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(Statistical Information Courtesy of NWPASports.com archives, The Herald and Erie Times-News)

WEEK TWO FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

For the second straight week, the Mercer County area features a nine-game schedule on the local high school football calendar. Like in Week One, the weekend features two all-local matchups. Friday night, Lakeview hosts Mercer while the next night, Greenville travels to Sharpsville.

That is one of two Saturday night games involving local teams. Slippery Rock will visit Franklin in non-conference play.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, Kennedy Catholic hosts Southington Chalker in eight-man action at Butala Stadium.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Mercer at Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Mercer, 29-14
Last Lakeview Win: August 30, 2024 (12-0 at Mercer)
Last Mercer Win: October 13, 2023 (28-20 at Lakeview)
First Meeting: September 17, 1966 (Mercer won 44-0)

The 157th Great Stoneboro Fair will feature bull riding Friday night. Two-thirds of a mile up Route 62, the Lakeview Sailors will look to corral the visiting Mercer Mustangs in the renewal of one of Mercer County's great all-sports rivalries.

Mercer has a short week after opening its season last Saturday night with a 33-6 home win over Franklin. Lakeview, meanwhile, looks to rebound from a 39-0 loss at Northwestern in Week One.

Mercer won its ninth straight opener by chewing up 283 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Halfback Parker Puskar paced the attack with a career-high 158 yards and two touchdowns while running mate Alex Leftheris added 55 yards and two scores. Senior quarterback Rider Chiappini ran for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Mercer's retooled defense forced four turnovers, including an interception by senior Kyle Suhrie in his first game since 2023. Puskar recovered two fumbles for Mercer, which held Franklin to 95 rushing yards on 30 carries.

The Mustangs finished plus-3 in turnover margin, which represented the first time Mercer had that large of a turnover margin since a plus-4 mark October 13, 2023 in a 28-20 win over Lakeview.

Lakeview forced four turnovers last Friday night at Northwestern as Greg Leige had two interceptions and Trevor Shearer picked off a pass. However, the Sailors also committed three turnovers. Ethan Johnson led the Sailors with 49 rushing yards on 10 attempts. Lakeview finished the game with 140 rushing yards. Defensively, Lakeview yielded 355 rushing yards.

Lakeview limited Mercer to four first downs August 30, 2024 as the Sailors picked up a 12-0 win in the county seat last year. Current starting Lakeview quarterback Owen Reynolds scored on a two-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. He went 2 of 3 for 24 yards in relief last year.

Puskar led Mercer with 27 rushing yards. Leftheris caught two of Chiappini's four completions. The teams combined to go 4 for 20 on third down. Lakeview went 2 for 9 but did convert 3 of 4 fourth-down opportunities.

Mercer is 14-6 all-time at Lakeview. Lakeview is 0-5 all-time against Mercer when hosting the Mustangs in the home opener.

It's the first time since 2017 that Lakeview has hosted Mercer in its home opener. Mercer edged the Sailors that night, 35-33. Mercer also spoiled Lakeview's 1989 home opener by picking up a season-opening 6-0 win September 1 of that year.

In 1976, Mercer opened the season with a 20-0 win at Lakeview. Two years prior, Lakeview dropped a 40-14 verdict to Mercer in the home opener. Lakeview's first-ever home game came against Mercer, when the visiting Mustangs captured a 44-0 win September 17, 1966. 

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

Fort LeBoeuf at Farrell, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Farrell, 2-1
Last Farrell Win: October 29, 2021 (48-21)
Last Fort LeBoeuf Win: August 30, 2024 (29-28)
First Meeting: October 6, 2017 (Farrell won 41-14)

Farrell raises the curtain on its home schedule Friday night by hosting Class 3A power Fort LeBoeuf in non-conference action at Pegues Sports Complex. The Steelers aim to avoid their second straight 0-2 start to a season while Fort LeBoeuf strives for its second 2-0 start in the last three years.

