With 16.2 seconds left and the game on the line Friday night, Moon Area football coach Ryan Linn didn’t hesitate to call on Evan Senkevich to attempt what would be a 36-yard game-winning field goal.
This despite the fact that Senkevich had missed two earlier attempts. And the fact that Moon needed only a long yard to convert a fourth-down play – and the Tigers still had a timeout in their pocket.
“We talked as a staff after we got into (field goal) range, and knew we were going with Evan,” Linn said after the Tigers’ heart-stopping 23-20 victory over Bethel Park Friday night in the WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference opener for both teams at Moon’s Tiger Stadium.
“He has been our kicker for two years, and we had all the trust in the world he was going to make the kick.”
Linn’s trust paid off. Despite his earlier misses, Senkevich did not miss in the game’s biggest moment as the Tigers improved to 4-2 overall.
Antione Arnett’s nifty return of a bouncing punt to the Tigers’ 46 yard-line set his team up for the final drive. A 21-yard pass completion from Andrew Cross to Braeden Stuart moved Moon inside the 30, and three running plays advanced the ball to the Bethel Park 20.
That brought on Senkevich for his last-minute heroics, and AJ Buford’s interception of Evan Devine’s last-gasp pass clinched the win for Moon.
Cross completed 11 of 17 passes for 125 yards and rushed for 104 yards on nine carries. Arnett led the Tigers’ ground attack with 119 yards on 16 attempts. Stuart was Cross’ top target with five receptions for 61 yards.
The Tigers wasted no time getting the jump, scoring on the second play from scrimmage. Arnett escaped on a 60-yard run on the first play and Daiveon Taylor went in from 2 yards out on the next play. Senkevich’s PAT made it 7-0.
Taylor found the end zone again on the second play of the second period as he scored on a 1-yard run, one play after Cross and Jayden Revis connected on a 37-yard pass. Senkevich’s PAT made it 14-0.
Bethel Park’s David Dennison, who was third in the WPIAL in rushing with 900 yards coming into the game, went in from 3 yards out and the PAT cut Moon’s lead to 14-7 with 8 minutes, 37 seconds left in the first half.
But the Tigers again used a quick-strike approach, as Cross broke free up the middle on the first play of the ensuing drive, going 70 yards for a score. A failed PAT attempt left Moon with a 20-7 lead.
After Bethel Park turned the ball over on downs at the Moon 30, the Tigers mounted a lengthy drive late in the second quarter, marching to the Black Hawks’ 24 before the drive ended in Senkevich’s unsuccessful field goal attempt on the final play of the first half.
Bethel Park pulled to within one score early in the third quarter when William Sabatos took an inside handoff from Dennison and scored on an 18-yard run. A missed PAT left the score 20-13 in favor of Moon.
Moon mounted a solid drive late in the third quarter, but a sack of Cross spelled the end of that march and set the Black Hawks up for what would be the game-tying 75-yard drive that culminated in Devine’s short touchdown plunge. Devine’s 41-yard pass to Brady Bruckner was the key play of that drive.
After Moon failed to advance beyond its 45-yard line, the Tigers punted, but after allowing a 33-yard Devine pass completion, Moon’s defense forced him into three straight incompletions, and that resulted in the punt that Arnett picked up on a hop and returned to the Moon 46.
Montour 28, Blackhawk 7
Brandon Bennett threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Zander Stern, and Caden Halajcio ran for one touchdown and hauled in Bennett’s third scoring pass to spark the Spartans past the Cougars in the Class 4A Parkway Conference opener for both teams at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium.
Montour improved to 4-2 overall while Blackhawk fell to 2-4.
Bennett and Stern hooked up on a 60-yard touchdown pass with just under 2 minutes to play in the first quarter, and Halajcio’s 2-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left in the first half increased Montour’s lead to 13-0 and culminated a 14-play drive that saw Blackhawk get flagged for consecutive 5-yard penalties that turned a fourth-and-9 into a first down at the Cougars’ 20-yard line.
Bennett’s 17-yard pass to Archie Collins moved the ball to the Blackhawk 2, and that set Halajcio up for his short touchdown burst.
Montour’s third score came late in the third quarter when Bennett found Halajcio wide open down the middle of the field and the standout senior running back went the rest of the way for a 61-yard scoring play. Bennett’s pinball pass to Dom Baron on a 2-point conversion attempt made it 21-0.
The Spartans’ final score came on Stern’s nifty 27-yard reception from Bennett with 8:20 to play in the game. That increased Montour’s lead to 28-0, and Blackhawk finally got on the board with less than 30 seconds to play in the game when Brady Meyer scored on a 9-yard run.
