NWPASports.com

(Statistical Information Courtesy of NWPASports.com archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News. Coach comments courtesy Bob Greenburg interviews on PIC SportsLine November 10)

WEEK THIRTEEN FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Five Mercer County area teams will be in action this weekend as two District 10 titles are decided in all-local matchups while Farrell begins Class 2A state playoff action Friday night at Karns City.

Friday night, Hickory and Sharon meet for the Class 3A title at Greenville High School. Saturday night, Greenville returns the favor by heading to Hickory to play Wilmington in the Class 1A title game. Like the Class 3A championship game, the 1A title tilt is a rematch from 2024, as well as a regular season rematch.

The two title games this week are, in effect, PIAA first round playoff games as each classification currently has 16 teams remaining around the commonwealth.

FRIDAY NIGHT
CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP

No. 2 Sharon vs. No. 1 Hickory, Greenville High School, Stewart Field at Stone-Snyder Stadium, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharon, 43-19-1
Last Hickory Win: September 12, 2025 (21-19, at Sharon)
Last Sharon Win: September 13, 2024 (20-14 at Hickory)
First Meeting: September 25, 1959 (Sharon won 45-28)
District 10 Playoff Record: Hickory 40-9, Sharon 53-19

For the third straight season, Shenango Valley rivals Hickory and Sharon will meet for the District 10 Class 3A title. Hickory pulled out a 14-6 victory two years ago at Farrell, then rallied for a 37-31 win over Sharon at Slippery Rock University last season. Both of those wins avenged losses to Sharon during the regular season.

This year, Sharon will look to continue that trend of the losing team in the regular season ultimately prevailing in the championship round. Hickory held off Sharon, 21-19, in Week Four at Sharon Tiger Stadium.

Friday night's game will be the 11th meeting between the neighboring schools in the last six seasons.

"We know the opponent at hand. We are very familiar with them and the staff, the personnel," Sharon head coach Jason McElhaney said. "Nobody's tricking anybody. It's about execution and not beating yourself. There are going to be a lot of hidden yards. You have to find every inch you can to try to get an advantage."

Sharon earned its trip to the finals by rolling past North East in last week's semifinals at General McLane, 49-21. The Tigers led 35-6 at halftime as senior tailback Terrian White ran for three touchdowns and senior wide receiver Kare'mez Norris scored on a touchdown pass and a punt return in the first 24 minutes.

White ran for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Junior quarterback Gha'fir Lampkins and senior running back/receiver Bishop Root both ran for touchdowns in the second half. Norris caught five passes for 125 yards, along with his 37-yard touchdown return.

Cyliem Smith intercepted a pair of passes for the Tigers, who also had three total quarterback sacks.

Meanwhile, Hickory held off Fort LeBoeuf in the other semifinal, 34-17, at Slippery Rock University. Hickory allowed LeBoeuf to execute 91 offensive plays, good for 468 total yards.

But Hickory limited the Bison to one touchdown on four trips inside the red zone. Junior running back/safety Kelvin Morrison helped break open the game midway through the fourth quarter by returning an interception 85 yards for a touchdown. He also ran for 103 yards and three touchdowns while sophomore quarterback Christian Dungee ran for 115 yards.

Middle linebacker Kevonte Miller recorded two sacks, Mar'Zair Gardlock intercepted a pass and freshman linebacker Jaxson Schneider recovered a fumble. He and senior nose tackle Luke Lewis shared a sack.

"At the end of the day, this is where you want to be, in the District 10 championship and to have the opportunity to win another title," Hickory head coach Bill Dungee said. "I am really proud of this group."

The semifinals marked the third time this season that both Christian Dungee and Morrison ran for 100 yards in the same game. The duo achieved that feat in a 60-0 District 10 quarterfinal win over Girard. The only time it happened in the regular season came in Week Four at Sharon. That night, Morrison ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns while Dungee had 140 yards and three touchdowns.

"We are aware of how good (Dungee) and (Morrison) are with the ball in their hands. We understand that," McElhaney said. "We understand the blockers they have in front of them. They're going to make some plays, but we have to get them onto the ground and make them earn it more than we did last time.

"We missed over 40 tackles that night," McElhaney continued. "It was appalling. It was embarrassing. I give credit to their guys. Their ball carriers made us look silly. Their line blocked well and their backs ran well. They ran hard. But we should never miss 40-plus tackles. I think that is something obviously has to change."

Since midseason, Sharon has shuffled its personnel on defense, using its standard 4-3 alignment as well as some 4-4 looks. Root moved from cornerback to linebacker while a number of other combinations have been used up front and in the defensive backfield.

Over the last six games, Sharon is allowing only 2.99 yards per offensive play and 151.3 yards per game. Only Meadville (203) has surpassed 200 total offensive yards against Sharon during the Tigers' current six-game win streak.