Farrell will be operating on a shorter week as the Steelers opened the 2025 season last Saturday night with a 13-12 loss at Shenango Valley rival Hickory. Dorean Cain's 41-yard touchdown reception from Aaron Pegues pulled the Steelers to within a point with 6:55 left in the game. However, Farrell's two-point attempt misfired. The Steelers had to go for two on both of their touchdowns because kicker Elijah Jackson suffered a broken leg on the opening kickoff.

Jadon King-Vincent highlighted his Farrell debut by returning the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.

Senior running back Juelz Johnson ran for 189 yards as he surpassed the 3,000-yard mark for his career. Johnson now has 3,079 career yards.

Fort LeBoeuf opened its season with a 29-22 win at Class 4A Meadville last Friday night. Senior Skylar Sadowski ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns while junior quarterback Dominic Walters added 99 yards on 20 attempts.

Johnson ran for a career-high 322 yards last year at Fort LeBoeuf but the Steelers dropped a 29-28 decision. Fort LeBoeuf scored 16 fourth-quarter points to erase a 28-13 deficit. Walters' 76-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion gave Fort LeBoeuf the lead. Walters ran for 179 yards. Neither team committed a turnover.

This is Fort LeBoeuf's first visit to Farrell since a 41-14 Steelers victory October 6, 2017. That night, Jourdan Townsend caught six passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns to help pace Farrell.

Farrell last started back-to-back seasons with consecutive losses in 1992-93. Farrell last hosted an Erie County team for its home opener in 2016, when the Steelers downed visiting North East, 40-12. In 2022, Farrell "hosted" North East at Westminster College's Memorial Field due to construction at Pegues Sports Complex. The Steelers hosted Ursuline (Ohio) the following week in the true home opener.

Fort LeBoeuf competes in District 10 Region 5, a six-team Class 3A conference. Corry, Fairview, Girard, Harbor Creek and North East join the Bison in Region 5. Fairview, Girard and North East all defeated Mercer County area teams in Week One.

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

Sharon at Cathedral Prep, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Cathedral Prep, 5-4-1
Last Cathedral Prep Win: August 30, 2024 (33-7 at Westminster College)
Last Sharon Win: September 13, 1996 (19-10)
First Meeting: October 27, 1950 (Cathedral Prep won 14-0 at Sharon)

Sharon makes its first trip to Cathedral Prep since 1997 as the two longtime District 10 powers meet Friday night at Dollinger Field. Both teams opened the season last weekend with victories, albeit with vastly different levels of drama. Sharon led visiting Mercyhurst Prep 28-0 at halftime last Saturday night en route to a 35-6 victory.

Cathedral Prep, meanwhile, needed four overtimes to outlast Region 7 rival Erie, 29-23, at Veterans Stadium. DaZarie Carson ran for 184 yards and four touchdowns as the Ramblers opened head coach Mike Mischler's third stint with a victory.

Sharon led Mercyhurst Prep 7-0 in the second quarter and after stopping the Lakers on fourth-and-goal, Sharon scored 21 points in the final 4:28 of the half. Senior tailback Terrian White scored on a 67-yard sprint and also caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Ethan Engelmore in the second period. Engelmore also tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ra'Keem Hughes during the 21-point outburst.

White finished with a career-high 122 yards and two touchdowns. He raced to a 40-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Engelmore threw for 132 yards and two scores. Kare'mez Norris pushed Sharon's lead to 35-0 in the third quarter with a 57-yard touchdown catch.

White also intercepted a pass while junior linebacker A'anavyon Brown had a sack and two forced fumbles.

Carson recovered a fumble in the end zone and also ran for two touchdowns August 30, 2024 to help Cathedral Prep pick up a 33-7 win over Sharon. Carson ran for 209 of Prep's 315 rushing yards. Engelmore scored on a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for Sharon, tying the game 7-7.

Mischler owns a 215-50 record as Cathedral Prep head coach. He guided the team from 1998 to 2004, then had a second stint as head man from 2009 to 2021. Mischler also spent three seasons as Iroquois head coach.