Bennett completed 14 of 18 passes for Montour. Halajcio led the ground game with 65 yards on 19 carries and Collins picked up 44 in just two attempts. Stern was Bennett’s top target with eight catches for 128 yards.
The Spartans cleaned things up after losing four fumbles and committing 15 penalties in last week’s loss to Mars. This week, Montour was penalized six times for 69 yards and did not lose a fumble.
Montour’s Cole Midili, a member of the 2025 Spartans Homecoming Court, escorts Delany Barto onto the field in a pregame ceremony. 
Montour offensive tackle Jacob Halbedl battles Blackhawk’s Nate Reed in conference action at Montour High School. 
Montour quarterback Brandon Bennett juggles the ball as Blackhawk’s Hayden Magill attempts the tackle in action at Montour High School. 
Montour’s Cole Midili hauls down Blackhawk running back Brayden McCarthy short of a first down in conference action at Montour High School. 
Montour’s Zander Stern picks up a first down after hauling in a pass as Blackhawk’s A.J. Montgomery gives chase in action at Montour High School. 
Montour kicker Luke Medvitz boots an extra point out of the hold of Dalton Young in the Spartans’ conference matchup against Blackhawk at Montour High School. 
Montour’s student section showed up in full force for the conference matchup against Blackhawk at Montour High School. 
Montour running back Caden Halajcio finds room and picks up a first down in conference action against Blackhawk Friday night at Montour High School. 
Montour’s Santino Coradi carries the American flag as he leads his team mates onto the field for their conference matchup against Blackhawk at Montour High School.
Photos by Mike Longo Jr.
Bishop Canevin 32, Chartiers-Houston 0
Myontae Mott ran for two touchdowns and caught a 59-yard scoring pass from Brady Wagner as the Crusaders took control in the first half on the way to a Class 1A Black Hills Conference matchup against the host Buccaneers.
Bishop Canevin improved to 2-0 in conference play and 4-2 overall after winning its fourth straight.
Mott’s 7-yard touchdown run gave the Crusaders a 6-0 lead after one quarter before Damar Olds’ 69-yard interception return for a score doubled that advantage. The Crusaders then scored on Mott’s 22-yard run, and Wagner’s 59-yard touchdown pass to Mott, combined with Leo Shorthouse’s PAT, boosted Bishop Canevin’s led to 25-0 at halftime.
The Crusaders’ final score came on Alex Kirk’s 27-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Mott carried 12 times for 95 yards in the win. Wagner completed 4 of 8 passes for 92 yards.
Cornell 47, Serra Catholic 18
Khylil Johnson accounted for over 250 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns as the Raiders rebounded from last week’s loss to Bishop Canevin by crushing the Eagles in a Class 1A Black Hills Conference game.
Cornell improved to 2-1 in conference play and 4-2 overall while Serra Catholic fell to 0-2 I conference action and 1-5 overall.
Johnson rushed for 181 yards and scored on runs of 48, 44 and 25 yards for the Raiders, who led 20-6 at halftime.
Johnson opened the scoring on a 74-yard touchdown reception from MJ Stuckey and after Serra Catholic returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to tie the score at 6-6, Johnson’s 48-yard scoring run gave the Raiders a lead they never relinquished.
Stuckey also hit Isaiah Dawson on a 39-yard touchdown pass while Latae Littlejohn and Terrance Collington both added touchdown runs for Cornell, with Collington’s coming on a 78-yard jaunt.
Stuckey threw for 170 yards and Dawson led the Raiders in receiving yardage with 82.
Keystone Oaks 42, Carlynton 18
Owen Gearhart ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to help the Eagles hand the Cougars their fifth straight loss in a Class 2A Century Conference game.
Gearhart scored on runs of 13 and 25 yards and connected on touchdown passes of 31 yards to Daysean Brown and 35 yards to Sean O’Brien as the Eagles improved to 3-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play. Carlynton is now 1-5 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
The Cougars trailed just 7-6 after one quarter as Maddox Horrel found Dashiel Sargeant on a 17-yard touchdown pass.
But Keystone Oaks scored the next five touchdowns in a row to open up a 42-6 lead. Carlynton added two second-half scores on Majeed Hassan’s 50-yard run and Justin Berger’s 1-yard run.
Charleroi 45, Sto-Rox 28
Karic Willis connected with Raymond Mason for three touchdown passes, but it wasn’t enough as the Vikings lost their sixth straight game, this time to the previously winless Cougars in a Class 2A Century Conference game.
Sto-Rox is now 0-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference while Charleroi improved to 1-5 and 1-2.
Dushawn Smith added a rushing touchdown for the Vikings.
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