Mercer County teams have a storied history of success in the District 10 football playoffs, and this year should be no different as 7 locals begin the quest for crowns, including respective defending Class A and AA champions Farrell and Wilmington.
The unbeaten Farrell Steelers are joined by Sharpsville and Mercer in the single-A tourney, which opens tonight. Wilmington, which went on to win the PIAA title last year, is accompanied by Sharon and Greenville in AA games on Saturday. Grove City competes in AAA tonight.
The local squads have dominated in Class AA and A for many years. Mercer County clubs have won 11 of the last 12 single-A crowns, while in AA, locals have won 15 straight (including Slippery Rock’s wins in 2002-03 while a member of the former Mercer County Athletic Conference).
Following is a brief look at D-10 openers:
Tonight’s Games
CLASS A
(All games begin 7 p.m.)
Farrell (10-0) vs.
Eisenhower (5-5),
at Wilmington High
The defending D-10 champs of 3rd-year head coach Jarrett Samuels (31-6) are the No. 1-ranked team in the Pennsylvania Football News poll, and are heavily favored against the Knights.
Eisenhower sneaked into the playoffs with a 14-7 victory over Iroquois last week that lifted the Ikes to 5-3 in Region 2-A. Dustin Huntoon scored on a 7-yard 4th-quarter run to pull out the win. The Steelers’ defense, best in District 10, will need to contend with Ikes’ quarterback Cody Crosby, who completed 15 of 26 passes for 233 yards against Iroquois.
Conversely, the Knights’ defenders haven’t seen the kind of offensive firepower that Region 1 champion Farrell brings to the table.
The Steelers are a well-balanced juggernaut led by quarterback Danny Odem; running backs Jamar Whitman, Kevin Brodie, Malcolm Hailstock and Ron Jackson, and receivers Dion Eilam and Preston Jefferson. Eilam is also a threat on kick returns to score every time he touches the pigskin, and could have a field day against the Knights of 6th-year head coach Jim Penley (31-30).
Mercer (7-3) vs.
Mercyhurst Prep (10-0),
at Harbor Creek High
This appears to be the best opening-night matchup and a rematch of a season-opening contest won by Prep (28-14). This also has evolved into one of the district’s best long-distance rivalries.
In 2006, Prep posted a 14-0 season-opening win over the Mustangs, then virtually duplicated that almost a year to the day in a 10-0 win in the ’07 lidlifter. Eleven weeks later the Lakers outlasted Mercer (21-19) in the D-10 title tilt after eliminating Farrell from the semifinals in a 21-20 contest. Mercer gained a measure of vindication via a 26-14 victory to open the ’08 campaign.
Coach Pat McClearn’s Mustangs are a young team that got off to a slow 1-3 start with losses to playoff teams Mercyhurst Prep, Farrell and Linesville. But since then the Mustangs have rattled off 6 straight victories, including a 35-6 rout of Lakeview last weekend that ended the Sailors’ hopes for a playoff bid.
Mercer is led by veteran quarterback Andrew Erdos, while Kyle Mariacher, Rawlins Huntley and Herbie Hennegan handle the running chores behind a strong offensive line. Andy Reda is a solid receiver.
Led by 6th-year mentor Matt Morgan (46-19), Mercyhurst Prep is unbeaten for the 4th time in school history, but had to rally to defeat Union City last weekend (41-26) to secure the Region 2 title. Andrew Horton finished with 3 touchdowns and 166 yards on 18 carries for the Lakers and Chris Kurzik finished with 122 yards on 18 carries and 1 TD.
Union City, a team that was rocked by Lakeview (56-18) in the season-opener, advanced as the No. 2 team from Region 2 and takes on Linesville.
Sharpsville (8-2) vs. Cambridge Springs (7-3)
at Meadville High
It’s a battle of Blue Devils at Bender Field, and this pair of proud programs has a playoff history dating back 2-plus decades.
Sharpsville secured opening-round success against the Spa in ’06 (35-14) and ’05 (49-6). En route to the ’97 PIAA pedestal Sharpsville staged a win in the D-10 title tilt (14-7) after a regular-season rout (29-14), avenging a pair of losses the previous year — 13-10 in overtime in the district championship game and 17-14 in the regular season. In the D-10 tourney’s early days, Sharpsville struck for a 7-6 tile-clinching win in what was then Division III.
Sharpsville skipper Paul Piccirilli’s (118-45) Blue Devils lost to Saegertown in their playoff start last season, but have set lofty goals this year. Sharpsville’s lone losses this year have come against Farrell (12-7) and Mercer (28-14), and the Devils have rolled up 3 straight wins since. Last week they blanked a playoff-bound Clarion club (28-0).
Sharpsville’s wing-T offense is directed by quarterback Frank Joseph, with Nate Titus, Marcus Llewellyn and Matt Totin toting the rock much of the time. Titus has 973 yards rushing, and could cruise past the 1,000-yard mark this week.
Coached by legendary Walt Nottingham (27th season, 199-99-5), Cambridge is coming off a 35-0 romp over Saegertown, when Corey Dunston scored 3 TDs and Steven Kargol tossed a pair of touchdown aerials against the outmanned Panthers.
CLASS AAA
8 p.m.
Grove City (7-3) vs.
Strong Vincent (8-2) at Slippery Rock University
With only 4 AAA teams in the playoffs, coach Jeff Bell’s Eagles open with the semifinals tonight. The other pairs Cathedral Prep and Corry.