"They've made some adjustments with their personnel, which has really helped them become faster and much more aggressive," Bill Dungee said. "We are aware of that and it's going to be a challenge. This time of year, it's all about winning up front and making the least amount of mistakes."

The game features two of Mercer County's leading rushers as Morrison ranks second with 1,527 yards in nine games, good for a county-best 169.7 yards per game. White has carried the ball a county-high 161 times for 1,415 yards and 23 touchdowns. He ranks second in the area in rushing touchdowns and third in yardage.

"He's been awesome," McElhaney said of White. "He obviously has the label as being a 'speed' guy, but I think what he has added to his game this year that's allowed him to be more successful is that his vision has gotten much, much better. He is able to run with a measure of power when he needs to.

"I'm very proud of him for stepping into this expanded role this year. He's done a great job with us and beyond what we could have expected from him."

Lampkins and senior Ethan Engelmore have split time at quarterback during the playoffs for Sharon. Engelmore began the season as the starter but Lampkins took over in Week Two at Cathedral Prep after Engelmore suffered an injury. Engelmore returned to the starting lineup after a left arm injury limited Lampkins to playing only defense.

Engelmore is 8 of 13 for 124 yards and a touchdown during the playoffs. He has thrown an interception in the postseason. Lampkins is 5 of 13 for 65 yards. For the season, Engelmore has thrown for 1,224 yards and 12 touchdowns on 70-of-122 passing. He has been intercepted four times. Lampkins, meanwhile, is 28 of 53 for 366 yards and six scores. He has not been intercepted.

"I think they are very similar," Bill Dungee said of the Sharon quarterbacks. They can both throw it. It's their offense. We are treating them very similar as dual threat guys who can operate the offense fully."

Not surprisingly, McElhaney did not reveal this week's quarterbacking plan. "We're going to play the guy who is most ready to play. We will likely play both guys still, given whatever situations may arise or whatever is needed. Both of the guys know that. They understand that. They have been great about that and they will be both fully prepared for the football game to take as many or as few reps as possible. Our week will determine that (and) the game will determine that.

"Both of those guys will be ready to go."

Christian Dungee has started all 11 games at quarterback for Hickory this season. He has thrown for 978 yards and 14 touchdowns while also ranking eighth in the county with 782 rushing yards.

Hickory ran only 29 offensive plays last week against Fort LeBoeuf, partly due to big plays and partly due to the Bison converting 10 of 18 third-down opportunities. "Offensively, I think we are really rolling, but we want to possess the ball a lot more," Bill Dungee said.

Hickory owns a plus-14 turnover margin for the season while Sharon is plus-10. "I think the team that makes the least amount of mistakes, both mentally and physically, will come out on top," Dungee said. "We can't turn the ball over. We know on Friday night, in that environment, you can't go against a great team and turn the ball over three times."

Khalil Houston's four-yard touchdown reception with 18 seconds left gave Hickory a 37-31 win last year over Sharon in the District 10 Class 3A title game. Hickory scored twice in the final 2:40 to erase Sharon's 31-23 lead. Zander Telesz scored on a two-yard touchdown run and then threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Houston on Hickory's next possession.

Morrison ran for 133 yards and a touchdown. For Sharon, White ran for 80 yards and a touchdowns. Ra'Keem Hughes caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. He also intercepted a pass. Engelmore completed 8 of 17 passes for 95 yards. 

This is the fifth time that the teams have met in the District 10 title game. In addition to its wins in 2023 and 2024, Hickory defeated Sharon in both 2015 (32-19) and 2016 (45-13) in district title games. Sharon pulled out a 14-6 win over Hickory in the 2010 Class AA title game.

This is the first postseason meeting between the programs at Greenville. Hickory is 3-0 all-time at Greenville in the District 10 playoffs. Sharon is 4-0 at Greenville in the postseason.

The winner will face District 9 champion Brockway or District 6 champion Penn Cambria in the state quarterfinals. Brockway hosts Penn Cambria in a PIAA first round game Friday night.

 The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7.

PIAA CLASS 2A FIRST ROUND
Farrell at Karns City, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 1-0
Last Farrell Win: November 26, 2021 (30-12, PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal at Karns City)
Last Karns City Win: None
First Meeting: November 26, 2021 (Farrell won 30-12 at Karns City, PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal)
PIAA Playoff Record: Farrell 24-11, Karns City 4-15

Farrell begins its fifth straight trip to the state playoffs Friday night by traveling to District 9 champion Karns City (9-2) in a PIAA first round clash.

Farrell captured its fifth straight District 10 title last Saturday night at Titusville by rolling to a 52-0 victory over Mercyhurst Prep. The Steelers intercepted three passes and held Mercyhurst to 124 total yards. Farrell's defense outscored the Lakers, 8-0, as Rhashaud Dunbar opened the scoring with a safety on the third play of the game. In the third quarter, Nemo Jones returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown as part of a 22-point outburst in that period.

