One play after a holding penalty wiped out what would have been Caden Halajcio’s go-ahead touchdown with a little over 5 minutes to play, Montour’s standout senior running back took the next snap and raced 12 yards for the winning score as the Spartans topped host Central Valley, 27-20, Friday night in the WPIAL football opener for both teams.
The seesaw win didn’t come easy for the Spartans, as they had to hold off a last-ditch drive by the Warriors that saw them advance to Montour’s 23-yard line with a little over 1 minute to play.
But on a second-and-5 play, the Spartans brought the heat against Central Valley quarterback Braddock Ambrose and forced a fumble.
Montour’s Abram Kolodynski recovered and rumbled to the Central Valley 43-yard line, and the Spartans ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Montour’s Zander Stern had a big night, catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Bennett to open the scoring, then picking off an Ambrose pass and sprinting 54 yards for a touchdown to momentarily give Montour a 20-17 lead.
But Dominic Pratt’s 43-yard field goal in the third quarter knotted the score at 20-20, and that’s the way it remained until Halajcio bounced off several would-be tacklers and went in from 12 yards out with a little over 5 minutes to play in the game.
Bennett also ran for a score for the Spartans, going in from 10 yards out. That gave Montour a 14-7 lead at the time, but Pratt’s 39-yard field goal cut the Spartans’ lead to 14-10.
Central Valley moved in front 17-14 on Ambrose’s keeper from a yard out, but Stern’s pick six erased the Warriors’ lead – at least for the time being.
Bennett, Montour’s sophomore quarterback, completed 10 of 21 passes for 211 yards and one interception, with Stern catching five of those passes for 69 yards. Archie Collins added three receptions for 44 yards and Jack Neff had two catches for 98 yards.
Halajcio finished with 82 yards rushing on 20 carries for Montour, which needed 36 attempts to gain 101 yards on the ground.
Photos by Mike Longo Jr.
The Montour Spartans kicked off the 2025 football season on the road against Central Valley. 
Montour quarterback Brandon Bennett looks for running room in the season opener against Central Valley on the road at Sarge Alberts Stadium. 
Montour running back Caden Halajcio attempts to get a first down against Central Valley in the season opener at Sarge Alberts Stadium. 
Montour Head Coach Lou Cerro gives #17 Archie Collins an earful during a time out in their season opener against Central Valley. 
Montour running back Caden Halajcio looks for running room in the season opener against Central Valley. 
Montour quarterback Brandon Bennett attempts to get away from Central Valley’s Michael Crea and convert a first down. 
Montour kicker Luke Medvitz boots an extra point in the season opener against Central Valley at Sarge Alberts Stadium.
Moon 14, Trinity 13
Andrew Cross connected with Sevi Vandetti on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds to play in the game, and Evan Senkevich’s extra point proved to be the difference as the Tigers edged the host Hillers in the season opener for both teams.
The Hillers led 7-0 in the first quarter before Paul Bronaugh scored for Moon with 58 seconds to play in the first half, and Senkevich’s PAT tied that score at 7-7 at intermission.
After a scoreless third quarter, Trinity scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter to move in front 13-7.
Trinity held that lead with 1 minute, 38 seconds to play before the Tigers mounted what proved to be their game-winning scoring drive.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 27, Rochester 0
Jamire Samuels rushed for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Chargers used a bruising ground game to throttle the Rams in the season opener for both teams at Moon Area High School Stadium.
All four of OLSH’s touchdowns came on the ground – two in the second quarter and two in the third quarter – and the Chargers piled up 317 yards rushing to go with 51 yards passing.
After a scoreless first quarter, Samuels got OLSH on the scoreboard when he broke free for a 42-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Aaron Callahan’s extra point made it 7-0.
Prentice Organ then added to the Chargers lead when he scored on an 11-yard run later in the quarter, and Callahan’s PAT gave OLSH a 14-0 lead at the half.
Christian Bush’s 27-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter boosted OLSH’s lead to 20-0 and Samuels tacked on his second touchdown of the night, this one from 24 yards out, and Grant Griesacker’s PAT closed the scoring at 27-0.
