Sharon at Wilmington, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Wilmington, 21-9
Last Sharon Win: October 18, 2013 (35-21)
Last Wilmington Win: August 23, 2019 (26-14)
First Meeting: September 30, 1994 (Sharon won 23-13)

If one wanted to list all of the accomplishments of the Sharon High School football program over the last 100 years, he or she would need plenty of paper. There's one thing that would be missing from that list, however: winning at Wilmington.

Sharon is 0-11 all-time against Wilmington on the Greyhounds' home field. To end that run Friday night, Sharon must defeat a surging Wilmington team that has won three straight games, including a 22-21 shocker at Hickory last week.

Wilmington trailed Hickory after three quarters, 14-0, but the "Hounds Hammer" defense kept Wilmington in the game by forcing four total turnovers. Ben Miller's two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter tied the game at 14. After Hickory reclaimed the lead, quarterback Tuff McConahy threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Buddah Book on fourth down. Tyler Mikulin then squeezed into the end zone for the game-winning two-point conversion.

McConahy also recorded two interceptions from his safety spot. Miller added an interception. Mikulin led Wilmington with 79 rushing yards and Miller added 52. McConahy threw for 67 yards and Book completed a pair of passes on gadget plays.

Miller and Mikulin both rank among the area's rushing leaders. Miller's 290 rushing yards place him eighth locally while Mikulin sits 10th with 266 yards. Book's 13 receptions rank eighth.

The "Hounds Hammer" statistical numbers may not be miniscule as in some years, but the Greyhounds still rank third in the area in scoring defense by allowing only 14.8 points per game. Wilmington also features the area's second-ranked rushing defense as opponents average only 134.8 yards per game.

Sharon's rushing attack will look to test Wilmington this week. Senior running back Jayveerh White paces the Tigers (2-2, 1-1) with 343 rushing yards while senior quarterback Mikey Rodriques has added 223 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. Rodriques led Sharon with 62 yards against Grove City. White had 22 yards on six carries. Rodriques threw for a season-high 170 yards on 17-for-31 accuracy. However, Grove City intercepted him twice.

Junior wide receiver Mister Ham leads Sharon's balanced receiving corps with eight catches. Juniors Lamont Austin and C.C. Harrison both have six catches, although Harrison will likely miss Friday night's game due to an injury suffered against Grove City. His absence will also affect Sharon in the return game and on defense at cornerback.

This is the first time since 2005 that the teams will play in the month of September. The last 14 meetings have been in August, October or November.

Sharon does have a 5-4 record at Wilmington in District 10 playoff games. Wilmington had a win streak of at least four games every season from 2015 to 2020.

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

Greenville at Sharpsville, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharpsville, 40-38-2
Last Greenville Win: September 13, 2019
Last Sharpsville Win: September 10, 2021 (33-7 at West Middlesex)
First Meeting: October 15, 1910 (Greenville won 17-0)

A series that dates back to the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire will be renewed Friday night when Sharpsville hosts longtime rival Greenville at McCracken Field. This Region 3 matchup between Class 2A foes features the area’s lone undefeated (Sharpsville) against the one area team still in pursuit of its first win, Greenville.

No team has created more turnovers in Mercer County through the first four weeks of the season than opportunistic Sharpsville, which has 14 takeaways. Sharpsville forced three turnovers last Friday in handing Slippery Rock its first loss, 28-14. That came one week after Sharpsville forced then-undefeated Reynolds to turn over the ball five times in the Blue Devils' 41-27 win.

Last season, Sharpsville forced 12 total turnovers in 10 games. Two years ago, Sharpsville forced only six turnovers in eight games.

Those additional possessions this fall have helped the Blue Devils average 409.8 total yards per game, the second-highest figure in Mercer County. Sharpsville leads the area in pass offense, averaging 246.8 yards per game.

The passing and running of Sharpsville junior quarterback Caullin Summers has ignited the Blue Devils' spread attack. Individually, Summers averages a county-best 343.2 yards per game. He leads the county with 987 yards and also ranks fourth with 386 rushing yards. He has a county-best 15 combined touchdowns rushing and passing.

