PIAA CLASS 1A QUARTERFINAL

Reynolds vs. Port Allegany at Bradford, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting
All-Time PIAA Playoff Record: Port Allegany 1-2, Reynolds 2-3

Allow Reynolds Raiders head coach Josh Mull to give the best description of his team's opponent in Friday night's state quarterfinals, Port Allegany: "They look like us."

Two district champions with powerful rushing attacks and stingy defenses collide when the Raiders and Gators clash for the first time ever at Parkway Field. Reynolds (11-1) won the District 10 title last Saturday afternoon by securing a come-from-behind 28-14 victory over previously-undefeated Eisenhower. Reynolds trailed 14-6 in the second quarter but scored the final 22 points of the game.

Port Allegany won its third all-time District 9 crown last Friday night by rallying past Brockway, in the title game, 21-14. The Gators trailed 14-7 in the fourth quarter but Noah Archer's two touchdown runs put Port Allegany ahead.

Led by a 264-yard outing from senior running back Jalen Wagner, Reynolds amassed 302 rushing yards against Eisenhower. Wagner tied the game 14-14 with a 39-yard touchdown run with 1:40 left in the first half, then put Reynolds ahead to stay with a 57-yard touchdown sprint nine seconds into the fourth quarter.

Wagner leads Reynolds with 2,698 rushing yards. He needs 277 to break the Mercer County single-season record of 2,974 yards, set by Lakeview's Blake Reddick in 2013. Wagner is not the only Reynolds player who has surpassed the 2,000-yard mark this season, however.

Senior quarterback Brayden McCloskey has accounted for 2,041 total offensive yards this year, including a Reynolds-record 1,669 passing yards. He has 15 passing touchdowns, along with 372 rushing yards and eight touchdown runs. Senior Haydin McLaughlin has amassed 823 receiving yards on his 21 catches, an average of 39.2 yards per reception. He has added 211 rushing yards. Five of McLaughlin's 18 total touchdowns have come on the ground.

Reynolds leads Mercer County in scoring offense (46.4), rushing yards per game (333.6) and total yards per game (486.7). The Raiders have scored 72 total touchdowns this year and average 9.9 yards per offensive play.

Reynolds also leads the area in rushing defense, allowing only 104.5 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry. The Raiders defense will be tested by Port Allegany's senior backfield duo of Archer and Blaine Moses.

Archer ran for 150 yards on 20 carries in the district title game against Brockway while Moses ran for 98 yards on 16 totes. Moses leads the Gators with 988 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Archer has 869 rushing yards and 11 scores. Quarterback Drew Evens, another senior, has rushed for 469 yards. Evens has thrown for 1,189 yards this year. Archer has 46 catches for 602 yards and six touchdowns.

"They spread the field to run the football. They're definitely run-first," Mull said. "On film, they look extremely big."

Moses leads Port Allegany's defense with 121 tackles. The Gators have 18 interceptions this year and have allowed only 9.3 points per game. Evens and Nick Wilfong each have five interceptions.

Port Allegany's lone loss came in Week Two, when District 9 Class 2A champion Central Clarion downed the Gators, 29-24. Port Allegany highlighted the regular season October 14 with an 8-7 win over defending state runner-up Redbank Valley. The Gators received a quarterfinal bye in the six-team District 9 tournament, then picked up an 18-6 win over Keystone in the semifinals.

"They've been in battles, when you look at the games that they have been involved in," Mull said. "That's definitely something that I think gives them a great advantage in the playoffs. When you're in games that you have to fight, you find ways to win. That's a big thing for them. We're definitely going to have our hands full."

Reynolds is 4-0-1 all-time against District 9 foes. Two years ago, the Raiders defeated Redbank Valley in the state quarterfinals at Brockway, 19-14. In 2005, Reynolds defeated Brockway in the Class AA quarterfinals, 41-16, at frigid Clarion University. In 1963, the Raiders blanked Moniteau, 27-0. Reynolds earned a 14-0 win over DuBois in 1988. The next year, the teams played to a 12-12 tie at Reynolds.

Port Allegany is 1-1 against Mercer County teams. Sharpsville defeated the Gators, 35-33, in the 2011 Class A state quarterfinals at Slippery Rock University. The next year, Port Allegany earned a 28-21 win over Sharpsville in the state quarterfinals at Bradford. That is Port Allegany's lone state playoff win.

The Reynolds-Port Allegheny winner will play the District 7 champion in next week's Class 1A state semifinals. Bishop Canevin and New Castle Union play at 11 a.m. Friday at Acrisure Stadium for the District 7 crown.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

PIAA CLASS 2A QUARTERFINAL

Farrell at Westinghouse, Cupples Stadium, Pittsburgh, 1:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 1-0
Last Farrell Win: November 20, 2021 (24-7, PIAA Class 2A First Round at Cupples Stadium)
Last Westinghouse Win: None
First Meeting: November 20, 2021 (Farrell won 24-7, PIAA Class 2A First Round at Cupples Stadium)
All-Time PIAA Playoff Record: Farrell 24-8, Westinghouse 1-3

The Farrell High School football team has one primary goal remaining: to win the Class 2A state title. The Westinghouse High football squad also currently has one goal: winning the Class 2A state title. One set of state title aspirations will evaporate Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh when the District 10 champion Steelers visit Westinghouse.

It is the second straight season that the teams have met in the postseason. Farrell ended Westinghouse's title hopes last year with a 24-7 victory in the first round of the state playoffs.

"Coach (Donta) Green has those guys well coached," Farrell head coach Amp Pegues said. "I think they've been waiting for this for a year. We have our hands full. They're a team with a lot of speed. They look just like us."