Sharon is 1-1 all-time at Prep. The Ramblers downed Sharon, 28-7, September 12, 1997. Jeff Valentino's one-yard touchdown run gave Sharon a 7-0 lead in the first half. T.J. Phillips led the Tigers with 75 rushing yards on 22 carries. Prep's Marc Limano ran for pair of fourth quarter touchdowns as the Ramblers rallied for the win.

In 1956, Sharon rolled to a 19-6 win at Cathedral Prep on the way to the first 10-0 season in program history.

The teams twice met for the District 10 Division I title. Cathedral Prep defeated Sharon for the 1987 title, 18-0, at Erie Veterans Stadium. Veterans Stadium served as Prep's primary home field until Dollinger Field opened 10 years ago. Cathedral Prep then pulled out a 12-10 win at Sharon in the 1988 District 10 title game.

Last year's game at Memorial Field marked the first neutral site game in series history.

Sharon last lost a regular season game in Erie County September 3, 2004, when host Girard spoiled Bob Fromm's debut as Sharon head coach, 20-6.

Grove City at Fairview, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Grove City, 8-2
Last Fairview Win: November 18, 2006 (32-7, District 10 AA semifinal at McDowell)
Last Grove City Win: August 30, 2024 (13-6)
First Meeting: November 13, 1987 (Grove City won 28-14; D-10 Division II semifinal at Girard)

In Week One, both Grove City and Fairview opened their respective seasons by playing at college facilities. Both Grove City and Fairview posted fourth-quarter comebacks after trailing by double digits at one point in the game. Unfortunately for Grove City, the similarities end there.

While Fairview scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull out a 28-21 win last Friday night over Slippery Rock at Slippery Rock University, the Eagles dropped a 36-34 decision to North East at Grove City College.

Grove City amassed 416 total yards, its highest output since the 2023 District 10 quarterfinals against Fort LeBoeuf. But the Eagles allowed North East to score on an interception return, fumble return and kickoff return. Grove City racked up 22 first downs, the highest figure among the 11 area teams in Week One. But the Eagles also posted a minus-3 turnover margin.

Freshman quarterback Heath Hohman made his varsity debut by completing 12 of 17 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Six different receivers caught passes. Levi Toth caught a career-high four passes for 84 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown. Senior running back Jaxyn Wilson also caught a touchdown pass while adding 177 rushing yards and two more scores.

Fairview quarterback Carlo Cimino threw for 101 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for two scores as Fairview erased a 13-0 lead. His touchdown run late in the first half cut the lead to 13-7 by halftime. He then scored on a four-yard run in the closing seconds to break a 21-21 deadlock. Joey O'Reilly led Fairview with 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Wilson ran for 135 yards and a touchdown last year as Grove City held off Fairview, 13-6, at Forker Field. Fairview lost three fumbles inside Grove City's 25 in the first half, including two turnovers at the 6. The Tigers had two other drives end without points in Grove City territory.

Grove City looks to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2015. The Eagles are 9-1 in their last 10 games in Erie County.

Fairview is 3-2 at home all-time against Mercer County foes, including a 1-1 mark against Grove City. The Eagles picked up a 42-7 win October 14, 2016 at Fairview. Ten years prior, Fairview downed the Eagles, 26-13.

Grove City's first-ever District 10 playoff game took place November 13, 1987, when the Eagles defeated Fairview in the Division II semifinals at Girard, 28-14. In 2006, Fairview eliminated Grove City in the D-10 Class AA semifinals, 32-7, at McDowell High School.

Reynolds at Maplewood, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Tied, 6-6
Last Maplewood Win: September 23, 2023 (27-6)
Last Reynolds Win: August 30, 2024 (35-12)
First Meeting: October 4, 2008 (Maplewood won 20-6)

Reynolds seeks its sixth 2-0 start in the last seven years when the Raiders visit Maplewood (0-1) in a non-conference clash between District 10 Class 1A adversaries.

