Pine-Richland Rolls Plum in 43-7 Victory
Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News
Blake Fuchs | September 21, 2024
Plum-It was all Pine-Richland in the 5A Northeast Conference game against Plum, the away team tacking on 43 points to a reply of 7 from the host.
Plum’s season had not started out in a way they would’ve liked. The Mustangs went 0-3 to open the regular season, but did win their first game against conference opponent Shaler to start out 1-0 in conference. Perhaps the momentum of a win could help them against their undefeated opponent and fellow 1-0 conference record holder.
After their close win the previous week against North Hills, Pine-Richland was set to show they were one of the best in the WPIAL 5A. With one fewer game played due to a cancellation against Seneca Valley, the Rams needed a statement win to prove they had what it took to stay included in the WPIAL Elite 8 and PFN state rankings, being 4th in the former and 10th in the latter.
From the get go, it was clear the Rams had the upper hand. They would score first in between a pair of Plum punts, with Grant Argiro nailing a 25 yard field goal. Argiro would tie the state record of field goals made in a game and set a new state record of kicking points in a game with 19, going 5 of 6 for field goals and 4 for 4 on extra points, including a 46 yard make towards the end of the second quarter and a 44 yarder to open the fourth quarter. His only miss was a 54 yard attempt in the second quarter, but otherwise Argiro was perfect in the kicking game, even with Plum consistently threatening blocks.
Starting running back Maclane “Mac” Miller also returned for Pine-Richland after two weeks, taking the majority of the offensive carries. Miller notched multiple long runs as well as a 38 yard reception; his consistent ability to power through would-be tacklers displayed prominently. Miller being willing to take the majority of the runs without issues shows his return to form, and the junior will continue to be fed the rock if he can consistently stay on the field. There is a possibility of splitting reps with backup Jalen Neals, who replaced Miller in last week’s game against North Hills, but at the current moment it seems unlikely.
Quarterback Aaron “Oobi” Strader also would make some running plays of his own, choosing to keep the ball on multiple occasions. Strader was able to show off his agility on a number of plays, including a 22 yard rushing touchdown at the beginning of the second half. While the passing game was used less than the run game, Strader was able to utilize his receivers on occasion, giving Eli Wentz a 36 yard touchdown on the second drive, a 44 yard reception and 28 yard third quarter touchdown to Dajaun Webb-Higgs, a 22 yard reception to Lawrence “Jay” Timmons, and a 9 yard touchdown pass to Tanner Cunningham. Strader did have some slight inaccuracies on a couple passes as well as losing the football on one occasion, but it was still a solid game from the sophomore.
To say Plum struggled in this game would be an understatement. The Mustangs did not cross midfield on an offensive drive until the fourth quarter. This includes a second quarter drive that began on the Plum 46, and would end three yards behind this spot that led to a punt. Quarterback John Nonnenberg showed flashes of his running and passing potential, but he, along with his running back Nicholas Odom, were not able to couple anything together. A solid drive in the dying moments of the fourth quarter ending in a 15 yard receiving touchdown by Antonio Hanzlik saved them from a shutout, but there was little else to find in optimism for Plum.
While Pine-Richland was able to deal with Plum easily, they struggled at times to deal with themselves. 18 penalties throughout the game accumulated for 105 yards lost, the most consistent being false starts. This led to the Rams consistently having to settle for field goals, the right foot of Argiro salvaging the stalled-out drives inside or around the 25. If they are able to fix this issue going forward, Pine-Richland will be in a good spot going forward.
With the loss, Plum drops to fourth in the 5A Northeast Conference standings at a 1-1 conference record and 1-3 overall. Their future schedule consists of only 5A schools, but this includes only one home game against Fox Chapel. There is still a possibility of sneaking into a wild card playoff spot if they win out, but at this current moment those chances seem unlikely.
Pine-Richland cemented their spot as a playoff contender with their win. Now sitting atop the 5A Northeast Conference themselves with a conference record of 2-0 and an overall record of 4-0, the Rams look poised to take on their future opponents, with four of the next five being home games. They take on fellow Northeast Conference members Fox Chapel and Aliquippa upsetters Penn Hills, so there is a high chance they take a top playoff seed with wins against both these teams.
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