ProfessorBriggs.com

(Statistical Information Courtesy of Professor Briggs' archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News)

WEEK NINE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

The ninth week of the season marks the final full week of regular season play for Mercer County's 12 high school football teams. All 12 teams are scheduled to play but only half of the teams will play region games. Six area teams will play road games in Erie County this week as only three of the nine games on the schedule will be played in Mercer County.

Eight of the nine games will be played Friday night. Lakeview will visit General McLane in a Thursday night non-conference affair. None of the nine pairings of teams have squared off during the regular season of the preceding three seasons.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Lakeview at General McLane, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

Lakeview looks to get back on track Thursday night when the Sailors visit Class 4A General McLane (4-3) in Edinboro. Lakeview nearly rallied from a 34-0 deficit on Senior Night last Friday before falling to visiting Reynolds, 47-27, in the Sailors' Region 1 finale.

Mitchell Tingley sparked Lakeview's 27-0 run by returning a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. That marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown by a Lakeview player since September 1, 2017, when Garrett Gadsby had a 90-yard kickoff return for touchdown against Sharpsville.

Tingley also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Murdock. Tingley finished with seven catches for 62 yards. He added 72 rushing yards on 11 attempts and completed a 33-yard pass to Anthony Bonanni.

Murdock threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Calogano Wilkins and added a one-yard touchdown run. He ran for 83 yards and had 96 passing yards. Murdock ranks fourth in the county with 1,310 total offensive yards. His 845 passing yards rank fifth while his 465 rushing yards places him eighth in the area.

While the Lakeview pass offense sixth in passing yards per game (137.7), the Sailors' pass defense allows only 73.6 yards per game, the second-lowest figure in Mercer County. Lakeview holds opposing quarterbacks to 43.7 percent accuracy, also the No. 2 figure in the area. Lakeview has also recovered a county-high 10 opponents' fumbles this year.

However, giveaways have hurt Lakeview this season. The Sailors have a minus-7 turnover margin this season as the Sailors have turned over the ball 18 times this year.

Like Lakeview, turnovers have foiled General McLane this season. The Lancers own a minus-12 turnover margin this year. 

General McLane has alternated wins and losses since a season-opening 33-12 win over Oil City. Last Friday, the Lancers spoiled Franklin's Homecoming by claiming a 37-21 victory. Dylan Sheeder ran for 103 yards against Franklin while John Amon added 81 yards and two touchdowns. The Lancers ran for 395 yards and five touchdowns in the win.

General McLane concluded Region 5 play with a 4-2 record, two games behind Meadville.

Amon leads General McLane with 810 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He has also completed 28 of 59 passes for 457 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. Sheeder has completed 21 of 39 passes for 396 yards and five touchdowns. Sheeder has been intercepted five times. He is General McLane's second-leading rusher with 173 yards this season.

Lakeview owns a 13-15 all-time record in Erie County. Twelve of those games came at Union City in Crawford County League (1979) or French Creek Valley Conference (1980-2003) play. This will be Lakeview's first game at General McLane. The Sailors have played two District 10 playoff games at Edinboro University. Lakeview defeated Saegertown, 43-32, in the D-10 Class AA quarterfinals in 2009. Two years ago, Lakeview fell to Northwestern in the Class 2A playoffs, 33-0, at Sox Harrison Stadium.

The two teams will play neighboring schools in non-conference games next week. Lakeview visits Franklin while General McLane heads to Fort LeBoeuf.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Sharpsville at Reynolds, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Reynolds, 22-21-1
Last Reynolds Win: September 22, 2017 (23-14)
Last Sharpsville Win: September 23, 2016 (32-29)
First Meeting: October 20, 1962 (Sharpsville won 28-0 at Reynolds)

One of the area's most consistently-played series will be renewed Friday night when Reynolds (4-3, 3-2) hosts Sharpsville (5-3, 3-2) in both teams' Region 1 finale. The winner will earn third place behind Farrell and Wilmington in the conference.