Reynolds pulled away from visiting Eisenhower last Friday for a 60-25 Week One win. The Raiders rolled up 458 rushing yards, which marked the highest total for Reynolds since amassing 486 rushing yards October 15, 2021 in a 47-27 win at Lakeview. Senior running back Gabe Minjarez ran for a career-high 265 yards and four touchdowns while classmate Parker Nay added 109 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Brady Nehlen, who started at tailback, also ran for two scores and finished with 54 yards.

Reynolds executed only 15 offensive plays in the second half as the Raiders scored on all five of their possessions.

 Defensively, Reynolds yielded 275 rushing yards but forced three turnovers. Senior free safety Jacob Rust intercepted two passes, including one theft in the end zone that maintained the Raiders' 32-19 lead in the third quarter.  

Minjarez recorded the first 200-yard outing for a Reynolds running back in a regular season game since Jalen Wagner ran for 216 yards October 28, 2022 against North East. Minjarez's previous career high, 214 yards, came against Eisenhower last year in the District 10 quarterfinals.

Nay recorded his second career 100-yard rushing performance.

Longtime assistant coach Robert Finkbeiner took over as Maplewood head coach during the offseason. The Tigers opened the season last Friday night with a 15-8 setback at longtime rival Union City. Junior quarterback Kyle Jordan, now in his third season as the starter, threw for 72 yards on 8-of-21 passing.

Junior running back Leeroy Wolfgang ran for 72 yards and a touchdown. He also intercepted a pass. Maplewood led 8-0 after one quarter.

Reynolds led Maplewood 20-12 at halftime last year before pulling away for a 35-12 victory. Then-junior quarterback Xavier Zachrich threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Nay in the third quarter and later closed the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown run. Zachrich opened the game by returning the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown.

Zachrich finished with 110 rushing yards. He also completed 6 of 10 passes for 113 yards. Minjarez paced Reynolds with 189 yards. Jordan threw for 102 yards and a touchdown for 'Wood.

Reynolds is 1-3 all-time at Maplewood. The lone win came August 31, 2012, when the Raiders secured a season-opening 44-0 victory in Guys Mills. Reynolds has won four of its last five road openers. This is the third time that the Raiders have played at Maplewood in their road opener. Six years ago, Maplewood topped the previously-undefeated Raiders, 25-14, in Week Five. That year, Reynolds played its first four games at home.

Both teams open conference play next week. Reynolds hosts Region 1 rival Mercer. Maplewood begins Region 2 play by visiting Cochranton. Cambridge Springs, Greenville, Lakeview and Saegertown are also on Maplewood's Region 2 schedule.

Hickory at University Prep, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Hickory, 1-0
Last Hickory Win: August 30, 2024 (40-14)
Last University Prep Win: None
First Meeting: August 30, 2024 (Hickory won 40-14)

Hickory looks to earn its first-ever win in Allegheny County when the Hornets visit Pittsburgh City League member University Prep at Cupples Stadium. Hickory lost at Westinghouse in both 2017 and 2019. The Hornets' only other foray into the Pittsburgh area came October 16, 1953, when Wilmerding doubled up visiting Hickory, 12-6.

While Hickory wins in the "Steel City" have been sparse, wins over the "Steelers" have been more plentiful as Hickory edged visiting Farrell last Saturday night, 13-12. It marked Hickory's second straight season-opening win over its Shenango Valley rival.

Junior running back Kelvin Morrison broke a 6-6 tie in the fourth quarter by racing 73 yards to the end zone with 8:26 left in regulation. He finished with 200 yards on 24 carries.

Sophomore quarterback Christian Dungee made his first start on offense and completed 8 of 11 pass attempts. His seven-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Borowicz gave the Hornets a 6-0 lead in the second quarter.

Hickory's 13 points against Farrell marked the Hornets' lowest point total in a win since a 12-7 triumph over Greenville in the 2014 District 10 Class AA title game. It's Hickory's lowest regular season point total in a win since edging Reynolds in the 2002 finale, 7-6 in overtime.

