Kiski School Defense Dominates Blair Academy

Tagged under: Gameday Hub, News, Non-PIAA

Billy Splain | October 12, 2025

Written by Jeremy Walker

The Kiski School Cougars returned home to Saltsburg, PA after three consecutive prep road victories in Eastern PA and New Jersey. The 4-2 Cougars hosted another tough prep rival in the Blair Academy Bucs, who came into Saturday’s matchup at 1-3. The Cougars had taken last year’s contest in Blairstown, NJ, 17-14 to capture Kiski’s first ever win against Blair.

Kiski’s relentless defense would again be the lead story of the day. Kiski intercepted Blair’s offense on its first two possessions. The first pick, by Elijah White (New York, NY) set Kiski up in Blair territory. Kiski would drive 28 yards, and kicker Lewin Tauberschmidt (Rosengarten, Germany) would convert a 35-yard FG to put the Cougars up 3-0. Kiski would find itself in trouble the next drive after a botched punt snap resulted in Blair possession at the Kiski 26 yard line. However, LB Maxamillion McMillan (Morris Plains, NJ) would thwart Blair again at the Kiski 29 with an interception. The teams would continue to exchange possessions until Blair, with 0:04 left in the half, would miss a 35-yard FG attempt, sending the teams to the locker rooms at a 3-0 Kiski halftime advantage.

The teams would exchange possessions to start the 3rd quarter. Kiski would stop Blair cold in its own territory with a Herculean effort by Sr DT Jeremy Bjick (Dresden, Germany), who collected two huge QB sacks within 3 plays, each for a 7-yard loss, to force a Blair punt. RB Adrian Valdez (New Kensington, PA) would give Kiski’s offense a spark, ripping off two 16 yard runs on the next possession. QB Mac Armstrong (Angola, IN) would also complete a 27-yard pass to Elan McCrorey (Plainsboro, NJ) to drive Kiski to the Blair 2 yard line. Kiski would fake a handoff to Valdez, and Armstrong would dash untouched into the end zone for a TD. Blair would block the PAT attempt, leaving the score 9-0, Kiski.

Sacks by McMillan, and DL Ryan Chambers (Vandergrift, PA) and Emanuel Safikhany (Oostend, Belgium) would thwart Blair’s next drive. Kiski would execute a long TD drive on the next possession, with Valdez carrying the ball and WR Sergio DuBois (Mexico City, Mex) making two crucial first-down catches. Levi Porter (Indiana, PA) would find the end zone on a 5-yard run up the middle, and Tauberschmidt’s PAT would push Kiski’s lead to 16-0.

Blair would manage to engineer a scoring drive with under 4 minutes to play. QB Max Bowers would hit WR Jack Seeger for a 10-yard TD pass to break the Kiski shutout. Blair would also tack on a 2-point conversion pass from Bowers to RB Andrew Pearce to cut the Kiski lead to 16-8. Blair’s onside kick attempt would not travel 10 yards, leaving Kiski to take possession and run out the clock for its second consecutive triumph over Blair Academy.

Kiski’s defensive front, consisting of DE Hunter Richardson (Allison Park, PA), Bjick, Chambers, Safikhany-I and sophomore DT Julius Aue (Neuendorf, Germany) racked up 7

QB sacks, ten QB pressures, and 10 TFLs on the afternoon. Kiski’s offense would run for 166 yards (76 by Valdez) and Armstrong would pass for an additional 76 yards.

Kiski ran its record to 5-2, while Blair falls to 1-4. Kiski will have a bye week before traveling to St. George, VA to play the Blue Ridge School. Blair will return home next weekend to host Wyoming Seminary College Prep in Blairstown, NJ.

Box Score:

1st Quarter:

(K) L. Tauberschmidt 35 yard FG, Kiski 3, Blair 0

2nd Quarter:

No scoring

3rd Quarter:

(K) M. Armstrong 2-yard TD run (PAT blocked), Kiski 9, Blair 0

4th quarter:

(K) L. Porter 5-yard TD run (Tauberschmidt PAT), Kiski 16, Blair 0

(B) A. Bowers 10-yard TD pass to J. Seeger (2-point conversion pass good), Kiski 16, Blair 8

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