The Eagles rolled to the Region 5 crown this year and are coming off an impressive 33-6 non-league romp over Moniteau last weekend.
GroveCity’s strong ground game, led by Jamarr Patterson (820 yards, 10 TDs) as well as Marty and Wesley Phipps. Tyler Dagres is the signal-caller and has some passing targets, including Nick Reddick. Strong Vincent warmed up for the playoffs by grabbing a 32-0 lead in a 38-14 win over Meadville, a team the Grovers whipped 31-13 during region action. Vincent, the No. 2 seed out of Region 6, was led in that games by Courtney Harden-Pullium and Markese Pullium, a pair of speedsters.
Led by 13th-year head coach Bell (78-56), the Eagles are soaring into the playoffs for a 4th consecutive season, but bowed to Cathedral Prep in last year’s opening round.
Saturday’s Games
CLASS AA
Sharon (8-2) vs.
Fairview (6-4)
at Slippery Rock U., 1 p.m.
The Fairview Tigers (6-2 region) were 13 ticks from sharing the Region 4-AA crown with Gen. McLane and North East before bowing to Gen. McLane (26-24). According to The Times-News, Fairview had a trio of opportunities to quell McLane’s game-winning drive, but the Lancers converted three 4th-down situations, including a 5-yard Josh Ponsell to Josh-Niswonger TD toss with 13.1 ticks.
Tigers’ tailback Jared Lane fueled Fairview with a 107-yard rushing performance, while Peter Jackson joined him with 88 yards and tallying twice. Jordan Boice serves as Fairview’s signal-caller.
The Tigers are led by 11th-year taskmaster Jerry Lightner (61-49).
Since suffering a setback to state-ranked Wilmington (21-7), Sharon secured 4 consecutive conquests to conclude the regular campaign (one via forfeit over Seneca).
Sharon — sans signal-caller Ronnie Howard, statistically, the area’s leading quarterback — was led last week to victory over arch-rival Hickory (14-7) by Jason Ondic, who orchestrated the offense in Howard’s stead by rushing for 96 yards and completing 8 of 9 passes for another 59 yards.
However the Tigers of 6th-year taskmaster Bob Fromm (39-24) also benefit from bountiful Louis Brown, who is a triple-threat in the old-school sense — offensively, defensively and on special teams.
Wilmington (9-1) vs. Fort LeBoeuf (7-3) at Slippery Rock U., 7 p.m.
The Bison buffaloed the Bobcats in last week’s 21-0 regular-season shutout of Seneca (3-7). According to The Times-News, LeBeouf allowed only 81 total yards (10 rushing) at Cam Bonito Field, Waterford.
Meanwhile Casey Pace paced the Bison (5-3 region) of 5th-year head coach John Campbell (17-33) with 81 yards rushing (including a 3-yard TD), while quarterback Tyler Arrowsmith annexed a 5-for-7, 81-yard passing performance. Arrowsmith’s aerial antics include approximately 1,200 yards passing thus far this season, and his go-to guy is Corey McWilliams, who caught 3 passes for 64 yards, including a 14-yard, 4th-frame TD toss. Arrowsmith added a 1-yard TD sneak in the win.
These teams have a recent playoff history: In ’07, Wilmington walloped Fort LeBoeuf (44-6) en route to the regional title tilt.
Wilmington’s veteran mentor Terry Verrelli (242-103-3) guided the Greyhounds to the 2008 PIAA plateau via a 35-34 double-overtime victory over heavily-favored West Catholic at Hersheypark Stadium.
Since a Week-5 home-field loss to Hickory (21-14), Wilmington has won 5 consecutive contests by an aggregate 215-16 margin — with the Hounds Hammer defense pitching 3 consecutive shutouts during that span — while also avenging last year’s lone loss in the regular-season finale against Karns City (55-9).
Greenville (7-3) vs. Gen. McLane (10-0) at Edinboro U., 7 p.m.
The Lancers completed the program’s 1st 10-0 regular season (and 8-0 region record) via that victory over Fairview in last week’s Region 4-AA finale at Keck Field. According to The Times-News, Ponsoll — spelling injured starting quarterback Nick Lombardo — threw a game-winning, 5-yard TD toss to slanting wide-out Niswonger. It culminated a 13-play, 51-yard drive — without any remaining times-out.
Lombardo, according to The Times-News, suffered a 2nd-half stinger to his passing hand and was spelled by Ponsoll for the Lancers’ last 2 drives. The Lancers were losing 24-19 with 2:02 remaining Niswonger notched 2 of his 3 TDs in the final 4 minutes. Lombardo lent an 11-for-25, 114-yard passing performance that included a 10-yard, 2nd-stanza scoring strike to Niswonger, as well as an 18-yard connection with 3:22 left.
The Lancers’ Cory Lee lent a 128-yard rushing performance, including a 54-yard scoring sprint, to surpass the 1,000-yard season standard for 13th-year head coach Jim Wells (113-31).
Dylan Zuschlag — the latest in a long line of talented Trojans’ tailbacks — has a county–best 1,183 yards rushing, while his backfield buddy, R.J. Malson, has tallied an area-best 19 TDs (114 points) for 3rd-year Trojans’ taskmaster Brian Herrick (22-10).
McLane manhandled the Trojans (42-28) in last year’s playoff opener, amassing 555 total yards, including Lee’s 198 rushing(24-yard TD). Zuschhlag had a223-yard, 4-TTD rushing performance of his own.