Juelz Johnson and Dorean Cain also intercepted passes for Farrell, which has 20 takeaways in 11 games played this year. Farrell has 14 return touchdowns this year. The Steelers' opponents have scored 12 total touchdowns this season.

Johnson also ran for 222 yards and four touchdown on 11 carries while junior quarterback Aaron Pegues added 65 rushing yards and a touchdown. Pegues also completed 10 of 11 passes for 126 yards.

In two District 10 playoff games, Pegues has completed 26 of 28 (92.8 percent) of his attempts for 252 yards. Pegues now leads Mercer County with 1,946 total offensive yards. He has thrown for 1,480 yards while rushing for 466 yards.

Johnson continues to lead the area in rushing as he has now amassed 1,697 yards and 26 touchdowns rushing. His 30 total touchdowns and 198 points are tops in Mercer County, as is his 2,100 all-purpose yards.

Karns City will make its 16th all-time appearance in the state playoffs Friday night. The Gremlins last appeared in the state tournament in 2021 but earned their way into this year's tournament with a 42-14 win over Central Clarion in the District 9 championship game. Karns City forced five turnovers as brother linebackers C.J. Emrick and Shane Emrick both had an interception and a fumble recovery.

Offensively, Karns City's rushing attack generated 240 yards on 44 attempts. Senior halfback Owen Heginbotham ran for 90 yards while senior fullback Hunter Scherer added 66 yards and a touchdown.

Scherer leads Karns City with 688 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while Heginbotham has 682 yards. Junior quarterback Cole Johnston has accumulated 669 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has also thrown for 1,164 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

Karns City will face a Farrell defense that allows only 8.3 points and 147.9 yards per game. Opponents average only 3.3 yards per play against the Steelers. That's the lowest figure allowed by an area team since 2021, when Farrell held its opponents to 2.7 yards per play.

Coincidentally, that's the only season in which Farrell faced Karns City. The Steelers defeated Karns City in a snowstorm, 30-12, to advance to the Class 2A state semifinals.

Karns City closed the regular season with a 33-28 win at Wilmington in Week 10. The Gremlins' two losses this season are to Class 5A DuBois (56-42) and Class 4A Punxsutawney (22-19). Karns City later avenged the loss to Punxsutawney by picking up a 35-23 road win in Week Nine over the Chucks.

Punxsutawney visits Oil City in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs Friday night. DuBois fell to undefeated Hollidaysburg, 25-24, last week in a Class 5A subregional.  

Farrell's two losses this year are to District 10 Class 3A finalist Hickory, 13-12, and Ohio power Steubenville, 40-24. Steubenville remains alive in the OHSAA Division III playoffs as the Big Red visits Newark Licking Valley in a regional semifinal Friday night.

Farrell is 5-1 all-time in the PIAA First Round (Round of 16). The Steelers are 11-1 against District 9 opponents in the state playoffs. Farrell had been undefeated in both of those categories until falling at home last year to eventual state runner-up Central Clarion, 41-6. Karns City is 1-7 against Mercer County area teams in the state playoffs.

The winner play the District 6 champion in next week's state quarterfinals. Bishop McCort faces Richland at 7 p.m. Saturday in Altoona.

The game will be broadcast on News/Talk 790 WPIC. Watch on Sports Radio 96.7 or here. Live Stats available here.

SATURDAY NIGHT
CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIP

No. 2 Greenville vs. No. 1 Wilmington, Hickory High School, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Wilmington, 28-5
Last Greenville Win: October 25, 2013 (41-21)
Last Wilmington Win: August 22, 2025 (21-7 at Greenville)
First Meeting: October 16, 1998 (Greenville won 14-0)
District 10 Playoff Record: Greenville 26-28, Wilmington 45-12

Saturday night's District 10 Class 1A title game pits Mercer County's top rushing offense against the area's leading passer as Wilmington faces Greenville in Hermitage. Wilmington looks to earn its second straight District 10 Class 1A title while Greenville strives for its first district crown since winning the Class AAA crown in 1999.

"It's something that we talked to our players about. You can't take these opportunities for granted," Wilmington head coach Brandon Phillian said. "They don't come every season. They're very special."

"The goal at the beginning of the season was to get better every game and give ourselves a shot to win a District 10 title," Greenville head coach Mike Menold said. "I'm proud of all of the work that the kids and the coaches have put in to get us back in this position again."

While Greenville owns the area's top-ranked passing attack, the Trojan rushing attack helped Greenville earn a berth in the title game by virtue of a 27-14 semifinal victory over Reynolds last Saturday night. Greenville piled up 215 rushing yards, with 210 coming from the backfield trio of senior halfback Rudy Gentile, junior halfback Kaysom Mataria and junior quarterback Cael Thurber.

