage play of the first half, when Farrell quarterback Ray Raver scored on a 16-yard scramble. West Middlesex forced three turnovers and also stopped the Steelers twice on downs inside the red zone. However, West Middlesex also turned over the ball three times and finished the game 0 for 7 on third down.

Rubaker (228 yards), wingback Jason Davis (217) and Ian Smith (209) provide a balanced backfield trio in West Middlesex’s double wing offense. Tight ends Mason Blaze and George Troyer have also taken on an increased offensive role in recent weeks. Versatile Alex Rea has also been used as a wingback, wide receiver and kick returner. He averages 7.0 yards per carry and also has an 85-yard kickoff return at Lakeview on his ledger.

Former West Middlesex offensive coordinator Joel Murray is in his third season as Cochranton head coach. The youthful Cardinals opened the season with a 14-12 setback at Mercer, then fell to Crawford County cohorts Maplewood (41-0) and Titusville (21-0) in subsequent weeks.

Junior Jon Gallo has taken over as Cochranton’s starting quarterback. He completed 7 of 15 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown last week at Union City. Gallo has thrown for 205 yards this year and also leads Cochranton with 185 rushing yards. Tight end Kendrick Hostetler leads the squad with eight catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns.

West Middlesex earned two wins over Cochranton last year, a 33-0 regular season home win and a 48-20 triumph in the District 10 Class 1A quarterfinals. Rubaker ran for one touchdown and also caught a touchdown pass in the 33-0 Week Five win. Davis added 42 rushing yards and a score. Rubaker repeated the feat in the playoff victory, catching a touchdown and running for a score as the Big Reds pulled away in the postseason.

This decade, West Middlesex has earned playoff wins over Cochranton in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The Big Reds claimed league wins over Cochranton in 2004 (43-6), 2005 (18-0) and 2006 (49-6). In 2003, West Middlesex defeated Cochranton for the District 10 Class A title, 7-6, in double overtime.

Seneca at Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

One lengthy streak is guaranteed to end Friday night when Lakeview welcomes Wattsburg-based Seneca to Stoneboro for the 2019 Homecoming game. Seneca carries a 14-game slide into Friday night’s game while Lakeview aims for its first home win since Dan York’s finale as head coach, a 31-12 win November 6, 2015 over Grove City. Since then, the Sailors have dropped 16 consecutive home games.

It’s the second straight home game for Lakeview, which dropped a 42-0 decision to visiting Wilmington last week. Running back Domanic Leonard caught three passes for 23 yards while running back Anthony Bonanni added a season-high 26 rushing yards.

Leonard and Dylan Kerr each lead Lakeview with four receptions this season. Quarterback Gavin Murdock leads Lakeview with 107 rushing yards and has also thrown for 97 yards.

Seneca fell to visiting Northwestern in Region 3 Class 2A play last week, 49-0. Quarterback Zander Pring led the Bobcats with 86 rushing yards. He leads Seneca with 155 rushing yards while Ronnie Keith has 106 yards and two scores. Issac Passamonte is Seneca’s top target, having caught five passes for 113 yards.

Seneca fell to Sharpsville in Week Three, 48-12. The Bobcats host Greenville in two weeks. Scott Bollheimer is in his second season as Seneca head coach.

Lakeview pulled out a 23-18 win at Seneca last season, snapping a 22-game skid.

Mercer at Union City, 7:00 p.m.

Mercer makes its first trip to Union City in exactly 28 years when the Mustangs meet the Bears in a battle of 2-2 teams Friday night. The Mustangs hope that history repeats itself as Mercer’s last trip to Union City resulted in a 25-0 win September 20, 1991.

Mercer’s first road trip of the 2019 season ended with a 40-13 setback at undefeated Reynolds in the Region 1 Class 1A opener for both squads. Sophomore quarterback Ethan Wiley threw for a season-high 134 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs, who finished with 259 offensive yards. Halfback Logan Turton caught a season-high four passes for 74 yards and a score while fullback P.J. Boggs also caught a touchdown pass.

Boggs led Mercer with 79 rushing yards on a season-high 16 carries last week. Boggs ranks second on the team with 199 rushing yards while junior halfback Aidan Bright leads the team with 226 rushing yards. Bright also leads Mercer with eight receptions for 149 yards. He leads county backs in receiving yards and he is third overall in yards per catch (18.6).

Thanks to a county-low one turnover this year, Mercer ranks second locally with a plus-7 turnover margin.

Union City extended its home winning streak to five games last week with a 43-6 win over Cochranton in Region 2 Class 1A play. Union City’s option-based offense piled up 386 rushing yards on 50 attempts. Logan Kesselring, the only returning starter in Union City’s four-man backfield, led the Bears with 132 yards on 17 carries. Fellow junior Caleb Stull added 108 yards and three touchdowns.

