HS football roundup: Pioneers bounce back from early deficit to beat Maples
West Greene opened the football season with three consecutive losses but has won the two most important games on its schedule so far the past two weeks.
The Pioneers spotted host Mapletown an 8-0 lead before roaring back for a 37-8 victory Friday night to improve to 2-0 in the Tri-County South Conference. West Greene (2-0, 2-3), which defeated Avella the previous week, is now tied with Jefferson-Morgan and California for first place.
Parker Burns started the West Greene run with an 81-yard reception from Lane Allison with 8:41 to go in the second quarter. Allison then scored on runs of 25 and 5 yards for a 21-8 halftime lead.
Allison completed 12 of 20 passes for 216 yards and rushed for 56 yards. Buns caught four passes for 112 yards.
The Pioneers’ Colin Whyte tackled Colton Spitznogle in the end zone for a safety early in the third quarter, then powered into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run four minutes later.
Hayden Hamilton closed the scoring on a 35-yard run with 7:23 left in the game. Hamilton also converted three extra points.
Mapletown jumped ahead early when Brock Evans returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown just 16 seconds into the game.
The lead grew to 8-0 when Cameryn Shaffer tackled Allison in the end zone for a safety.
Steel Valley 40, Waynesburg Central 6 – Jacob Stephenson spotted the Raiders a 6-0 lead with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but the Ironmen scored the next 40 points for a non-conference road win.
Donald Barksdale had four touchdown runs and returned the opening kickoff of the second half 94 yards for a score. Barksdale had 17 carries for 165 yards.
Waynesburg goes to 3-2 overall, while Steel Valley improved to 2-3.