Both teams earned road victories last week in Region 1 play. Reynolds jumped out to a 34-0 lead at Lakeview on the way to a 47-27 win over the Sailors last Friday night. Meanwhile, this week is a short week for Sharpsville, which picked up a 46-0 victory Saturday night at Mercer.

Reynolds amassed 631 total yards in the win at Lakeview, which marks the highest total for a county team in the regular season since Farrell posted 639 yards October 5, 2018 at Cochranton. Reynolds had 486 rushing yards as a team. Conversely, Sharpsville held Mercer to nine total yards, including minus-23 rushing yards. That came a week after Sharpsville limited Kennedy to minus-3 rushing yards.

The Sharpsville run defense aims to slow down Reynolds junior running back Jalen Wagner. Last week, Wagner ran for 291 yards and three touchdowns at Lakeview. He now has 1,075 yards this season, becoming the first county back to reach 1,000 yards in 2021.

It is the fourth time in the last five years that a Reynolds running back has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Cole Toy achieved the feat in both 2019 (1,215) and 2020 (1,320). Austin Carrera ran for 1,146 yards in 2017. Jordan DeCarmen just missed the milestone in 2018, finishing with 971 yards.

Like those previous seasons, the Reynolds ground attack features multiple ball carriers. Junior Haydin McLaughlin has added 527 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. He averages 9.9 yards per carry and ranks seventh locally in total rushing yardage. McLaughlin posted 106 yards and two touchdowns on only six attempts at Lakeview.

McLaughlin also leads Reynolds with 10 receptions for 168 yards. His six interceptions lead the county.

Reynolds has attempted a county-low 68 passes this season. Sharpsville has allowed a county-high 80 pass completions and 147.2 passing yards per game, which is also the highest figure in the area. Both teams have even turnover margins this year.

Offensively, Sharpsville's passing attack has been one of the county's most efficient. The Blue Devils average 8.8 yards per attempt, the No. 2 mark in the area. Sophomore quarterback Caullin Summers has thrown for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Junior split end Garen Levis leads Sharpsville with 24 receptions for 434 yards and seven touchdowns. He ranks second in the county in touchdown catches, fifth in yards and sixth in receptions.

Although Summers and Levis rank among the county leaders, the Sharpsville offense still heavily relies upon the ground game. Seventy-five percent (302 of 402) of Sharpsville's plays this season have been runs. Senior fullback Chris Roth ranks sixth in the county with 677 rushing yards. His 115 attempts are second-most in Mercer County. He had 75 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against Mercer.

Senior halfbacks Ian Smith and Zack Tedrow have respectively gained 274 and 243 rushing yards this year. Tedrow also averages 20.2 yards per catch on his eight receptions. Tedrow gained 74 yards on his two catches at Mercer.

Sharpsville is 12-10-1 all-time at Reynolds. The teams played every year from 1962 to 1995. The lone tie in the series came in 1970, a 0-0 deadlock at Reynolds. That marked one of five shutouts that year for Sharpsville. But the Blue Devils finished 3-4-3 in 1970 as Sharpsville played three scoreless games.

The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7.

Live Stats available here.

Kennedy Catholic at Farrell, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 15-2
Last Farrell Win: September 7, 2013 (35-0 at Kennedy)
Last Kennedy Win: November 3, 2006 (41-0 at Farrell)
First Meeting: October 21, 1978 (Kennedy won 13-8)

For just the second time in 2021, Farrell will play at home as the Steelers (5-0, 5-0) host neighboring Kennedy Catholic (1-6, 1-5) in the Region 1 finale. It will be Farrell's first game since its 54-0 win October 8 at Wilmington. The Steelers' lone home game came in Week Two against Mercer.

Farrell accumulated 469 offensive yards in its win at Wilmington as the Steelers averaged 13.0 yards per play. Senior tailback Anthony Stallworth ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns on 14 attempts. He went over the 4,000-yard mark (4,017) for his career in the win.

Junior Kylon Wilson added a 79-yard touchdown run. Wilson also caught five passes for 49 yards.

Senior linebacker Taidon Strickland returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers have six return touchdowns in their five games. The Farrell defense has scored more points (24) than it has allowed (6) this season.