Union City garnered 389 rushing yards in a 42-13 Week Two win over Eisenhower. In losses to Reynolds (41-0) and Farrell (35-0), the Bears had 242 total rushing yards on 75 combined attempts.

Kesselring leads Union City with 376 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Austin Jaquith has added 246 yards and five touchdowns. Tallin Henry (191) and Stull (162) are also integral parts of the ground game.

Both teams own home wins over Cochranton and Eisenhower this year. Mercer’s wins came in Week One (Cochranton, 14-12) and Week Three (Eisenhower, 20-14). Union City’s victories came in Week Two (Eisenhower, 42-13) and Week Four (Cochranton, 43-6).

Union City earned a wild 44-33 win at Mercer last year in a game that started one hour late due to thunderstorms. Union City used a 30-point second quarter to take a 38-20 halftime lead. Both teams had special teams touchdowns. Bright returned a kickoff 69 yards for a touchdown. Union City later recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a score. Bright and Boggs both had touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.

Mercer is in a stretch of playing four road games in a five-week span. The lone home game will be next week as the Mustangs host Farrell in Region 1 play.

Farrell at Cambridge Springs, 7:00 p.m.

Surging Farrell visits Cambridge Springs (2-2) in a non-conference game between Class 1A teams. Farrell (2-2) has recorded back-to-back home shutout wins over Union City and West Middlesex while Cambridge Springs aims to reverse a two-game slide. Following wins over Girard (28-26) and Saegertown (20-6), the Blue Devils dropped a 56-7 decision to District IX foe Keystone (3-1) and a 41-0 verdict at undefeated Maplewood in Week Four.

Last week, Farrell held West Middlesex to 36 total yards and one first down in a 33-0 win. Two weeks ago, Farrell held Union City to 100 total yards as the Steelers secured a 35-0 victory. Farrell now ranks second in the county in rushing defense, holding opponents to 126.0 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry. Overall, Farrell limits opponents to 4.2 yards per play, the second-lowest total among the area’s 12 teams.

While Farrell’s defense has stiffened, the Steelers’ offense has flourished since senior quarterback Ray Raver moved into the starting lineup. Last week against West Middlesex, Raver ran for 127 yards and a touchdown while also completing 5 of 8 attempts for 73 yards and a score. Raver helped Farrell amass 337 rushing yards. Sayvion Thomas added a 74-yard touchdown run, Anthony Stallworth picked up 72 yards on a dozen carries and Jaden Harrison added 63 yards on nine attempts.

Stallworth continues to rank among the county leaders in rushing as his 366 yards rank fourth. Harrison leads the area in yards per attempt (10.8) as he has 227 yards on 21 attempts. Harrison also leads Farrell with 11 receptions.

Center Gary Satterwhite III and guards Gary Hopson, Jr., and Melvin Hobson anchor the offensive line. Senior Adrian Daniels, a converted tight end, has taken over at left tackle, while sophomore Jaiman Holden mans right tackle.

Maplewood held Cambridge Springs to 36 total yards last week. Quarterback Trenton Wheeler completed 5 of 18 passes for 30 yards. He opened the season with a 158-yard outing against Class 3A Girard, helping Spa to a 28-26 overtime win. Wheeler scored on a 10-yard touchdown in the extra period and then threw a two-point conversion to Jaden Grubbs. The Cambridge Springs defense then stopped Girard’s two-point attempt.

Cambridge Springs head coach Justin Grubbs (26-23) is in his fifth season. He is a Saegertown native who played collegiately at Grove City College. Grubbs started at nose tackle on the Wolverines’ 1997 Presidents’ Athletic Conference title team.

Farrell rolled to a 63-0 home win over Cambridge Springs last season. Farrell swept both meetings with Cambridge Springs in 2017. The Steelers won the D-10 title game, 52-27, after charging to a 46-7 halftime lead. In the regular season, Farrell pulled out a 20-13 victory.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Sharon at Sharpsville, 7:00 p.m.

For 120 years, Sharon and Sharpsville have met in high school football. Saturday night, the 70th renewal of the rivalry will take place at Sharpsville’s McCracken Field. Both teams enter the game with 2-2 records.

Saturday night’s game features two of the area’s top defenses. Sharon has recorded consecutive shutouts while Sharpsville has allowed only 46 points all season. Sharpsville has allowed opponents to complete only 9 of 30 (30 percent) passes this season. The Blue Devils allow only 33.5 passing yards per game. Overall, Sharpsville ranks second in the area with by allowing 160.2 yards per game.