He threw for 199 yards and four touchdowns last Friday night at Slippery Rock. Summers also ran for 137 yards on 21 carries. Senior wide receiver Garen Levis caught two touchdowns, including a 62-yarder, while junior wide receiver Dalton Byerly also grabbed a pair of touchdown passes.

Levis leads the county with 21 catches for 455 yards and four touchdown receptions. Senior running back Braeden Summers is tied for fourth in the area with 14 catches. He has added 144 rushing yards this season.

While the Sharpsville offense has generated plenty of yardage, scoring and excitement, Sharpsville's defense has been adept at more than merely causing turnovers. Sharpsville has allowed a county-low five touchdowns and ranks second in scoring defense by allowing an average of 13.8 points per game. The Blue Devils also rank third in rushing defense, yielding only 135.5 yards per game.

Byerly, Levis and Blaze Campbell all had quarterback sacks last week at Slippery Rock. Senior tackle Braden Scarvel anchors Sharpsville's front four. Eight players have at least one interception, with Caullin Summers leading the team with two picks.

Turnovers have also been a key factor for Greenville this season as the Trojans rank 12th in the area with a minus-7 turnover margin. Greenville has caused only two turnovers this season, which has resulted in plenty of long fields for the Trojan offense.

Like Sharpsville, Greenville has a pair of pass-catchers who have surpassed double digits in receptions this year. Senior Jase Herrick has caught a dozen passes for 185 yards while classmate Braydon Porter has added 10 receptions for 120 yards as the Trojans' primary slot receiver.

Sophomore quarterback Nick Solderich has benefited from his veteran receivers as the first-year starter has thrown for 317 yards this season. Junior Malachi Hyde paces Greenville's ground attack with 259 rushing yards. Hyde ran for 45 yards in last week's 46-7 setback to Farrell. Herrick had three catches for 75 yards, including a 70-yarder from senior halfback Mason Dickens on an option pass. Solderich scored on a one-yard sneak.

Slow starts have hampered Greenville through the first month of the season as the Trojans have not scored in the first quarter.

It’s the fourth time in five years that Greenville will play Sharpsville on the road. Last year in Week Three, Sharpsville “hosted” the Trojans at West Middlesex and earned a 33-7 victory.

Greenville seeks its first win over the Blue Devils in Sharpsville since a season-ending 33-0 victory November 4, 1989. Greenville’s last win at McCracken Field came November 2, 1996, as the Trojans picked up a 36-19 win over Slippery Rock in the District 10 Class AAA semifinals.

Greenville is 2-0 all-time at Sharpsville in the playoffs, as Greenville also owns a 45-22 win over Northwestern in the District 10 Class AA semifinals November 8, 1991. Sharpsville has won 20 of the 35 meetings played at McCracken Field. The teams played to a 6-6 tie October 17, 1942 in a game played under portable lights.

Cochranton at Mercer, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Mercer, 10-2
Last Cochranton Win: August 30, 2003 (24-0 at Mercer)
Last Mercer Win: October 30, 2020 (32-8)
First Meeting: October 11, 1929 (Cochranton won 14-0)

Two teams with 1-1 Region 1 records square off Friday night in Mercer as the Mustangs celebrate Homecoming 2022 against Cochranton. Mercer seeks its first home win this season falling to Reynolds and Wilmington in Weeks Two and Three, respectively, in the county seat.

Mercer improved to 2-0 on the road last Friday night by storming to a 35-0 lead on the way to a 42-24 triumph at Saegertown. Nate Haines and Troy Bachman both returned interceptions 45 yards to the end zone while Daemyin Mattocks sparked Mercer in the first quarter with touchdown runs of 64 and 21 yards, respectively. Carter Addison added a 69-yard scoring sprint for Mercer, which finished 253 rushing yards.

Mattocks ran for 106 yards on eight carries while Addison, the other starting halfback in Mercer's Delaware Wing-T attack, posted 84 yards on eight attempts. The Mustangs averaged 8.7 yards per carry.

In addition to the two defensive scores, Mercer held Saegertown to 39 total yards in the first half. Addison recorded a sack and recovered a fumble. Overall, Mercer forced five turnovers.