This is the 15th season of play for University Prep, which won the City League in 2011, 2013 and 2016. Last season, the Panthers advanced to the PIAA Class 4A subregional finals before falling to Clearfield, 34-24.

University Prep features All-City wide receivers Zion Hauser and Micah Saunders. Sophomore quarterback Daimere Adair is in his second season as University Prep's starter behind center.

The Panthers opened the season last Friday night with a 24-14 loss to visiting Hampton at Cupples Stadium. University Prep led 14-11 after three quarters. 

Hickory rolled to a 40-14 home win over University Prep last season. Morrison ran for 142 yards and two touchdown on 16 attempts. Current junior Jadon Phillips caught five passes and also recorded an interception on defense. The Hickory defense held University Prep to a 1-for-10 effort on third down. Borowicz and Jakiah King both had sacks.

Hickory seeks its sixth 2-0 start in seven seasons under head coach Bill Dungee. University Prep is 3-3 all-time against Mercer County opponents, including a 1-1 record at home.

Hickory begins Region 4 Class 3A action next Friday at Conneaut. University Prep faces Carrick in non-conference play next week. Carrick, a member of District 8, plays an independent football schedule. University Prep begins City League play September 19 against Perry Traditional Academy. 

Hubbard (Ohio) at Wilmington, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Hubbard, 1-0
Last Hubbard Win: August 30, 2024 (39-7)
Last Wilmington Win: None
First Meeting: August 30, 2024 (Hubbard won 39-7)

The first varsity football game at the newly-named Terry Verrelli Stadium will be held Friday night as Wilmington hosts Hubbard in an interstate battle of 1-0 teams. Wilmington Area Schools named the facility after Verrelli, who won 314 games as head coach from 1978 to 1990 and then from 1992 to 2017.

Last week, Wilmington won 21-7 at Greenville by using a recipe that Verrelli's teams frequently used: mixing a powerful rushing attack with stout defense. The Greyhounds amassed 300 rushing yards while forcing three turnovers and holding Greenville to 179 total yards. All three takeaways came in the fourth quarter as Wilmington blanked the Trojans over the final 43 minutes of the game.

Junior halfback Chase Mitcheltree ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Wesley Vass-Gal, who shared time under center with sophomore Rowan Miller, scored on a 12-yard scramble 40 seconds into the second quarter.

Cornerback Freddie Zehetner intercepted two passes for Wilmington while safety Michael Mistretta recovered a fumble forced by defensive tackle Collin Rolli. It marked the first time that Wilmington opened a season with a road victory since a 42-12 win seven years ago at Sharon in Brandon Phillilan's debut as Wilmington head coach.

This will be the second straight road game to begin the season for Hubbard. It's also the second straight Hubbard road game in which the home team has had a facility milestone. In Week One, Brookfield unveiled its new artificial turf surface on its recently-constructed multisport facility behind the school.

Hubbard spoiled the festivities by rolling to a 42-0 win over its longtime Trumbull County rival. Senior quarterback Braydon Songer ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns while also throwing for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-16 accuracy. Hubbard rolled up 437 yards of total offense.

Songer caught 53 passes last season at wide receiver. He saw some action at quarterback as a sophomore in 2023.

Last spring, he helped the Hubbard baseball team to its first district title by striking out a school-record 100 batters. Songer earned eight wins, threw two no-hitters and posted a 0.33 earned run average for the Eagles, who finished 23-7.

Former West Middlesex head coach Brian Hoffman is in his 19th season as Hubbard head coach. He did not face Wilmington in his three seasons (2004-06) at West Middlesex.

Hubbard led 32-0 at halftime on the way to a 39-7 home win last season over Wilmington.

Wilmington is 3-2 at home all-time against Ohio opponents. This is the third time in program history that Wilmington has hosted an Ohio school in its home opener. The Greyhounds blanked Brookfield in the 2000 home and season opener, 48-0. Two years later, Wilmington's home schedule began with a 45-0 loss to visiting Ursuline.