The Farrell offense has done plenty of scoring this year as the Steelers average 48.0 offensive points per game, along with the 36 points via returns. Stallworth has 14 touchdowns and Wilson has 10 scores. Stallworth leads the county in points per game (18.4) and is fourth in total touchdowns. Wilson is fourth in points per game (12.8) and is one of just seven men locally with 10 or more touchdowns.

Stallworth has 966 rushing yards this season. He leads the county in yards per game (193.2) and yards per carry (15.6). As a team, Farrell averages 13.2 yards per carry.

Wilson leads Farrell with 20 catches for 328 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Omar Stewart, Jr., has 10 catches for 130 yards. He also has caught eight two-point conversions.

Farrell quarterbacks Kabron Smith, Trian Holden and Lamont Samuels have combined to complete 70.4 percent of their passes. Holden has six touchdown passes and Smith has thrown four touchdowns. None of the three quarterbacks has been intercepted this season.

Injuries and other related issues have thinned Kennedy's youthful roster throughout the 2021 season. The short-handed Golden Eagles dropped a 55-14 decision last Saturday night at Wilmington in Region 1 play. Junior wide receiver Jermaine Dunlap caught five passes for 40 yards and a touchdown at Wilmington.

Freshman quarterback Rayvion Wilbon-Venable threw for 76 yards and also ran for 79 yards and a touchdown. Senior Kole Tarary added 55 yards on a dozen carries. Wilbon-Venable also tallied his second interception from his safety position on defense.

Wilbon-Venable has accumulated 1,004 yards of total offense this season. He ranks sixth in the county in that category. He is tied for fifth with 843 passing yards. Sophomore wide receiver Simeir Wade ranks fourth in the county with 461 receiving yards and fifth with 27 catches.

Kennedy ranks fifth in the county with 13 takeaways this year. Farrell has a county-low four turnovers this year.

Farrell seeks its eighth straight win against Kennedy. Kennedy last made the one-mile trip to Farrell September 7, 2012. That night, Farrell pulled out a 6-0 win. Kennedy is 1-7 all-time at Farrell. The lone win came November 3, 2006 as the Golden Eagles won 41-0. That game marked Lou Falconi's finale as Farrell head coach. It also represented Mike Donato's final regular season win as Kennedy head coach.

Kennedy has added a 10th game for October 30. The Golden Eagles will host Titusville at Butala Stadium. 

The game will be broadcast on News/Talk 790 WPIC.

Wilmington at Mercer, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Wilmington, 34-12-1
Last Mercer Win: October 21, 1994 (34-21 at Wilmington)
Last Wilmington Win: September 22, 2017 (69-0)
First Meeting: October 7, 1960 (Mercer won 20-0)

Wilmington makes the nine-mile trip up State Route 158 Friday night to face one of its oldest rivals, Mercer. It is the Region 1 finale for both teams. Each team is on a short week after having played home games last Saturday night in league play. Wilmington earned a 55-14 win over visiting Kennedy Catholic. Mercer, meanwhile, dropped a 46-0 decision to visiting Sharpsville in the county seat.

Friday's game pits two teams that feature run-oriented Wing-T offenses. Over 80 percent of Wilmington's offensive plays have been runs this year while 74 percent of Mercer's offensive plays have been rushing attempts.

 Wilmington's ground game accumulated 255 rushing yards against Kennedy on 25 team attempts. Senior Luke Edwards led the Greyhounds with 119 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Tuff McConahy and also scored on a 51-yard interception return.

Tyler Mikulin added 49 yards and two scores. McConahy threw for 114 yards on 5-of-10 accuracy.

Edwards ranks second in the county with 1,182 all-purpose yards. His 731 rushing yards ranks fifth in the area. Junior Gage DeCaprio has added 375 yards in six games while sophomore Ben Miller has a six-game total of 321 rushing yards.

Edwards also leads Wilmington with 13 catches for 207 yards. Senior split end Cole McCallister has a team-leading four touchdown catches. He has 10 total receptions for 155 yards.