Organ led the Chargers in rushing with 104 yards on 14 carries while Samuels needed only seven attempts to gain his 101 yards. Bush added 64 yards on six carries.
OLSH quarterbacks Nehemiah Ichimura and J.J. Hayden combined to complete 6 of 10 passes for 51 yards. John Anderson caught five of those passes for 51 yards.
Carlynton 20, Carrick 12
Justin Berger’s 4-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run snapped a 12-12 tie and lifted the host Cougars past the Raiders in the season opener for both teams at Honus Wagner Stadium.
Carlynton spotted the visitors a 12-0 lead, as they opened the scoring with a touchdown pass and then returned a punt 80 yards for a score – both in the first quarter – to lead 12-0.
Quarterback Maddox Horrell got Carlynton on the board with a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and Berger tied the score when he ran in from 5 yards out to make it 12-12 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Carlynton pinned Carrick deep in its own territory late in the game and a short punt gave the Cougars possession at the Raiders’ 37-yard line.
Carlynton needed just four plays to cover the 37 yards, with Berger scoring the game-winning touchdown from 4 yards out with a little over 2 minutes to play in the game.
Berger tacked on the two-point conversion to make it 20-12, and the Cougars’ defense registered two sacks on Carrick’s last-ditch drive to seal the win.
Carlynton did most of its damage on the ground, as Ashton Donlin rushed for 102 yards on 10 carries and Berger added 49 on 12 carries.
Horrell completed 8 of 13 passes for 72 yard but was sacked five times. He also rushed for 18 yards on four carries.
Dwayne Fisher, Mason Jameson and Jaesean Nembhard each caught two passes; Jameson totaled 30 yards, Nembhard 25 and Fisher 16.
Clarkson North 35, Bishop Canevin 28
The Crusaders built a 28-7 halftime lead in new head coach Rod Steele’s debut but saw the Canadian squad rally for 28 second-half points and claim a win at the York Rose Bowl Kickoff Classic.
Damar Olds threw for two touchdowns – a 20-yarder to Lamier Wade to open the scoring in the first quarter and a 5-yard toss to Justin Melvin to cap the first-half scoring for the Crusaders.
That made the score 28-7, as Bishop Canevin also managed two other second-quarter scores on runs of 37 yards by Myontae Mott and 4 yards by Neuval Bone.
But Clarkson North, which hails from Mississauga, Ontario, scored once in the third quarter on a 9-yard run to make it 28-14, then reeled off three fourth-quarter touchdowns on runs of 1, 1 and 8 yards, with the last one coming with 3 minutes, 7 seconds to play in the game to snap a 28-28 tie.
Olds completed 7 of 13 passes for 114 yards. Bone rushed for 99 yards and Alex Kirk had 97 yards on the ground. Mott also contributed 56 yards rushing on eight attempts. Wade was the top receiver with two catches for 37 yards.
South Side 48, Sto-Rox 6
Thorne Johnson scored on a pair of touchdown runs and Curtis Roy ran for one score and returned a punt for another as the host Rams rolled to a season-opening win over the Vikings.
South Side did all its scoring in the first two quarters, jumping to a 27-0 first-quarter lead before adding three second-quarter touchdowns.
Karic Willis scored on a 38-yard run for Sto-Rox.
Cornell 35, Brashear 23
M.J. Stuckey threw for three first-half touchdowns and Terrance Collington caught one scoring pass and ran for two more to pace the Raiders past the Bulls in a season opener at Frank Letteri Stadium.
Stuckey connected on scoring passes of 9 yards to Isaiah Dawson, 4 yards to Latae Littlejohn and 30 yards to Collington as Cornell built a 21-15 halftime lead.
Collington then went to work on the ground in the second half, scoring on a 30-yard run in the third quarter and adding a 20-yard touchdown run in the final quarter to put Cornell up 35-15.
Khylil Johnson rushed for 150 yards on just 10 carries for the Raiders, and Collington finished with 64 on six attempts. Stuckey completed 8 of 15 passes for 77 yards, with Collington catching two of them for 41 yards.
Be First to Comment