Mattocks leads Mercer with 271 rushing yards, which ranks ninth in the area. His 8.7 yards-per-carry average rates fourth-best in Mercer County. Addison has added 206 yards while averaging 8.6 yards per attempt. Junior fullback Nic Michael, the third 11th-grader in the offensive backfield, has added 118 rushing yards.

Mercer has committed a county-low three turnovers this season. The Mustangs have a plus-9 turnover margin this year and are now plus-23 overall since 2019.

Cochranton dropped to 0-2 at home last Saturday night as Kennedy Catholic blanked the Cardinals, 22-0. Kennedy limited Cochranton to 132 total yards. Blake Foulk ran for 69 yards but left the game due to injury, according to the Meadville Tribune.

Mercer owns five straight wins in the series. Seven of the previous 12 meetings between the programs came in Week One. Mercer's first-ever regular season overtime victory came in the 2002 season opener as then-rookie head coach Gary Krenzer guided the Mustangs to a 21-14 at Cochranton.

Mercer has won five straight home games against Crawford County schools. Conneaut defeated Mercer, 42-6, October 16, 2015. Cochranton is 7-31-1 all-time as a visitor against Mercer County schools.

Maplewood at Reynolds, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Maplewood, 5-3
Last Maplewood Win: November 1, 2019 (36-0, District 10 Class 1A semifinal at Meadville)
Last Reynolds Win: October 26, 2018 (36-0, District 10 Class 1A quarterfinal at Meadville)
First Meeting: October 4, 2008 (Maplewood won 20-6)

Run the ball and stop the run. It may not be exciting all of the time for football teams at any level. More often than not, however, the combination of those two abilities will lead to plenty of success for a football team. The Reynolds Raiders are a prime example of that theory.

No Mercer County team runs the ball more effectively or stops opponents' ground games with greater force than do the Raiders. Reynolds averages 343.0 rushing yards per game while allowing only 88.0 rushing yards on average. The Raiders average 9.7 yards per carry and hold teams to only 2.9 yards per attempt. Both of those figures also lead the Mercer County area.

The Raiders showcased both of those strengths last Friday night in a 46-6 triumph at Cambridge Springs. Reynolds ran for 318 yards while holding Spa to one net rushing yard on 27 attempts.

Reynolds' pass defense recorded four sacks, including three from defensive end Brayden McCloskey. Andrew McCloskey returned a first quarter interception 60 yards for a touchdown and Haydin McLaughlin also picked off a pass. Overall, Reynolds forced four turnovers.

McLaughlin opened the scoring 18 seconds into the game with a 71-yard touchdown run. He also caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Brayden McCloskey, who finished with 148 passing yards.

Not surprisingly, senior running back Jalen Wagner paced Reynolds with 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He leads the county with 929 rushing yards and shares the county lead with 11 total touchdowns. His 86 attempts lead the county, as does his 10.8 yards-per-carry average. Wagner now has 3,435 career rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns to his credit.

Brayden McCloskey leads the county in yards per pass attempt, 13.0. He has thrown for 587 and five touchdowns after becoming Reynolds's first 1,000-yard passer last year. McLaughlin has seven catches this year, but ranks third in the area with 327 receiving yards. He shares the local lead with four touchdown receptions.

Like Reynolds, Maplewood has a featured ballcarrier in the offensive backfield as senior Ben Giliberto has rushed for 619 yards and five touchdowns this year. He ran for 811 yards last year while helping Maplewood advance to the District 10 Class 1A semifinals.

Quarterback Andrew Proper has thrown for 190 yards this year. Lakeview intercepted him six times last week. This week, he will be challenged by a Reynolds secondary that features All-State defensive back McLaughlin, who led Mercer County with six interceptions in 2021.

Maplewood opened the season with a 34-26 victory over Saegertown. In Week Two, the Tigers downed Iroquois in non-conference action, 40-20, as Giliberto ran for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Jason Wargo is in his first season at Maplewood after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach at Franklin. He also coached collegiately at Thiel and at his alma mater, Geneva.