While Wilmington's rushing attack prospered against Kennedy, Mercer's ground game struggled against Sharpsville. The Blue Devils held Mercer to minus-23 rushing yards. Three quarterback sacks and two poor punt snaps helped contribute to that figure.

Senior fullback Jake Badger leads Mercer with 409 rushing yards while senior halfback Logan Turton has added 225 yards and a team-high four rushing touchdowns. Turton has also been the favorite target of senior quarterback Ethan Wiley, as they have connected for 17 receptions, 195 yards and five touchdowns.

The Mercer defense has forced 18 turnovers this year. Junior safety Troy Bachman leads the Mustangs with three interceptions. He recorded an interception last Saturday against Sharpsville. The Mustangs rank fifth locally in total defense, allowing 272.1 yards per game.

Mercer and Wilmington played every season from 1960 to 1989 in the Tri-County League/Tri-County North A. In 1990, Mercer joined the Mercer County Athletic Conference, temporarily halting the series.

The series resumed in 1994 when Wilmington joined District 10. That year, Mercer downed Wilmington in the regular season, 34-21, in New Wilmington. However, Wilmington defeated Mercer in the D-10 Class AA title game, 27-0, at Sharon. Including that 1994 District 10 title win, Wilmington has won 16 straight games in the series. 

Greenville at Harbor Creek, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Greenville, 8-4
Last Greenville Win: November 1, 2013 (37-8 at Harbor Creek)
Last Harbor Creek Win: November 2, 2007 (34-3)
First Meeting: November 1, 1963 (Greenville won 49-7)

Winners of four straight, Greenville looks for its first five-game win streak since the 2017 season as the Trojans (5-3) visit Harbor Creek (3-5). Harbor Creek enters the game on a two-game win streak.

Both teams secured road wins last week. Greenville schedule a game at McDonald, Ohio, late last week and came home with a 49-35 triumph last Friday. Harbor Creek closed Region 5 Class 4A play with a 42-8 win at winless Conneaut.

Greenville and Harbor Creek each relied on powerful rushing attacks in their respective wins. Greenville gashed McDonald for 464 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Halfback Levi Swartz ran for 256 yards and four touchdowns while fullback Malachi Hyde added 138 yards and three touchdowns. Greenville scored on each of its first seven possessions, then ran out the clock on its eighth drive of the game.

Harbor Creek played at Conneaut  without its top two rushers for the season, Matt Cassidy and Cameron Williamson. But the Huskies still ran for 317 yards and five touchdown as a team. Toby Charlton rumbled for 167 yards and three touchdowns while Nathan Hyche added 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Cassidy leads Harbor Creek with 680 yards and six touchdowns while Williamson has 534 yards and five scores. He averages 8.0 yards per carry. Charlton has completed 17 of 33 pass attempts for 133 yards in 2021.

Like Harbor Creek, Greenville relies upon the ground attack for the bulk of its offensive production. Swartz leads the way with 819 yards and 14 touchdowns while Hyde has 444 yards. Junior Mason Dickens has added 316 yards. Swartz ranks second in the county with 92 total points. He ranks fourth in rushing yardage.

Senior quarterback Jalen Ritzert has thrown for 703 yards and five touchdowns this season. Junior Jase Herrick has 19 pass receptions for 353 yards. He ranks third in the area in yards per catch (18.6).

Greenville has three games in which it has rushed for seven touchdowns this season. In addition to last week at McDonald, the Trojans also accomplished that feat against Lakeview and Kennedy Catholic.

All-time, Greenville is 4-2 at Harbor Creek's Paul J. Weitz Stadium. Greenville is 3-2 against Harbor Creek. The Trojans defeated Seneca, 29-22, in the District 10 Class 2A quarterfinals November 4, 2016 at Harbor Creek.

Grove City at Mercyhurst Prep, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Grove City, 3-0
Last Grove City Win: November 2, 2019 (28-17, District 10 3A quarterfinal at Fort LeBoeuf)
Last Mercyhurst Prep Win: None
First Meeting: August 30, 2002 (Grove City won 48-0)

For the first time in 18 years, Grove City and Mercyhurst Prep will play in the regular season as the Lakers (3-3) welcome Grove City (6-2) to Mercyhurst University for Class 3A crossover action. Grove City looks to close the regular season with its fifth consecutive victory while Mercyhurst aims for its third win in four weeks.

