Brady Wagner threw for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Malik Davis as Bishop Canevin built a 21-0 lead and held on to defeat McGuffey, 21-14, Friday night in a WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference battle at U.S. Steel Community Field.

The Crusaders stretched their unbeaten streak to five games and improved to 2-0 in the conference. The Highlanders fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Bishop Canevin enjoyed a significant edge in total yards, but a goal-line fumble near the end of the first quarter, a goal-line interception near the end of the first half and an interception with less than two minutes to play kept McGuffey in the game.

The Highlanders reached the Bishop Canevin 20-yard line with less than a minute to play, trailing 21-14, but the Crusaders’ defense came up with a stop to seal the win.

Bishop Canevin took a 7-0 lead four minutes into the game on Neuval Bone III’s 5-yard touchdown run and Jittapshe Thamsarorat’s PAT.

Wagner then hit Davis on a 7-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, and Thamsarorat’s PAT extended the lead to 14-0 at halftime.

Wagner and Davis teamed for their second scoring pass of the game, this one from 28 yards out with just under 8 minutes to play in the third quarter, and Thamsarorat tacked on the extra point to make it 21-0.

The Highlanders finally got on the board with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter on an 85-yard punt return and added an 8-yard touchdown run with 7:58 left to cut the lead to 21-13. But Bishop Canevin held on for the win.

Wagner finished with 22 completions in 33 attempts but was intercepted three times. Davis caught 10 passes for 140 yards and Justin Melvin added eight catches for 67 yards. Bone led the Crusaders’ ground attack with 72 yards in nine carries.

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Thomas Jefferson 34, Montour 29

Tyler Eber’s 1-yard touchdown run with less than 2 minutes to play proved to be the difference as the Jaguars outlasted the visiting Spartans in a slugfest staged between two of the WPIAL’s premier teams.

Eber’s second scoring run of the night capped a nine-play, 76-yard drive that enabled Thomas Jefferson to move in front after Montour had grabbed a 29-28 lead on the previous possession.

Eber, the Jaguars’ outstanding senior running back, finished with 157 yards on 31 carries and eclipsed the 5,000-yard rushing mark for his career.

He was hardly a one-man show, however, as quarterback Harrison Kolling completed 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Kane Eggerton caught seven of those passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns.

Still, the Class 4A Spartans more than held their own against the 5A Jaguars, thanks in large part to the play of junior quarterback Brandon Bennett, who completed 15 of 24 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns and just missed connecting on several others.

Bennett, who kept a number of plays alive with his scrambling ability, also rushed for 53 yards but no other Montour running back gained more than 14 yards, as the Jaguars outgained the Spartans 180-70 on the ground. TJ finished with a 389-329 edge in total yards.

The two teams traded first-half touchdowns, with Kolling and Eggerton connecting on a pair of scoring tosses while Bennett hit Archie Collins on a 28-yard touchdown pass and then found Zander Stern from the same spot on the field with 4 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the half to tie the score at 14-14.

But TJ went 86 yards on its next possession, capped by Kolling’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Patterson with just 11 seconds left in the half to make it 21-14 in favor of the Jaguars at halftime.

Montour coach Lou Cerro called that play a “killer” because when it occurred.

“But our kids played hard,” he said. “They never quit, and they put themselves in a position to win.”

Thomas Jefferson extended its lead to 28-14 in the third quarter, taking the second-half kickoff and methodically marching 80 yards in 18 plays while holding the ball for more than 8 minutes. Eber’s 2-yard touchdown run made it 28-14.

But Montour refused to go away, driving 66 yards on its next possession, which ended with Bennett’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Stern. The Spartans then executed a fake PAT and Dalton Young connected with Colton Quarterman for the 2-point conversion, cutting the TJ lead to 28-22.

After forcing Thomas Jeffeson to punt on the next possession, Montour needed just four plays to go in front when Bennett battled his way in from 3 yards out, and Young’s PAT put Montour on top 29-28 with 6:25 remaining in the game.

