NWPASports.com

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

WEEK THREE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Eight of the area's 11 teams begin conference play this weekend as the calendar has flipped to August. The third week of the season features a pair of all-local matchups. Undefeated Mercer visits unbeaten Reynolds while Sharon treks to Slippery Rock in a matchup of Class 3A squads.

Farrell, Sharpsville and Wilmington are the three local programs not in league play. Sharpsville leaves the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania this week, but it's Wilmington that has the longest trip of the weekend as the Greyhounds venture to Loysburg, Pa., to face District 5 power Northern Bedford County.

Farrell's game at Ursuline, Ohio, has been canceled. Farrell will receive a forfeit victory.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Mercer at Reynolds, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Reynolds, 27-9
Last Mercer Win: November 1, 2013 (32-28)
Last Reynolds Win: September 6, 2024 (32-31 at Mercer, 3 OTs)
First Meeting: September 23, 1960 (Mercer won 55-0)

Mercer County's highest scoring offense will face the area's stingiest defense Friday night as Reynolds (2-0) hosts Mercer (2-0) in both teams' Region 1 opener. Reynolds averages a county-high 49.0 points per game while averaging a county-best 11.2 yards per offensive play, 13.0 yards per pass attempt and 10.4 yards per rushing attack.

Mercer's revamped defense has allowed a county-low 12 points this season. Opposing offenses are averaging only 3.2 yards per play and 125.0 offensive yards per game against the Mustangs.

Last week, Mercer held host Lakeview to five first downs and 89 total yards in a 14-6 non-conference win. Mercer held the Sailors to an 0-for-9 effort on third down. Senior linebacker Alex Leftheris recorded two sacks for the Mustangs.

Leftheris also led Mercer with 96 rushing yards as the Mustangs finished with 248 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Rider Chiappini added 72 yards while senior halfback Parker Puskar and junior fullback Preston Michael both ran for touchdowns.

Puskar finished with 50 yards and now leads Mercer with 208 rushing yards. That figure ranks eighth in the county. However, he left last week's game in the second quarter with an apparent knee injury.

Reynolds boasts the area's leading rusher (Gabe Minjarez) and the county leader in yards per carry (Parker Nay) after the first fortnight of games. Minjarez ran for 116 yards and a touchdown last week in the Raiders' 38-6 win at Maplewood. He now has 381 rushing yards.

Nay averages 13.9 yards per carry. However, Nay did his damage in the passing game last week at Maplewood, as he caught nine passes for a Mercer County-record 263 yards and four touchdowns. Nay caught three touchdowns from senior Xavier Zachrich and also hauled in a 28-yard scoring strike from junior quarterback Connor Belback.

Nay currently leads the area with six touchdowns, 38 points, 447 all-purpose yards, 280 receiving yards and 11 catches. Zachrich leads the county with a 216.8 passer rating (NCAA formula) and has thrown for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

Reynolds secured a one-point win over Mercer in each of the last two seasons. Two years ago at Reynolds, the Raiders stopped a two-point conversion attempt with 1:41 remaining in the game to preserve a 28-27 win. Last year, Reynolds captured a 32-31 victory in triple overtime at Mercer. Minjarez's eight-yard touchdown run and Gerardo Hernandez's successful extra point gave Reynolds the win. Mercer took a 31-25 lead when Michael caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Chiappini. But Mercer's two-point attempt failed.

Zachrich completed 14 of 20 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Nay had seven catches for 112 yards and two scores while Giovanni Guerino also caught a touchdown pass. Minjarez led Reynolds with 87 rushing yards. Leftheris led Mercer with 84 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Mercer led 19-7 in the third quarter but Nay's 33-yard interception return for a touchdown and his later 20-yard touchdown catch tied the game at 19.

Reynolds has won 12 straight games in the series. Mercer's last win over the Raiders came in the season finale 12 years ago, when the Mustangs earned a 32-28 victory November 1, 2013 over visiting Reynolds. This is the 16th straight season in which the schools have met. Mercer defeated Reynolds in Greenville, 20-13, September 23, 1961, in the first-ever "home" game for the Raiders at Packard Park. 

The game will be broadcast on Sports Radio 96.7.  

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

Series History: Sharon, 29-7
Last Sharon Win: September 6, 2023 (42-0)
Last Slippery Rock Win: October 15, 2021 (35-33)
First Meeting: September 9, 1988 (Sharon won 34-0)

Defending Region 4 champion Sharon begins defense of its conference title Friday night at Slippery Rock in a matchup of 1-1 teams. It is Sharon's second consecutive road game as the Tigers dropped a 43-41 decision in Week Two at Cathedral Prep.

Slippery Rock, meanwhile, will play its first game of the season at Troy-Alan Stadium after renovations at the high school forced the Rockets' season opener with Fairview to be moved to Slippery Rock University.

Like Sharon, Slippery Rock traveled north last week in non-region action. The Rockets scored the final 19 points of the game last Saturday night on the way to a 26-7 win at Class 4A Franklin. Senior quarterback/safety Doug Popovec scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, then closed the scoring with a 56-yard interception return for touchdown in the final period.

In between, senior running back Kole Scott ran for a pair of touchdowns. Scott finished with a career-high 126 rushing yards.

Slippery Rock's pass defense leads the 11-team area by allowing 3.7 yards per attempt. The Rockets are also holding opposing quarterback to 36.4 percent accuracy and have not allowed a touchdown pass. Slippery Rock's secondary will face its stiffest test so far, however, against Sharon's explosive passing game.