While Grove City's high-tempo offense often earns headlines, the Eagles' defense played a major role in a 20-7 home win over Hickory in the Region 3 finale last Friday. Grove City intercepted four passes while also holding Hickory to an 0-for-6 outing on third down and only 44 rushing yards.

Junior safety Hayden McCreadie intercepted two passes while sophomores Hunter Hohman and Gavin Lutz also had interceptions. McCreadie and Lutz both have four interceptions this year, good for third on the county leaderboard.

Under the guidance of veteran defensive coordinator Brad Trezona, Grove City has 11 takeaways in the last three games and a county-high 22 forced turnovers this year. The Eagles have not committed a turnover in the last three weeks and have a plus-13 turnover margin for the season. Last week's win over Hickory marked the 30th straight game that Grove City has won when winning the turnover battle.

Grove City matched a season high with 73 offensive plays against Hickory. Senior running back Curtis Hovis ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns while junior running mate Anthony Nemec added 92 yards. Hohman completed 10 of 13 passes for 107 yards. His 20-yard touchdown pass to senior H-back Zach Rodgers in the fourth quarter sealed the victory.

Hovis ranks second in the county with 992 rushing yards. He will likely become the third different Grove City back in the last four years to go over the 1,000-yard mark. Colby Nelson ran for 1,547 yards two years ago while Tyler Greer had 1,062 yards in 2018.

Nemec has added 341 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Lutz shares the county lead with 42 receptions. Hohman ranks second in the area with 1,307 passing yards and 13 touchdown tosses.

Mercyhurst Prep also features a strong passing attack as junior quarterback David Bahm, a 6-foot-4, 205-pounder, has thrown for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also rushed for seven touchdowns. Dewey Byrd leads the Lakers with 30 catches for 533 yards and three scores. Bahm completed 19 of 25 passes for 257 yards in a 27-8 win October 8 over Pymatuning Valley (Ohio) in the "Laker Bowl" in Erie. Byrd had eight catches for 116 yards.

Mercyhurst also owns wins over Girard (28-12) and North East (21-14) in Region 4 action. The Lakers fell at Fairview last week, 38-14. Bahm completed 18 of 34 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 55 yards and a score. Mercyhurst had 14 penalties for 130 yards.

Including Friday night's game at Mercyhurst University, each of the four all-time meetings has been played at a different facility. Grove City hosted Mercyhurst at Forker Field in 2002. In the 2003 opener, the teams played at Veterans Stadium in Erie. Two years ago, Grove City defeated Mercyhurst Prep in the District 10 playoffs at Fort LeBoeuf.

Hickory at Corry, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Hickory, 7-2
Last Corry Win: September 9, 1972 (14-6, at Hickory)
Last Hickory Win: October 28, 2017 (41-7, District 10 Class 3A quarterfinal at Greenville)
First Meeting: October 3, 1969 (Corry won 32-11)

An old Northwest Conference rivalry will be renewed Friday night when Hickory (5-3) visits Corry (0-5) in Class 3A crossover action.

Hickory's Region 3 title hopes evaporated last Friday night with a 20-7 setback at Grove City. Corry, meanwhile, played its first game in a month last Friday night. The Beavers dropped a 55-14 home verdict to Region 4 champion Fort LeBoeuf.

Four turnovers and an 0-for-6 performance on third down helped contribute to Hickory's setback last week. Hickory had four possessions end in Grove City territory, including an interception in the end zone early in the fourth quarter as Grove City clung to a 14-7 lead.

Junior quarterback Logan Woods continues to lead the county in passing yards (1,476), touchdown passes (19) and completions (106). Four men have double-digit reception totals for Hickory, led by senior wide receiver Ramarion Whitehead with 39 catches. Sophomore Keenan Scullin has 30 receptions while senior Jackson Pryts has 23 catches. Senior Nash Porada has emerged in recent weeks and now has 10 catches. Porada had a 70-yard touchdown catch at Grove City.