That unit will be tested by Sharon’s top-ranked passing attack, which leads the county in passing yards (727), completions (52), attempts (110) and touchdown passes (9). Last week, senior quarterback Lane Voytik became the county’s all-time leading passer in Sharon’s 14-0 win over Slippery Rock. Voytik threw for 192 yards on 12-of-22 accuracy. He now has 6,243 career yards, moving him ahead of Mercer’s Logan Clarke (6,159).

Senior wide receiver Ty Eilam caught six passes for 155 yards and a touchdown while senior running back Brady Ortiz ran for 103 yards on 14 carries. The Sharon defense allowed 307 yards but did not allow a point to Slippery Rock.

Eilam leads Mercer County with 18 receptions, 329 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Ortiz leads Sharon with 238 rushing yards while first-year junior kicker Jake Auchter is 13 for 13 on extra points.

Sharpsville owned a 12-0 halftime lead last week at Greenville before falling, 20-12, in the Region 4 Class 2A opener. Chris Roth led Sharpsville with 77 rushing yards and a touchdown while freshman quarterback Garen Levis scored on a sneak. Levis started in place of the sidelined Danny Henwood last week.

Roth leads Sharpsville with 49 carries this year. He is third on the team in rushing yardage with 183 yards, trailing the injured Chayse Stevens-Luchey (217) and Tristan Besser (190). Roth’s 29 carries last week are the most for a Sharpsville back since Bobby Besser carried the ball 32 times for 304 yards against Sharon three years ago.

The last two meetings have been decided in the closing moments. Last season, Sharpsville kicker Michael Herman drilled a 24-yard field goal with nine seconds left to give the Blue Devils a 23-21 win at Sharon. Two years ago, also at Sharon, the Tigers stopped Sharpsville on a two-point conversion to preserve a 21-20 victory.

Sharpsville has won the previous six of the previous seven meetings with Sharon (2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018).  Sharpsville won the last meeting at McCracken Field, 42-35, October 22, 2016. That game also took place on a Saturday night due to flooding during the week that prevented the field from being playable on Friday night.

Sharon won all nine meetings during the 1980s (1981-1989). The teams met as Keystone Football League foes from 1982 to 1988. In 1989, Sharon won a Mercer County Athletic Conference inter-divisional matchup with Sharpsville, 59-0. Sharon also defeated Sharpsville, 42-13, in 1992 and then again in 1993, 54-20.

According to Bob Greenburg, the Sharon-Sharpsville series dates back to 1899. Sharon leads the all-time series 51-16-2.

The game will be heard on Sports Radio 96.7.

Conneaut, Ohio, at Wilmington, 7:00 p.m.

Winners of 16 straight home games, Wilmington (4-0) hosts 3-0 Conneaut, Ohio, in a non-conference matchup between Class 2A squads.

Wilmington improved to 4-0 with a 42-0 win at Lakeview in the Greyhounds’ Class 2A region opener. Starting running backs Ethan Susen, Darren Miller and Luke Edwards all ran for touchdowns in the win. Susen led the way with 84 rushing yards. He leads the county with nine touchdowns and 54 total points.

Quarterback Caelan Bender completed 8 of 15 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Senior split end Junior McConahy caught four balls for 32 yards and two touchdowns while Susen also caught a touchdown pass.

Defensively, Wilmington recorded its 13th shutout in the last four seasons. The “Hounds Hammer” defense held Lakeview to 100 yards. Wilmington leads the area in rushing defense (46.2) and total defense (129.5). Wilmington also holds opponents to 3.0 yards per play.

Susen ranks third in the county with 399 rushing yards while Miller is ninth at 296 yards. Bender’s 195.4 passer rating ranks second, as does his 10.2 yards-per-attempt average. McConahy is tied for second in the county with a dozen receptions.

Conneaut has outscored the opposition 167-13 this season while averaging 456.3 yards per game. Last week, Conneaut rolled past Iroquois, 62-6. Quarterback Rylan Davison threw for 128 yards on 6-of-9 passing and also ran for 90 yards. Seth Fedor led Conneaut with 103 rushing yards.

Davison leads Conneaut with 378 rushing yards while Fedor has 298 yards. Both players have rushed for six touchdowns. Davison has completed 14 of 25 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns.

Wilmington stormed past Conneaut, 55-14, in last year’s meeting. That marked Wilmington’s first trip to Ohio since 2011.

Currently, Conneaut is seventh in OHSAA Region 17 (Division V). The top eight teams will advance to the Ohio playoffs. A win over Wilmington would significantly boost Conneaut’s playoff odds.

Conneaut is 3-0 for the first time since 1985. That year, the Spartans went 10-0 and made their only playoff appearance, losing to Youngstown’s Cardinal Mooney, 45-0. The 1983 team also went 10-0 but finished third in its region. Only the top two teams qualified for the statewide eight-team tournament.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
GoRout
 
Rainbow Lettering
 
Turf Tank
 
x