Eisenhower at Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Lakeview, 3-0
Last Eisenhower Win: None
Last Lakeview Win: November 9, 2012 (36-6 District 10 Class A quarterfinal at Warren)
First Meeting: October 15, 2010 (Lakeview won 48-13 at Eisenhower)

District 10's hottest two Class 1A teams will meet Friday night in non-region action when undefeated Eisenhower visits Lakeview. Lakeview carries a three-game win streak into Friday's game while Eisenhower has outscored its first four foes 149-48 in jumping out to its second 4-0 start in the last three seasons.

Friday night's game will feature two of District 10's top rushing attacks. Keyed by the combination of Mitchell Tingley and Danick Hinkson, Lakeview ranks second in Mercer County by averaging 237.5 yards per game. Tingley ranks third in the county with 412 rushing yards and Hinkson's 300 yards place him seventh on the local leaderboard.

Meanwhile, Eisenhower's power-oriented ground attack averages 332.5 yards per game and an 8.6 yards-per-carry average. Hard-charging 195-pound senior Benji Bauer has rolled up 675 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He had 237 yards and five touchdowns last Friday night in the Knights' 46-34 win over Seneca. He has six straight 100-yard games dating back to the 2021 season, a year in which he ran for 1,137 yards.

Lakeview will look to repeat its defensive effort from Week Four in which the Sailors held Maplewood to 140 total yards in a 24-7 road victory. Evan Sanford recorded three of the Sailors' six interceptions while Hinkson, Cameron Pence and Leyton Zacherl also recorded interceptions. Lakeview held Maplewood standout tailback Ben Giliberto to 52 rushing yards after he entered the game averaging 189 rushing yards per game.

Sanford shares the county lead with three interceptions this year. Overall, Lakeview has a county-high 11 interceptions.

The 6-foot-4 Pence has added 122 rushing yards and three touchdowns as Lakeview's starting quarterback this season. He ran for 51 yards and a touchdown at Maplewood while Tingley paced the Sailors with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Eisenhower opened the season with a 41-0 win at 2021 District 10 finalist Cochranton. The Knights picked up a 27-14 home win over Cambridge Springs in Week Two after holding the Blue Devils to minus-20 rushing yards, Eisenhower opened Region 2 play with a 35-0 home win over Union City in "The Pasture of Pain."

Lakeview is in pursuit of its first four-game win streak since 2013, when the Sailors won nine straight games on the way to the District 10 Class A title.

SATURDAY GAMES

St. John's Prep (Md.) at Kennedy Catholic, 1:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

Kennedy Catholic capped a three-game road trip last Saturday night by earning a 22-0 Region 1 victory at Cochranton. Now, the Golden Eagles return to Butala Stadium to host St. John's Catholic Prep, based in Buckeystown, Md.

It had been almost 16 years since Kennedy shut out an opponent on its home turf prior to last week's victory. The Golden Eagles (1-3, 1-2) forced five turnovers and allowed only 132 total yards. Damian Harrison and Sean Yeager both picked off passes while the rushing defense held Cochranton to 2.5 yards per carry on 37 attempts.

Meanwhile, Kennedy's rushing attack gained 236 yards, the highest team total since the program's re-launch in 2020. Quarterback Simeir Wade ran for 170 yards and two trips to the end zone, while Ashton Baker-Ethier added 50 yards and a touchdown. Wade also completed 10 of 17 passes for 66 yards.

Wade ranks second in the county with 654 rushing yards and a 10.4 yards-per-carry average. His 50 total points rank third in Mercer County.

Senior Jermaine Dunlap leads Kennedy with 12 catches for 127 yards. Yeager leads the defense with two interceptions.

Kennedy's most recent road shutout had been a 41-0 win November 3, 2006 at Farrell. Kennedy's last shutout overall occurred October 10, 2009 as the Golden Eagles picked up a 7-0 win over Conneaut Lake.

St. John's (2-1) opened the season September 2 with a 12-7 win over Winters Mill. After a 22-14 loss to Francis Scott Key, the Vikings blanked host Central Maryland Christian Crusaders, 41-0. Senior running back Drew Hutchins ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries while sophomore Javen Travis added 54 yards and two scores. Sophomore quarterback Shane Meyer completed 6 of 9 passes for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hutchins leads St. John's with 252 rushing yards. Meyer has thrown for 191 yards.