Gentile ran for 80 yards and a touchdown while Thurber gained 74 yards and two touchdowns. Mataria sealed the win with a 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and finished with 56 yards on six totes. Thurber also completed 7 of 11 passes for 64 yards.

Defensive tackle Cameron Reimold recorded two sacks while safety Kyle McGirr intercepted a pass.

Thurber has thrown for a county-high 1,496 yards and 22 touchdowns this year. Junior wide receiver Justin Schell leads the area with 37 catches, 886 yards and 15 touchdown catches. Greenville averages 377.0 total yards per game.

Since the days of legendary head coach Ed Snyder, Greenville primarily has been known for its power rushing attack. This year, Greenville averages 139.5 yards passing per game.

"That was the goal three years ago that we would be balanced and that we would take what the defense gives us," Menold said. "Cael has gotten better and better each week and he has a lot of kids that are capable of catching the ball and doing things with it when they have it."

Junior wide receiver Keith Covert has 20 receptions for 269 yards while senior Zach Copeland has 10 catches for 107 yards. Gentile leads Greenville with 1,173 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Mataria has 688 yards on 57 carries, an average of 12.1 yards per attempt.

"Greenville's playing very balanced football. They can beat you in different ways," Phillian said. "They have a very effective passing game and they're running the football very, very well."

No local team has rushed the ball more effectively this year than has Wilmington. The Greyhounds average an area-best 271.6 yards rushing per game, along with 44 rushing touchdowns. The Greyhounds ran for 308 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 42-7 semifinal victory over Cambridge Springs at Grove City's Forker Field.

Junior halfback Chase Mitcheltree helped pace Wilmington with 162 yards and two touchdowns while sophomore Cael Kettering added 90 yards and a touchdown from his halfback post. Mitcheltree leads Wilmington with 1,203 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while Kettering has 466 rushing yards.

Wilmington's emerging passing attack also contributed to the win as junior Wesley Vass-Gal threw for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 3-of-4 passing. All three completions went to senior split end Freddie Zehetner. Zehetner also returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown.

He and Vass-Gal share the county lead with four interceptions this year. Wilmington leads the area with a plus-16 turnover margin and has a county-low four turnovers this year.

"That's been a major, major point of emphasis, from day one in the summer," Phillian said of ball security. "It's something we've preached and really focused on. I think it's a mindset and our guys have really bought into that.

"But it's not about what we've done up to this point," Phillian continued. "It's about what we do moving forward and that will continue to be a point of emphasis. Conversely, we want to look for opportunities to take it away on defense."

Wilmington opened the season with a 21-7 victory at Greenville. Greenville took a 7-0 lead when Thurber threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Covert. Vass-Gal tied the game with a 12-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter while Mitcheltree closed the scoring with a pair of touchdown runs.

Mitcheltree ran for 181 yards as Wilmington chewed up 300 rushing yards. Wilmington also held Greenville to 71 rushing yards. Thurber completed 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards. Zehetner intercepted him twice, however.

"Anytime you play game one, game one is always an adventure," Phillian said. "You're still trying to figure out your personnel and figure out who you are from a schematic standpoint. I think we've really grown a lot in all three phases. I think that Greenville's done the same. When you watch Greenville play, I think they've also come a long way from Week One.

"They're good tacklers defensively. They get to the ball. They're well coached," he continued. "It's a team that we have tremendous respect for and we know it will be a battle on Saturday night."

Since Week One, Greenville has allowed only 140.1 rushing yards per game. Menold feels that stopping the run will be critical if the Trojans are to advance to the state playoffs. "Everybody has to do their job. Wilmington does such a great job running the offense that if all 11 guys on defense aren't doing their job, they'll make you pay. That is the singular focus on defense: do your job and do it as well as you can, because if not, Wilmington will run for 300 yards, will make big plays and it will be a long night."

In addition to its low turnover number, Wilmington has committed a county-low 54 penalties this year. Wilmington's 38.7 penalty yards per week are also No. 1 in the area.

"We have to limit the mistakes," Phillian said. "We have to limit the turnovers and we have to limit the penalties. Establishing and controlling the line of scrimmage is something that both teams are going to look to do. I think the team that does that better will have a good shot to win this football game."

Wilmington is 5-0 against Greenville in District 10 title games, winning in 2000, 2001, 2017, 2019 and 2024. 

Last year, Wilmington secured a 26-21 win over Greenville in the title game. Mitcheltree ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns to help pace the Greyhounds. Wilmington went 10 for 13 on third downs.

Schell led Greenville with seven receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Gentile ran for 67 yards and added an interception on defense.

The winner will play the District 9 champion in the state quarterfinals next week. Defending state runner-up Port Allegany faces Redbank Valley at 7 p.m. Friday in Kane.

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