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Clairton Dominates Leechburg 44-7

Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 12, 2024

Leechburg – Clairton built a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back as the Bears routed Leechburg 44-7 Friday night.

In a matchup of 7-0 teams, Clairton dominated from start to finish and proved no doubt about who is the top dog in the WPIAL Eastern Conference.

“This was a big game, and we approached it that way,” said Clairton head coach Wayne Wade. “Our defense is the staple of our team this year. We’re flying around and having fun. My hats off to the defense tonight.”

Clairton set the tone on the opening possession of the game. Leechburg connected on a 36-yard completion from Jayden Floyd to Lucas Gamble for a 36-yard gain.

One play later, Brice Gilmer caught a pass and was immediately struck by Donte’ Wright, who forced a fumble and allowed Deon Pomphey to pick the ball out of the air and race 60 yards for a touchdown.

“That gave us momentum,” Wayne said. “We thought coming in that we’re really going to play hard, physically, and come at us. “They’re 7-0. Making those big plays and taking that steam out of them was big for us. Then, when we turn around on offense with so many weapons, if you play the pass, we’ll run the ball; if you load the box, we’ll put the ball in the air. Have fun guarding these guys 1-on-1 in space.”

Wright scored on a 38-yard run on the Bears’ opening possession, capping a 5-play 50-yard drive giving Clairton a 12-0 lead after a quarter.

The Bears’ defense then took over after Leechburg drove into the red zone as Drahcir Jones intercepted Floyd at their 16-yard line.

Jones, who rushed for a game-high 139 yards on 15 carries, then finished an 84-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown run down the far sideline showcasing incredible balance.

“This one means a lot,” Jones said. “During the week, we heard a lot of stuff. We came out and proved them wrong. We’re used to being the underdogs our entire life, so this feels great. I came in with a chip on my shoulder. They said none of our running backs would rush for over 100 yards. So all week, I had that chip on my shoulder.”

Jaece Booker then made one of his two interceptions, and Clairton had the ball back at the Blue Devils’ 11-yard line, where they quickly cashed in on Michael Ruffin’s 16-yard run.

Clairton held Leechburg quarterback Jayden Floyd in check as Floyd had entered the game with 1006 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging over 14 yards per carry. He managed only a single yard on 12 attempts and completed 11-of-20 passes for 90 yards with three interceptions.

No time was wasted to invoke the mercy clock as Donte’ Wright ran the second-half kickoff back 76 yards, and with the subsequent 2-point conversion, Clariton led 36-0, 13 seconds into the third quarter.

“We said at halftime that these guys are undefeated, and we’re on the road,” said Wayne. “They’re going to come out and fight, which they did. To get that to start, the second half showed that we also wanted to fight. They turned around and were still fighting, so hats off to them driving, scoring, and keeping the ball for almost an entire quarter. They showed that they were going to be a playoff-caliber team.

The Bears’ six-game shutout streak ended in the fourth quarter. Leechburg went on a 15-play 61-yard drive, during which tailback Tim Andrasy scored on a 4-yard run.

Clairton had not given up an offensive touchdown all season, though Wade saw it as an opportunity for his team to improve and stay focused.

“We prepared the kids for that,” Wayne said. “I don’t think not giving up a touchdown has ever been accomplished. It was a goal of ours once it started happening. It was almost like the streak. We’re at 20 and 30 games, but we’re not thinking about it anymore. It’s just about keeping playing and seeing how far we can go. To give it up, I think it let the kids down a little bit. But now I hope they’re even hungrier.”

Drahcir Jones then put the finishing touches on the contest with a 41-yard run in the final minute.

The Bear will look to wrap up an undefeated season in the coming weeks, starting with Riverview next Friday night.

Game Highlights:

Clairton 44 Leechburg 7

Score by Quarters

Clairton – 12 16 8 8 – 44

Leechburg – 0 0 0 7 – 7

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C – Deon Pomphey 60 yd fumble return, (rush failed), 9:37

C – Donte’ Wright 38 yd run, (rush failed), 5:39 – 5-50

Second Quarter

C – Drahcir Jones 36 yd run, (Zaemear Correll rush), 8:16 – 8-84

C – Michael Ruffin 16 yd run, (Correll from Ruffin), 6:08 – 3-11

Third Quarter

C – Wright 76 yd kickoff return, (Correll rush), 11:47

Fourth Quarter

L – Tim Andrasy 4 yd run, (Mason Scitticatt pat), 11:11 – 15-61

C – Jones 41 yd run, (Ruffin rush), 0:29 – 1-41

Individual Stats

Rushing: C – Jones 15-139, Wright 2-35, Ruffin 2-14, Jeff Thompson 4-0, Pomphey 1-4. Totals: 24-192. L – Jayden Floyd 12-1, Timmy Andrasy 8-31, Cummings 1-(-1). L –  21-31.

Receiving: C – Taris Wooding 1-6, Wright 1-(-2), Ruffin 1-17, Zaemear Correll 1-20. L – Lucas Gamble 1-36, Jake Cummings 5-21, Andrasy 1-(-1), Brady Rollinger 3-33, Brice Gilmer 1-1.

Passing: C – Thompson 4-for-7, 41 yards. L – Floyd 11-for-20, 90 yards, 3 INT.

Interceptions: C – Jones, Jaece Booker (2).

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