Westinghouse earned its first-ever state playoff win last Friday night with a 44-8 home win over District 9 champion Central Clarion. Then, the Bulldogs learned the next night that they would get their rematch with Farrell after the Steelers blanked Sharpsville, 26-0, in the District 10 Class 2A title game.

Farrell limited Sharpsville to 137 offensive yards on 55 plays, an average of 2.5 yards per play. The Steelers also forced three turnovers last week. Junior cornerback Brandon Chambers opened the scoring by returning a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. That marked Farrell's sixth defensive touchdown of the season.

Chambers also ran for 121 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts. Chambers leads Farrell with 971 rushing yards this season.

"He's a lockdown cornerback, a great running back and he catches the ball well," Pegues said of Chambers. "The kid has been playing dynamically. When Kylon (Wilson) went out, he showed that he can handle the load."

Chambers and his teammates will again have to handle the load this week as the Steelers will be without versatile senior Kylon Wilson. Wilson received a personal foul penalty and ejection after a post-play kerfuffle against Sharpsville. The ejection and supplemental punishment carry a two-game suspension, meaning that Wilson would also miss the state semifinals, should Farrell advance.

Wilson leads Farrell with 46 catches for 927 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has rushed for 523 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has also scored on a fumble return, kickoff return and punt return this season.

Farrell still has a well-stocked lineup, however. Junior quarterback Kabron Smith leads Mercer County in completion percentage (68.6) and passer rating (203.97). He has thrown for 1,818 yards and 22 touchdowns while only having five of his 159 attempts intercepted. He has also rushed for six touchdowns.

Senior Lamont Samuels owns 27 catches for 442 yards. Freshman wide receiver Danny Odem III has a dozen catches. Chambers has pulled in 11 passes, as has sophomore Julius Phillips.

The Farrell defense allows a county-low 3.5 yards per play and 172.6 yards per game, also the No. 1 figure locally. The Steelers allow only 11.1 points per game. Junior linebacker Marion Norris leads the Farrell defense with 93 tackles while defensive end Malachi Owens has 8.5 quarterback sacks. Overall, the Steelers have a plus-20 turnover margin.

"We still have a lot of firepower to get this thing done," Pegues said.

Westinghouse (12-0) also features ample firepower, most notably on offense. Senior quarterback Keyshawn Morsillo has thrown for 2,234 yards and 39 touchdowns this season. The 6-3, 185-pounder has also rushed for 662 yards and 16 touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Sincere Smith leads the Bulldogs with 36 catches for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns.

 The Bulldogs recorded five quarterback sacks in the first half against Central Clarion and led 20-0 at halftime. Westinghouse amassed 285 rushing yards in the win. Kahlil Taylor led Westinghouse with 69 rushing yards. Morsillo completed 10 of 17 passes for 168 yards. He also rushed for 52 yards.

Ten of Westinghouse's 12 games have been at Cupples Stadium, the home field for the five Pittsburgh City League teams. In Week Two, Westinghouse earned a 39-18 win at District 3 Class 1A titlist Steelton-Highspire. Westinghouse's other road trip came November 10 in the District 5-8 subregional title game, when the Bulldogs defeated Berlin-Brothersvalley, 59-7, in Somerset.

"To win championships, you have to go play in hostile environments and get the job done," Pegues said. "We really welcome the challenge. When you play here at Farrell, this is what you expect: to play in these types of games. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Westinghouse opened the season with a 40-8 win over perennial powerhouse Clairton. The Bulldogs also own a non-league win over Class 6A Butler, a 39-7 home triumph October 7. Westinghouse won the City League title October 29 with a 40-8 win over Allderdice.

Westinghouse earned its 600th all-time win September 22 when the Bulldogs downed Allderdice in regular season play, 38-7.

Farrell went 7-0 in Region 3, a Class 2A-3A conference that featured District 10's four Class 3A semifinalists, along with D-10 Class 2A finalist Sharpsville. "I think our league has prepared us for these situations," Pegues said.

Wilson ran for two touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass in last year's meeting. Norris recorded two of Farrell's five sacks. Farrell outgained Westinghouse, 300-259. Farrell went 3 for 11 on third down while Westinghouse converted only one of its nine third-down opportunities.

Including last year's loss to Farrell, Westinghouse is 2-7 all-time against Mercer County teams. The Bulldogs went 2-2 against Hickory from 2016 to 2019, with the home team winning all four games. Sharon defeated Westinghouse in 2006 and 2007. In 1995, Sharon defeated Westinghouse, 34-0, in the PIAA Class AAA first round at South Stadium (now Cupples Stadium). The next year, Greenville defeated the Bulldogs, 29-6, in the PIAA "AAA" first round at Sharon Tiger Stadium.

Farrell is 12-0 in PIAA playoff openers. Farrell is 7-1 in the City of Pittsburgh all-time. The lone loss came November 26, 1988 at Three Rivers Stadium when Farrell fell to Wilmington, 10-7, in the District 7 Class A title game.

Farrell won D-7 titles at Three Rivers Stadium in 1990, 1995 and 1996. Farrell defeated Brentwood at Pitt Stadium for the 1976 District 7 Class AA title, 14-8. In 2017, Farrell picked up a 62-0 win at Carrick. Four years ago, Farrell opened the season with a 40-16 win at University Prep.

The Farrell-Westinghouse winner will play the District 7 champion in the state semifinals. Steel Valley will play Beaver Falls in the D-7 title game Friday at 2 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7. Live Stats available here.