Kiski School Caps Season With Dramatic Homecoming Victory Over Linsly

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PFN Staff | November 2, 2025

The Kiski School Cougars hosted old rival The Linsly School (Wheeling, WV) on Saturday, November 1st in Saltsburg, PA for their Homecoming and Final game of the 2025 season. The Cougars defeated Linsly 21-17 in a dramatic, come from behind victory.

Kiski had taken the 2024 contest in Wheeling, which was a wild, back-and-forth affair that resulted in Kiski winning on a 6-yard TD rush by the QB on the final play. This 2025 contest was no less dramatic and was marked by big catches and physical play.

Kiski took the opening kickoff and drove from its own 30 yardline to the Linsly 16 using its stable of running backs: Levi Porter (Indiana, PA), Max McMillan (Morris Plains, NJ), and Adrian Valdez (New Kensington, PA). Facing 3rd and 9, QB Mac Armstrong (Angola, IN) hit WR Elan McCrorey over the middle for a 16-yard TD strike.  The PAT conversion would hit the upright, making the score Kiski 6, Linsly 0.

The teams exchanged possessions into the second quarter, each having to punt into the second quarter. Linsly crossed midfield early in the second quarter, and QB Braden Wade, facing 3rd and 5 on Kiski’s 47, faked a handoff and hit receiver Luca Troullosfor a short pass; Troullos would outrun Kiski defenders to the end zone for the score. Kicker Joaquin Avila would convert the PAT to give Linsly a 7-6 lead.

The teams would continue to trade possessions until 3:00 in the half. Lewin Tauberschmidt (Rosengarten, Germany) would intercept a pass to thwart a Linsly drive into Kiski territory. Kiski WR Sergio ‘Checo’ DuBois (Mexico City, Mexico) would make a clutch 23 yard reception on 3rd and 12 to get Kiski away from its own end zone. Linsly would intercept the next pass at the Kiski 42, returning it to the Kiski 26 with 1:10 to play in the first half. Linsly handed off at the Kiski 3 yard line, but McMillan stripped the ball from Linlsy RB Malaki Washington at the 1 yard line. Elijah White (New York, NY) recovered the fumble in the end zone, and Kiski knelt on the ball at the 20 for the last play of the first half.  The stop and turnover were critical for Kiski to stop Linsly’s momentum.

Linsly would take the opening drive of the second half to Kiski’s 15 yard line, where QB Wade would again connect with Troullos for a TD reception. Another Avila PAT increased Linsly’s lead to 14-6.

The Cadets would fumble a punt catch late in the 3rd quarter, setting Kiski up with the ball at the Linsly 41 yard line with 2:29 to play in the 3rd. Armstrong would scramble on a 4th and 12 play and find WR Noa Seyi Onobiono (Montreuil Sous Bois, France) for a huge 43-yard TD strike. Kiski would go for two and convert when Armstrong hit McCrorey from 2 yards out, evening the score 14-14.

One the first play of the ensuing drive, Linsly would hand off to Troullos at their own 15, and he would bolt to the Kiski 15, dragged down by pursuing defender McCrorey on a TD saving tackle. Kiski would hold Linsly to a FG attempt at the beginning of the 4th quarter. K Avila converted a 30-yard FG to give Linsly a 17-14 lead.

The Cougars would take possession with 7 minutes to play and move the ball into Linsly territory on several strong runs by Porter and clutch catches by DuBois and Seyi. DuBois would come up big again as he caught a 23 yard pass from Armstrong across the middle on 3rd and 16 to set Kiski up with first and goal at the Linsly 10 with 1:50 to play. Armstrong would hit Seyi on a low pass for an 8-yard TD, Seyi’s second of the game. Tauberschmidt would tack on the critical PAT to push the Kiski lead to 21-17 with 1:13 to play.

The ensuing kickoff would unfortunately be shanked off of a Linsly defender, giving the Cadets the ball at their own 42 yardline with 1:10 to play. Linsly would drive the ball to the Kiski 5 yard line with 1 second to play. McCrorey and safety ResendoHoldrege (Weehawken,NJ) would knock down the final pass attempt, giving the Cougars a dramatic Homecoming victory.

Armstrong would finish with a season-high 3 TD passes. Kiski finished the year with a 7-2 record, their best season mark since 2017 and second consecutive winning campaign. Linsly dropped to 2-6 on the year and closes their season against Huntington (WV) High School next weekend.

Box Score:

1st Quarter:

(K) Armstrong 16-yard TD pass to E. McCrorey (PAT missed), Kiski 6, Linsly 0

2nd Quarter:

(L) Wade 47 yard TD pass to Troullos (PAT Avila), Linsly 7, Kiski 6

3rd Quarter:

(L) Wade 15 yard TD pass to Troullos (PAT Avila), Linsly 14, Kiski 6

(K) Armstrong 43 yard TD pass to Seyi Onobiono (2 pointconversion Armstrong to McCrorey), Kiski 14, Linsly 14

4th Quarter:

(L) Avila 30 yard FG  Linsly 17, Kiski 14

(K) Armstrong 8-yard TD pass to Seyi Onobiono (Tauberschmidt PAT) Kiski 21, Linsly 17

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