St. John's Prep belongs to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, a boys sports organization for private schools. Buckeystown, Md., is located about 40 miles west of Baltimore and 35 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., near Frederick, Md. The trip to Hermitage will be approximately 270 miles each way. St. John's Prep has approximately 70 to 75 total students in each class.

This is the first time that a Maryland school will play at Kennedy. Northern Garrett, based in Accident, Md., forfeited its October 4, 1980 game at Kennedy. Fourteen years later, Kennedy earned a 15-11 win at Bullis School, located in Potomac, Md.

Hickory at Farrell, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 8-4
Last Farrell Win: September 24, 2010 (39-12 at Hickory)
Last Hickory Win: October 11, 2013 (60-14 at Farrell)
First Meeting: October 28, 1955 (Farrell won 32-0)

Farrell (3-1, 2-0) will play its second straight Saturday night home game when the Region 3 co-leaders host backyard rival Hickory (2-2, 0-2) at the Pegues Sports Complex. It's the first meeting between the neighboring schools since October 11, 2013.

Saturday night's clash features two of the area's top passing attacks, along with two highly-ranked pass defenses. Hickory ranks third in Mercer County, averaging 223.2 passing yards per game. Senior quarterback Logan Woods, the county's leading passer in 2021, currently ranks third locally with 834 passing yards.

Meanwhile, Farrell junior quarterback Kabron Smith has completed a county-best 70.7 percent of his pass attempts this season. He leads the area with a 196.7 rating (NCAA formula) and his 792 passing yards rank fourth. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 209 yards in last week's 46-7 win at Greenville.

Farrell senior wide receiver Kylon Wilson shares the county lead with 21 catches while Hickory junior Keenan Scullin has 19 receptions, good for third in the local leaders. Hickory's Will Acrie leads the county in yards per catch, averaging 25.9.

Farrell has allowed only 280 passing yards this season. Hickory, meanwhile, has limited opposing quarterbacks to 44.9 percent accuracy and only two touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

Overall, Hickory allows a county-low 4.1 yards per offensive play and only 3.6 yards per rushing attempt.

While Farrell has a noted passing game, the Steelers' ground attack also plays a leading role. Farrell ran for 275 yards as a team last Friday night at Greenville. Wilson led the way with 115 yards and two scores on nine carries while junior Brandon Chambers posted 85 yards and a touchdown.

Chambers leads Farrell with 325 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Wilson has added 220 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Wilson shares the team lead in touchdown catches with Lamont Samuels as each player has four. Samuels caught five balls for 102 yards in the win at Greenville.

Farrell has won back-to-back games while Hickory looks to snap a two-game slide. The Hornets fell to 0-2 in the region with a 22-21 setback to visiting Wilmington. Woods completed 24 of 37 passes for 192 yards as six difference receivers caught passes. Luke Nevil had a career-high seven receptions for 68 yards and a score while Scullin added six catches. Junior Sean Kennedy led Hickory's rushing attack with 76 yards and two touchdowns. Kennedy leads Hickory with 120 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

Finishing drives will be critical for Hickory. In its two losses, the Hornets had nine drives end in opponent territory without points being scored. Six of those nine drives ended at the 25-yard line or closer to the goal line.

Hickory has won three straight games with Farrell (2011-13). The Hornets have also won three straight games at Farrell, earning wins in 1984 (17-6), 2011 (28-6) and 2013 (60-14). Hickory's last regular season loss at Farrell's field took place September 27, 1996, when Sharon earned a 35-0 win over "host" Hickory. Stadium renovations in 1996 forced Hickory to play home games at Kennedy Christian and Farrell that fall.

This is the first time since 1980 that Farrell will play consecutive home games on Saturdays. First-year head coach Lou Falconi guided Farrell to a 12-7 win October 18, 1980 over visiting Slippery Rock. Two weeks later, Farrell defeated Riverside in the regular season finale, 20-9. Farrell played Saturday afternoon home games from 1971 to 1980. 

The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7.