Whitehead ranks third in the county in receptions and receiving yards (499). Scullin's 552 receiving yards rank second and he also ranks fourth in catches. Pryts leads Hickory with six touchdown receptions.

Hickory will look to recharge its running game after being held to 44 rushing yards last week. Sean Kennedy leads the Hornets with 382 rushing yards and five touchdowns while Nakeem Jones has added 231 yards. Jones averages 7.2 yards per carry.

Hickory averages 4.6 yards per carry. No Mercer County team that has played six or more games this season has attempted fewer rushing plays (182) than has Hickory. The Hornets may look to take advantage of a Corry defense that allowed Fort LeBoeuf to rush for 420 yards. Four of Fort LeBoeuf's touchdown runs covered 60 or more yards.

Corry quarterback Nathan Lesher completed 13 of 18 passes for 128 yards. Nine different receivers caught passes. Hunter Savitz led the Beavers with 49 rushing yards on a dozen carries. Savitz leads Corry with 221 rushing yards this season while Lesher has 139 yards and a team-leading three touchdown runs.

Corry will face a Hickory run defense that ranks second in Mercer County in fewest yards per carry allowed (3.2) and rushing yards per game (109.4). Hickory ranks second overall in the area in total defense, allowing only 208.2 yards per game.

Corry has a minus-1 turnover margin this year while Hickory is minus-3. However, the Beavers have allowed four special teams touchdowns this year -- two kickoff returns, one punt return and a blocked punt for touchdown. Hickory has won 10 straight games when winning the turnover battle.

Hickory and Corry met yearly from 1971 to 1974 in the Northwest Conference. The teams also met in 1969 and 1970. Corry left the conference following the 1976 season for the Erie County League.

Corry's departure left a vacancy on Sharpsville's 1977 schedule that the Blue Devils could not fill with another Northwest member. (Sharpsville played Farrell in a non-league game). Sharpsville finished the 1977 season at 6-0 while Titusville went 7-0. The Northwest Conference did not crown an official champion in 1977 due to the unequal number of games played between teams.

Sharon at North East, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharon, 1-0
Last North East Win: None
Last Sharon Win: November 10, 2001 (33-0, District 10 AA title game at Erie Veterans Stadium)
First Meeting: November 10, 2001 (Sharon won 33-0 at Erie, District 10 AA title game)

Of the 500-plus road games in Sharon High School's illustrious football history, Friday night's game at North East marks an historic -- and geographic -- milestone. It will be the northernmost game played in Sharon history. The Tigers will look to enter the upcoming District 10 Class 3A playoffs on a northern trajectory by picking up a Week Nine road win.

Both teams concluded their respective region schedules with back-and-forth road games last week. Sharon (5-3, 2-2) dropped a 35-33 decision at Slippery Rock in Region 3 action. Meanwhile, North East (2-5, 2-2) rallied from a 23-14 hole to pick up a 36-23 win Saturday night at Girard in Region 4 action.

Sharon amassed a season-high 441 total yards at Slippery Rock as junior quarterback Mikey Rodriques completed 11 of 17 passes for a career-high 249 yards. Junior Jayveerh White ran for 99 yards and two scores while Rodriques and Cortez Nixon both ran for touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Ja'on Phillips hauled in six passes for 155 yards.

Phillips leads the county with 42 receptions, 765 receiving yards and nine touchdown in seven games this season. Rodriques now ranks second in the county with 18 total touchdowns (13 passing, 5 rushing) and third with 1,239 passing yards.

After starting the season as a slot receiver, White has emerged in the Sharon backfield. He ranks fourth in the county by averaging 11.3 yards per carry. He has rushed for 363 yards and six touchdowns on 32 carries. Nixon has added 309 yards.

North East allowed 24 first downs and 329 total yards last Saturday at Girard but won the turnover battle, 2-0. Zane Strong's 55-yard interception return for touchdown clinched the Grapepickers' victory.

