Rockets, Maples, Raiders miss out on postseason
Jefferson-Morgan running back Colten Davidson (27) runs interference for quarterback D.L. Garrett (18) against Fort Cherry during Friday night's game at Parker Field in Jefferson. In the background for the Rockerts are Tyler Wilson (78), Julian Sisler (54), Kolin Walker (31) and Michael Ludrosky (66).
Jefferson-Morgan's Josh Clites (12), D.L. Garrett (18) and Justin Maddich (29) combine to sack Fort Cherry quarterback Ryhan Culberson (3) during Friday night's game at Parker Field in Jefferson.
Four of the five Greene County teams suffered losses in the final week of the 2017 high school football regular season last Friday, but two teams will be advancing to the playoffs tonight.
Carmichaels (7-2, 6-1) finished second in the Tri-County South Conference behind California and the Mikes will host a postseason game tonight at Coaches Field.
West Greene (7-3, 4-3) ended the regular season fourth in the TCS and will start playoff action tonight on the road.
Jefferson-Morgan (3-7, 2-5), Mapletown (2-8, 1-6) and Waynesburg Central (1-8, 1-6), saw their seasons end.
Carmichaels was the lone county team to bring home a victory in Week Nine, as the Mikes wrestled away a 36-0 triumph over non-conference foe Bishop Canevin last Saturday.
Senior Jacob Lowry had a pair of scoring runs (9, 20) in the first half, while senior Brennen Pelzer added two more touchdown rushes (8, 26) in the final 24 minutes of play.
Senior Nick Mundell ended the scoring with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone in the fourth quarter. The Carmichaels defense posted its first shutout of the 2017 campaign.
Waynesburg ended its roller-coaster season with a 55-21 defeat against non-conference foe South Side Beaver on the road.
Freshman Nate Stephenson opened up the scoring for the Raiders in the first quarter with a 36-yard touchdown run, but SSB responded with the next 19 points.
Waynesburg trimmed the deficit to 19-14 after an 11-yard scoring run by Stephenson, but once again the Rams answered with a score and led 27-14 at halftime.
SSB exploded in the second half with 28 points, while the Raiders鈥� lone score after intermission was an 85-yard kickoff return by freshman Wyatt Henderson in the fourth quarter.
Jefferson-Morgan suffered a 48-21 loss to Fort Cherry at Parker Field.
Trailing 20-0 at halftime, the Rockets got back into the game in the opening seconds of the third quarter with an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by senior Colten Davidson.
After a score by the Rangers, J-M cut the deficit down to 27-14 after a 4-yard touchdown run by Davidson.
Fort Cherry countered with 21 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter to pull away for the TCS victory. J-M ended the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Davidson from senior D.L. Garrett. Garrett had 77 yards passing, while Davidson rushed for 58 yards and had 30 receiving yards.
Mapletown was trying to play spoiler on the road, but Monessen prevailed with a 30-6 win and grabbed the fifth and final playoff spot out of the conference.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Maples made it 8-6 after an 85-yard kickoff return by sophomore Chuck Lash.
The Greyhounds pulled away in the second half with eight points in the third quarter and two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes.
West Greene had a stiff challenge last week, as it fell to first place California 42-0.
The Pioneers were without sophomore running back Ben Jackson due to an ankle injury, and their offense had their limitations against a stingy Trojans defense.
Cal opened up with a 14-0 lead at the end of one and doubled its lead to 28-0 at intermission, before tallying two more scores in the third quarter that evoked the mercy rule.
The Waynesburg University football team picked up its first win under coach Chris Smithley after being idle last week and snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 34-7 win last Saturday against Thiel College at John F. Wiley Stadium.
鈥淭hese guys deserved this win,鈥� Smithley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been rough, but the moral on this team has been fantastic. I give credit to our senior class for keeping this team together. They have rallied around the process and this win justified that hard work.鈥�
鈥淥ur bye week came on the same week of fall break. We let the guys go home for those days. Sometimes it鈥檚 important to get away and to hit the reset button. When we came back together last Sunday, we just prepared like it was a normal week and told them it was a three-week season. I loved how our guys responded this week.鈥�
The Yellow Jackets (1-7, 1-5) have won 11 of their last 12 meetings against Thiel and packed a consistent ground game in the triumph with 284 yards.
Tailback Chad Walker led Waynesburg with 104 yards and a touchdown, while running back Austin Wilson (84 yards and two touchdowns) and quarterback Jake Dougherty (82 yards and touchdown) were solid on the ground for the Yellow Jackets.
Waynesburg also got a touchdown on special teams with an 84-yard punt return by JaWuan Jackson in the first quarter, while the defense forced three turnovers and limited Thiel to 153 total yards.
鈥淔ootball is an emotional game and it鈥檚 always about momentum,鈥� Smithley said. 鈥淭o get that early score on a punt return was a huge boost for us. You see it every Saturday at any level of football, a big play on special teams can turn the tide.鈥�
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action at Wiley Stadium Saturday afternoon for Senior Day, as Waynesburg hosts Saint Vincent at 1:30 p.m.