Brandon Bennett threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third and Montour used a 15-point third-quarter outburst in a span of less than four minutes to erase a one-point deficit, leading the way to a 35-27 victory over Trinity Friday night in a WPIAL nonconference football matchup at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium.
Trinity trailed 20-14 at halftime but took the second-half kickoff and drove 55 yards in nine plays to take the lead on Owen Gardner’s 9-yard touchdown run and Evan Slagle’s PAT.
But the Hillers would see that lead disappear quickly, as Montour responded by driving 72 yards in eight plays, capped by Bennett’s keeper from a yard out. Bennett then teamed with Dom Baron on a 2-point conversion pass, giving Montour a lead it would never relinquish at 28-21.
The Spartans’ defense forced a punt on the next Trinity drive, and Zander Stern put Montour in good field position with a 27-yard return to the Hillers’ 45-yard line.
Bennett again hit Baron for a key third-and-long conversion to the Trinity 30, and Dylan Rogers’ 18-yard run gave Montour a first down at the Hillers’ 12. Caden Halajcio then went 12 yards for the score and Luke Medvitz’ PAT made it 35-21.
Trinity would not go away, though, and Jonah Williamson’s 7-yard touchdown run with 7 minutes, 37 seconds to play in the game made it 35-27. But a poor snap on the PAT try left the Hillers facing an eight-point deficit.
Montour appeared to be in control and drove deep inside Trinity territory, but the Spartans failed to convert on a fourth-and-3 play at the Hillers’ 6, and that gave Trinity life with 2:49 to play.
The Hillers used a pair of 21-yard gains – one on a Gardner run and the other on a pass from Williamson to Daniel Glass – to move to the Montour 38-yard-line with 1:21 to play.
But a pair of incomplete passes, an illegal procedure penalty and Williamson’s 6-yard run left Trinity with a fourth-and-9 play at the Montour 37. A heavy pass rush forced Williamson to scramble to his right and his pass inside the 10 yard line fell incomplete, sealing the win for Montour.
Montour’s halftime lead came in part courtesy of a pair of squandered opportunities by Trinity in the final 2 minutes of the half.
The Hillers, trailing 20-14, drove to the Spartans’ 4-yard line when Baron made a diving interception of a Williamson pass in the end zone to end one drive.
After Trinity forced a punt, Williamson rambled 40 yards around left end, breaking several tackles, to set the Hillers up at the Spartans’ 19-yard line with 24 seconds remaining in the half.
After Williamson kept for three yards, he once again took a shot in the end zone, but again the Spartans made him pay as Nick Sicilia made another diving interception to halt the drive with 10 seconds to play in the half.
Williamson’s 20-yard scramble opened the scoring, giving Trinity a 7-0 lead, but the Spartans answered on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Baron.
Montour went on top when Archie Collins broke off a 35-yard touchdown run. Medvitz’ second PAT made it 14-7 with 9:48 to play in the first half.
Trinity then mounted an 80-yard scoring drive that took 17 plays and included five consecutive third-down conversions. Williamson cashed it in on a 3-yard touchdown run, and the conversion left the game tied at 14-14.
The deadlock didn’t last long, as on the next play from scrimmage, Bennett hit Stern on a 70-yard touchdown pass. The Spartans failed to convert the PAT and had to settle for a 20-14 lead.
Bennett completed 5 of 11 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns while Halajcio carried 24 times for 164 yards for Montour.
Gardner finished with 125 yards rushing for Trinity, and Williamson went 13 for 24 for 131 yards.
Bishop Canevin 21, Steel Valley 6
Brady Wagner threw for two touchdowns and Myontae Mott scored twice – once on a pass from Wagner — to help the Crusaders break into the win column for the first time in three games.
Wagner connected with Damar Olds on a 18-yard touchdown pass for the game’s first score, and Leo Shorthouse’s PAT gave Bishop Canevin a 7-0 lead.
Mott helped double that lead to 14-0 in the third quarter when he took a handoff on his own 35-yard line, broke several tackles and went the distance for a 65-yard score.
The Crusaders tacked on one final touchdown later in the third quarter when Wagner and Mott teamed up for a 13-yard touchdown pass, and Shorthouse’s third PAT made the score 21-0.
Mott finished with 148 yards rushing on just eight carries and Neuval Bone III tacked on 47 yards in 12 attempts.
Wagner finished 12 of 25 for 97 yards and one interception to go with his two touchdown passes. Olds and Justin Melvin each finished with three catches.
Cornell 35, Riverview 21
Khylil Johnson scored three touchdowns, including two in the second half that made the difference in the Raiders’ win over the “other” Raiders.
Cornell built a 21-14 lead at halftime on three touchdown passes from M.J. Stuckey – a 34-yard strike to Latae Littlejohn in the first quarter, a 9-yarder to Isaiah Dawson and a 91-yard connection to Johnson.
Riverview tied the score in the third quarter but Johnson answered with a 23-yard touchdown run later in the quarter to put Cornell on top 28-21, and Johnson’s 39-yard run finished the scoring.
Drake Barr converted three PAT kicks for the Raiders.
Stuckey had a big night through the air, completing 13 of 18 passes for 251 yards and one interception, and also ran for 39 yards. Johnson rushed for 87 yards on 15 carries and caught four passes for 132 yards. Dawson also caught four passes for 49 yards and Daveon Collier caught three for 35.
Seton LaSalle 39, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 7
Kymar Freeman rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown as the host Rebels (2-1) rolled past the Chargers, who fell to 1-2.
Freeman’s touchdown came on a 71-yard run that widened Seton LaSalle’s lead to 20-0, and Jeremy Rose’s PAT and a 25-yard field goal gave the Rebels a 24-0 halftime lead.
Seton LaSalle increased its lead to 39-0 before OLSH got on the board on Eli Nestor’s 8-yard touchdown run in the final quarter.
Seton LaSalle rushed for 285 yards on 33 carries while holding the Chargers to just 10 yards on the ground and 40 yards through the air.
DeMar Chatfield led OLSH with 24 yards rushing on four carries.
OLSH quarterbacks Fabian Nixon, J.J. Hayden and Nehemiah Ichimura combined to go just 5 for 14 for 40 yards.
South Allegheny 53, Carlynton 0
The Gladiators met little resistance from the host Cougars, jumping to a 41-0 halftime lead on the way to a shutout victory at Honus Wagner Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Alijah Cook connected on seven of eight passing attempts for 218 yards and three touchdowns as South Allegheny improved to 3-0.
The Gladiators also rolled up 162 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 12 attempts.
Carlyton, which fell to 1-2, could not get untracked offensively, as quarterback Maddox Horrell completed just one of his 10 pass attempts for 35 yards. Horrell also was sacked seven times for minus-40 yards.
The Cougars had no better luck on the ground, as Justin Berger managed just 10 yards rushing on nine attempts and Ashton Donlin carried four times for eight yards.
Brentwood 41, Sto-Rox 0
The Spartans won for the first time in three outings while the host Vikings fell to 0-3. No further details were available.
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