Pine-Richland Shakes Off Penn Hills Scare, Clinches WPIAL Playoff Spot
Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News
Blake Fuchs | October 5, 2024
A game of momentum led to an exciting offensive battle, but in the end the home team Pine-Richland was able to maintain their unbeaten streak on the year, defeating conference foe Penn Hills 31-21.
The relationship between these two football teams was, and still is, an interesting one. For starters, Pine-Richland’s starting quarterback Aaron “Oobi” Strader is a Penn Hills transfer, the sophomore playing with the Rams for his entire high school career. However, the more impactful person that connects these two teams is current Pine-Richland head coach Jon LeDonne, who was Penn Hill’s head coach from 2016-2021, posting a 46-14 record and bagging a WPIAL and state championship in 2018. PR’s last 5A regular season home and away losses are both to the Indians, with the away loss on September 9, 2022 and the home loss the following year on September 8, 2022, both 1-score shootouts. Penn Hills was also eliminated by Pine-Richland the year prior in the WPIAL playoff semifinals in a thrilling game, so there was going to be some intensity between the two opponents in a bid to possibly secure the top 5A Northeast Conference spot.
Penn Hills’ season up to the game had been an interesting one. Going 0-3 to start the season with losses to Susquehanna Township, Woodland Hills, and North Allegheny, the Indians had bounced back to .500 with blowout wins against conference opponents Fox Chapel and Shaler. They also won against top 4A team Aliquippa, who was without Penn State commit running back Tiqwai Hayes. Being 2-0 in the Northeast Conference meant they were second behind Pine-Richland and a win would propel them to the top spot, possibly earning them a first round bye in the WPIAL playoffs.
Pine-Richland’s most recent games had been fairly easy for them. The previous week they destroyed Fox Chapel 71-0, and the week before had beaten Plum 43-7. Along with their win the week before the two blowouts they had defeated North Hills in a close 29-24 victory, meaning they were 3-0 in the 5A Northeast conference. This would be a game the Rams needed to win, not only to get their first win against Penn Hills since 2021, but also to cement themselves as a playoff contender.
To begin play, Pine-Richland had full control. Jumping out to a 21-0 lead by the beginning of the second quarter, establishing the run game with running back Mac Miller. He would score the Rams’ first two touchdowns and run the predominant amount of plays during the game. Miller would occasionally split reps with Jalen Neals, but for the most part he would be the one taking handoffs from Strader. The third touchdown would come from receiver Lawrence “Jay” Timmons, who had a 21 yard catch for six after a gutsy fake punt that set up the Rams inside Penn Hills territory.
Penn Hills would have three 3 and outs to start their game, but would resurge towards the end of the first half, scoring a touchdown due to a fumble occurring when Strader looked to hand the ball off to Miller. That gave the Indians the ball at the Rams 9 yard line where Naytel Mitchell would punch it in for six. This would continue into the third quarter, with replacement quarterback Devin Harris stepping up after starter Jaymere Ellis was knocked out in the second quarter, utilizing the passing attack to advance down the field and get into the end zone twice more to even the score at 21 apiece.
However, luck would shift back in the Rams’ direction after a crucial interception from Lawrence “Jay” Timmons, who was the predominant target for Strader and had multiple big plays on both sides of the ball. This included his first quarter touchdown, an end around run that set up the first touchdown, the interception, as well as a nice 44 yard reception in the third quarter. The Rams had to settle for a Grant Argiro field goal to go up three points, but would get a stop on defense that led to an excellent run from Strader, who knifed through the secondary with his legs to seal the win, extending the lead to 10 point where would it stay at for the rest of the game.
Penn Hills drops to under .500 with the loss, but still shows they have promise. The duo of Harris and Mitchell was effective once they got going, being able to establish a run presence but still having the ability to throw when willing. Harris was not perfect in the passing game, but he was able to connect with receivers on multiple occasions for decent gains, with Harris also taking it himself on occasion. They now are third in the 5A Northeast Conference with an overall record of 3-4, but with a conference record of 2-1 they will more likely than not make it into the WPIAL playoffs as the third representative of the Northeast Conference. They play 6A team Mount Lebanon then conference opponents North Hills and Plum, so they still have a chance to show some extra promise after the recent resurgence.
Pine-Richland certainly put on a show, letting off the gas in the middle of the game but getting back to form after the Timmons interception. They now clinch the top spot in the 5A Northeast Conference, sitting at a conference record of 4-0 and a 6-0 overall record. This more than guarantees a first round bye in the WPIAL playoffs, and gets them a home game in the quarterfinal round. Coordination between Strader and Miller had a couple hiccups with fumbles, but it was nothing too detrimental that can’t be fixed. The receiving core had a smaller role, but players like Timmons, Tanner Cunningham, and Jalen Neals were able to play well in pass coverage on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams play their third consecutive home game against 5A opponent Greater Latrobe, then conclude the year against their 6A rival North Allegheny, followed by a final home game against Shaler. The team proved their worth with this victory, and if they are able to finish out the season strong they may be a threat in the WPIAL playoffs.
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