That would prove more than enough time for the Jaguars to pull out the win, however, as they drove 76 yards in nine plays, capped by Eber’s 1-yard TD run with 1:45 left, making the score 34-29.

Montour had one final possession, but after a first-down run by Bennett, the Spartans failed to advance and turned the ball over on downs.

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Union 22, Cornell 20 (OT)

Stephen Lane’s two-point conversion run in overtime proved to be the difference for the Scotties, as they edged the Raiders in a Class 1A Big 7 Conference game at Cornell.

Cornell, which fell to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference, trailed 14-0 at halftime but came alive in the fourth quarter to score twice and force overtime.

Daveon Collier hit D.J. Stuckey on a 17-yard touchdown pass 10 seconds into the final quarter, but the Raiders’ attempt at a two-point conversion failed and left them trailing 14-6.

Then with 4:14 left in regulation, Collier broke off a 22-yard touchdown run and tacked on a two-point conversion run to send the game into overtime.

Lane’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Maddox Ryhal in overtime, followed by Lane’s two-point conversion, put Union on top 22-14.

Cornell’s Chris Ford then found the end zone from 8 yards out to pull the Raiders within two points, but they could not connect on the two-point conversion pass.

Collier rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries and completed 5 of 13 passes for 53 yards. Ford wound up with 108 yards on the ground in 16 attempts.

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West Allegheny 21, Moon Area 13

Mason Bryan’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Brodie Cornell snapped a 7-7 tie in the fourth quarter and proved to be the difference in the Indians’ nonconference victory over the winless Tigers.

The scoring pass and Caden Gnoth’s PAT put West Allegheny in front 14-7. Moon answered with Tyrek Hogan’s 12-yard touchdown run, but the Tigers failed to convert the PAT and trailed 14-13.

West Allegheny, 3-2, then added an insurance score when Bryan and Cornell teamed up again, this time from 40 yards out.

Moon, which fell to 0-4, finished with a 315-269 edge in total yards, as sophomore quarterback Cristiano Kinol – making his second start – completed 24 of 44 passes for 275 yards and one interception.

But the Tigers were unable to mount much of a rushing attack, finishing with 40 yards, while West Allegheny piled up 179 yards on the ground, with Bryan accounting for 112 yards.

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Propel Braddock Hills 51, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 12

Eric Swan threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score as the Lions whipped the Chargers in a nonconference game played at Quaker Valley.

Propel built a 45-6 lead at halftime, with OLSH’s only score coming on a 99-yard touchdown pass from J.J. Hayden to Thomas Pinno. That cut Propel’s lead to 18-6, but the Lions finished out the half by scoring the next 27 points.

Jamire Samuels’ 14-yard touchdown run finished the scoring for OLSH, which fell to 0-5. Samuels finished with 57 yards on the ground in 12 carries. Hayden completed 7 of 15 passes for 113 yards.

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Ligonier Valley 52, Carlynton 12

Levi Foust threw for 217 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two more scores to help the Rams overpower the Cougars in a nonconference matchup.

Foust scored on runs of 10 and 5 yards, and connected with Anthony Petalino on scoring passes of 47, 26 and 36 yards. Petalino caught five passes for 128 yards. Foust needed just 10 completions for his 217 yards.

Foust also teamed with Tyler Queer on a 38-yard touchdown pass for Ligonier Valley, which led 42-0 at halftime and improved to 5-0 overall. Carlynton dropped to 2-3 with the loss.

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Fort Cherry 49, Sto-Rox 8

Colin Sieg threw for two touchdowns and got the scoring started with a 7-yard run as the Rangers built a 35-0 halftime lead and went on to post a Class 1A Black Hills Conference win over the Vikings.

Sto-Rox dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play with the loss while Fort Cherry improved to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Sieg connected on scoring passes of 23 yards to Nate Wolfe and 24 yards to Josh Silveira and Eli Salvini ran for two scores for the Rangers.

Zaakhir Cox’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Jennings accounted for Sto-Rox’ lone score.