Hubbard is the first Buckeye State team to visit Wilmington since September 21, 2019, when the Greyhounds downed visiting Conneaut, Ohio, 51-14. Ten years ago, Wilmington defeated visiting East Liverpool, 28-13, in the season's third week.

Hubbard is 25-19-2 all-time against Mercer County opponents. Sharpsville is Hubbard's most-frequently played Mercer County foe. Sharpsville leads the series 9-8 but the teams have not met since 1965. Hubbard has also played Farrell (Hubbard is 4-5 in the series), Greenville (2-0), Grove City (0-0-1), Hickory (4-0), Kennedy (4-1) and Sharon (1-2). Hubbard is 11-13 in the Mercer County area.

Hubbard competes in the Northeast 8 Conference. Girard, Lakeview, Niles, Poland, South Range and Struthers round out the seven-team loop. Jefferson left the league after the 2022-23 academic year. The Eagles begin Northeast 8 play September 12 at Niles.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Greenville at Sharpsville, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharpsville, 42-39-2
Last Greenville Win: August 30, 2024 (25-13)
Last Sharpsville Win: September 22, 2023 (41-13)
First Meeting: October 15, 1910 (Greenville won 17-0)

The oldest and most frequently-played active series in Mercer County resumes Saturday night when Sharpsville hosts Greenville in the 2025 home opener at McCracken Field. It will be the 84th all-time meeting between the longtime foes, who first met when the United States had but 46 states.

Appropriately, the teams will play Saturday night in Sharpsville as the Blue Devils traditionally played Saturday night home games from the mid-1940s until the 1990s. This will be Greenville's first Saturday night game at Sharpsville since a 33-0 win November 4, 1989 in the season finale for both teams.

Both teams hope that their Saturday night fortunes are better than their Friday night fortunes in Week One. Greenville had a fast start in the season opener against visiting Wilmington as the Trojans jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the Trojans yielded 300 rushing yards to Wilmington in a 21-7 setback.

Sharpsville opened 2025 on the road last Friday at Girard, Pa., and fell behind 20-0. Sophomore quarterback Brady Gerlach threw touchdown passes to classmates Lincoln Breit and Landen Hassell in the second half but the Blue Devils' comeback came up short, 20-14.

Gerlach made his first varsity start and completed 6 of 14 attempts for 80 yards. Sophomore fullback Geno Currie ran for 158 yards on 28 carries to help the Blue Devils accumulate an edge in time of possession of nearly 12 minutes.

Greenville also has a new starting quarterback in 2025, junior Cael Thurber. Thurber threw for 108 yards on 13-of-22 passing against Wilmington. Junior wide receiver Keith Covert pulled in six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Thurber also forced a fumble on defense.

Current Greenville junior wide receiver Justin Schell caught a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter last year against visiting Sharpsville to help the Trojans capture a 25-13 win. He and Thurber both had interceptions for Greenville, which led 13-6 at halftime.

Currie ran for 52 yards and a touchdown for Sharpsville. The loss snapped Sharpsville's six-game win streak in the series.

Sharpsville competes in District 10 Region 1 while Greenville begins Region 2 play next week. The teams competed against each other in the Northwest Conference from 1971 to 1980. Prior to that, the teams played in Mercer County's Class A league from the 1930s until 1970. Grove City, Hickory and Reynolds also played "Class A" in the mid- to late-1960s. Farrell and Sharon also played in that loop prior to World War II.

In the 1940s, the top Class A team in Mercer County received possession of the Cooper-Bessemer Trophy, donated by the Cooper-Bessemer plant in Grove City. That trophy fell out of circulation by 1950, however.

In 1978, Greenville entered its season finale with Sharpsville at 9-0 but the 7-1 Blue Devils pulled out a 15-14 road win. That year, the Northwest Conference did not declare an official champion due to Sharpsville only being able to schedule six league games instead of the requisite seven. Greenville, Reynolds and Sharpsville tied for the 1978 Mercer County title with 3-1 records.