Tyler Wittman ran for a team-leading 111 yards while Casey Burch added 93 yards and four touchdowns. Burch accounted for 30 of North East's 36 points as he kicked four extra points and ran for a two-point conversion.

Burch leads North East with 607 rushing yards while Wittman has rushed for 592 yards. Strong has a team-leading 24 catches for 351 yards. Quarterback Jackson Humes is 44 of 77 for 580 yards and two touchdowns. He has been intercepted nine passes and will go against a Sharon defense that has 11 picks this year.

The teams have two common opponents this season, Conneaut, Ohio, and Fort LeBoeuf. Sharon owns home wins over Conneaut (48-21) and Fort LeBoeuf (40-27). North East fell at Conneaut, 46-14, and suffered a 42-6 home setback against LeBoeuf in Region 4 play.

This is the first regular season meeting between the teams. Sharon defeated North East in the 2001 District 10 Class AA title game, 33-0, at Veterans Stadium.

Slippery Rock at Girard, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Slippery Rock, 1-0
Last Girard Win: None
Last Slippery Rock Win: November 8, 2003 (34-13, District 10 Class AA title game at Wilmington)
First Meeting: November 8, 2003 (Slippery Rock won 34-13 at Wilmington, District 10 Class AA title game)

Slippery Rock (5-1) and Girard (0-6) will meet for the first time ever in the regular season Friday night in western Erie County. A win would likely clinch a top-two seed for Slippery Rock in the upcoming District 10 Class 3A playoffs.

Slippery Rock concluded a two-game homestand last Friday night by pulling out a 35-33 victory over Sharon in Region 3 play. Meanwhile, Girard saw a 20-14 halftime lead evaporate in a 36-23 home loss Saturday night to North East. Girard led 23-21 with three minutes left before giving up 15 late points.

Slippery Rock earned its win over Sharon with a backup quarterback (Eli Anderson) and backup running back (Maddox Allen), along with a "backup" head coach in defensive coordinator Eli Christy, as head coach Larry Wendereusz missed the game due to illness.

A sophomore, Anderson completed 8 of 9 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in his first varsity start. He also ran for a touchdown. Allen ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns in his first offensive start of the season. He also broke up a pass on a two-point conversion as Sharon tried to tie the game with eight minutes remaining. Christy's defense recorded three sacks, forced the game's lone turnover and held Sharon to a 2-for-8 effort on third down.

Anderson started in place of junior quarterback William Mokel while Allen replaced ailing junior Brett Galcik in the offensive backfield. Wendereusz is expected back on the sideline Friday night but the availability of Galcik and Mokel is unknown.

Galcik leads Slippery Rock with 258 rushing yards. Senior Ryan Montgomery has added 219 yards and four scores. He is also the team's second-leading receiver with 12 catches. Junior John Sabo leads the Rockets with 19 catches for 400 yards and seven scores.

Slippery Rock owns the area's No. 2 scoring offense, averaging 35.7 points per game. The Rockets will face a Girard defense that yields 36.3 points per game.

Gunnar Bax leads Girard with 325 rushing yards and 13 receptions. Zach Lowe has added 319 rushing yards and leads Girard with 158 receiving yards on 12 catches. Bax ran for 87 yards and Lowe had 53 yards against North East. Lowe also had five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

Carson Stevens completed 6 of 10 passes for 73 yards while Lance Cardman went 6 of 14 for 63 yards. Stevens has thrown for 343 yards with two touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2021.

The teams have one common opponent this year, Hickory. Girard fell to visiting Hickory in Week Two, 35-7. Slippery Rock dropped a 27-23 decision to visiting Hickory in Week Seven. COVID concerns at Fort LeBoeuf canceled the season opener between the Bison and Slippery Rock. Fort LeBoeuf blanked Girard two weeks ago, 56-0.

Slippery Rock is 11-9 all-time in Erie County. The Rockets did not play a game in Erie County until September 4, 1998, when Slippery Rock opened the season with a 29-26 loss at Erie Strong Vincent. That marked the head coaching debut of Brendan Smith.