Greenville and Sharpsville played yearly from 1927 to 1982. The teams did not play in 1983 due to Bradford joining the Northwest Conference and Greenville's schedule then being reworked for that season. The series resumed from 1984 to 1989. The Greenville-Sharpsville has been played every year since 2014.

Greenville-Grove City is the county's most frequently-played series, as the schools have met 108 times. Greenville leads that series, 53-50-5. However, that series is on hiatus for this PIAA two-year cycle.  

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

Series History: Slippery Rock, 8-4
Last Franklin Win: September 11, 2010 (35-31)
Last Slippery Rock Win: August 31, 2024 (38-7)
First Meeting: October 31, 1997 (Franklin won 28-12 at Slippery Rock)

Slippery Rock plays its lone Saturday game of the 2025 regular season this week as the Rockets visit Class 4A Franklin in non-conference play. It is the Rockets' first trip to Franklin in seven seasons.

Slippery Rock dropped a last-second 28-21 decision to visiting Fairview in last week's season opener at Slippery Rock University. Four second-half turnovers helped foil the Rockets, who led 13-0 early in the second quarter.

Senior quarterback Doug Popovec fired an 84-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Logan Schlobohm to put the Rockets ahead 13-0 in the second quarter. Senior running back Kole Scott ran for a pair of touchdowns and finished with 41 yards while classmate Owen Long paced Slippery Rock with 47 rushing yards.

Popovec also intercepted a pass and blocked a kick. An injury limited him to only defense, allowing sophomore John Petras to take over at quarterback. Petras completed 2 of 8 passes in his first significant varsity action.

While Slippery Rock has an extra day to prepare for Saturday night's game, it is a normal length week for Franklin as the Knights fell 33-7 at Mercer last Saturday night in the season opener. Franklin allowed 283 rushing yards at Mercer.

Sophomore quarterback Freddie Blackhurst won a three-way derby for the Franklin starting job in preseason camp. He threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ryder Stevens early in the fourth quarter. Blackhurst went 5 of 9 for 66 yards.

Slippery Rock rolled up 485 offensive yards and 21 first downs in a 38-7 victory last season over visiting Franklin. Long and Popovec both caught touchdown passes. Long ran for 92 yards.

Franklin's Caiden Mincer ran for 149 yards and the lone Franklin touchdown.

Slippery Rock owns a 3-2 record all-time at Franklin. The Rockets are 6-6 all-time in Venango County, having won 3 of 7 games at Oil City.

This is Slippery Rock's only road game in the first month of the season. The Rockets host Region 4 foes Sharon and Grove City in the next two weeks, respectively. Franklin begins a three-game homestand Saturday night. The Knights kick off Region 6 play next Friday by hosting Warren.

NORTHERN 8 - EIGHT MAN FOOTBALL

Southington (Ohio) Chalker at Kennedy Catholic, 4:00 p.m.

Series History: Kennedy, 3-0-1
Last Kennedy Win: October 22, 1977 (35-0 at Southington)
Last Southington Chalker Win: None
First Meeting: September 14, 1974 (0-0 tie at Southington)

The first eight-man football game in Mercer County history will be played Saturday afternoon as Kennedy Catholic opens its home schedule against Northern 8 conference opponent Southington Chalker.

Kennedy opened its first season of eight-man action last Friday with a 22-6 setback at Sebring last Friday night. Meanwhile, this is Southington's season debut.

Southington went 5-4 overall last year before falling to St. Mary Central Catholic in the Northern 8 semifinals.

The teams met four times in the 1970s. After a 0-0 tie in 1974, the Golden Eagles defeated visiting Southington, 27-0, September 13, 1975. That marked Dick Angle's first win as Kennedy head coach. The Golden Eagles downed Southington in 1976, 14-6, and then blanked host Southington in 1977, 35-0.

Kennedy will visit Southington Chalker September 19. This is Southington's second season of 8-man football.