Last week at Cathedral Prep, senior starting quarterback Ethan Engelmore threw for 66 yards and a touchdown before leaving due to an injury. Junior Gha'fir Lampkins -- a two-year starter at free safety -- came out the bullpen to throw for 174 yards and four touchdowns on 16-of-23 accuracy in his first extended varsity action behind center.

Senior wide receiver Bishop Root made his season debut after injuries sidelined him for much of 2024 and the start of the 2025 season. He caught nine passes for 70 yards, including three touchdowns in his return. Fellow senior Kare'mez Norris pulled in four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown while senior tailback Terrian White also caught a touchdown pass.

White ran for 136 yards and a touchdown while adding 50 receiving yards.

Sharon's 47 pass attempts are the most by any local team through the first two weeks of the season. The Tigers have attempted a county-low 37 rushing plays so far this season. White ranks sixth in the area with 257 yards while averaging 12.2 yards per carry.

Sharon blanked visiting Slippery Rock, 42-0, last season. Norris returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown while Engelmore finished 10 of 12 for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Sharon limited Slippery Rock to two first downs and 38 total yards. Current senior Owen Long led Slippery Rock with 50 rushing yards.

The average Sharon drive started at Slippery Rock's 44 as five of seven Tiger possessions started on the Rockets' side of midfield.

This is Sharon's first trip to Slippery Rock High School since a 20-6 win October 7, 2022. Sharon is 12-5 all-time at Slippery Rock.

Hickory at Conneaut, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Conneaut, 2-1
Last Conneaut Win: September 13, 2019 (38-12)
Last Hickory Win: September 5, 2024 (63-6)
First Meeting: September 14, 2018 (Conneaut won 26-10 at Hickory)

A pair of 2-0 teams meet Friday night in Linesville as Hickory travels to Conneaut in the Region 4 Class 3A opener for both teams. Hickory seeks its second straight 3-0 start while Conneaut last started 3-0 in 2015.

Friday's game marks the second game in Hickory's three-game road trip. That road swing began in Pittsburgh last Friday with a 41-24 win over City League member University Prep. Hickory allowed 329 total yards but the Hornets recorded five takeaways.

Junior cornerback Jadon Phillips returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 100-yard effort on the final play of the game. Marzair Garlock also had an interception while sophomore defensive end Dante Evans had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two recoveries.

Offensively, Hickory's spread attack again featured balance. Junior tailback Kelvin Morrison ran for 135 yards on 19 attempts while sophomore quarterback Christian Dungee ran for two scores. Junior running back Bryson Applegarth also ran for a score. Dungee also completed 7 of 9 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Trevor Borowicz caught a touchdown pass for the second time in as many weeks.

Dungee has completed 15 of 20 pass attempts this year, good for a county-best 75.0 completion percentage. Morrison has moved into third place in the county with 335 rushing yards.

Hickory leads the 11-team area with a plus-6 turnover margin. Hickory is the only local team to have not turned over the ball so far in 2025.

Conneaut has an extra day of preparation for the game after winning last Thursday night at rain-soaked Iroquois, 23-13. Aidan Ford's 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter helped seal the win after Iroquois closed the gap to 16-13 in the third quarter. The Eagles held Iroquois to minus-3 rushing yards and nine total yards in the second half.

Ford leads Conneaut with 223 rushing yards. He had 138 rushing yards and four touchdowns on eight carries in a season-opening 48-6 hiding of Warren. Quarterback Mason Stone threw for 66 yards on 4-of-6 passing.

Hickory led 28-0 after one quarter last year on the way to a 63-6 home win over the Eagles. Hickory held Conneaut to 119 total yards and a 2-for-14 effort on third down. Morrison ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns in limited action. Phillips caught two touchdown passes and finished with 123 yards on three scores.

Hickory is 13-10-1 all-time in Crawford County, including two District 10 playoff victories at Meadville. This is Hickory's first trip to Linesville since a 38-12 loss September 13, 2019 at Conneaut. That year, the Hornets started 3-0 under first-year head coach Bill Dungee before being upended by the Eagles.

Hickory's first-ever varsity football game took place in Crawford County. The Hornets won at Cambridge Springs, 12-7, in the 1945 season opener September 14 of that year.

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

Series History: Grove City, 23-15
Last Grove City Win: October 8, 2021 (42-6 at Titusville)
Last Titusville Win: September 6, 2024 (36-7)
First Meeting: November 3, 1934 (Grove City won 13-0 at Titusville)

Which Mercer County team leads the area in total offense and passing offense? One might be surprised to find out it's the team with the freshman starting quarterback, a newly-installed starting freshman running back, a revamped receiving corps and a retooled offensive line -- the Grove City Eagles.

Now, the Eagles enter conference play Friday night by hosting a Titusville squad that scored 55 points in its most recent outing.

Grove City enters Friday night's game averaging 475.0 total yards per game, along with 193.0 passing yards per game. Freshman quarterback Heath Hohman has thrown for a county-high 386 yards while completing 68.3 percent of his passes. In last week's 43-7 win at Fairview, Hohman completed 16 of 24 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Junior wide receiving Levi Toth caught a career-high five passes for 66 yards while sophomore wide receiver Charlie Miller and freshman running back Gavin Purdy caught touchdowns. Purdy also ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns in his first scholastic start.

Grove City finished with 534 total yards, which marked the Eagles' highest single-game total since piling up 610 yards October 20, 2023 against Wilmington. That's the highest yardage total so far by a Mercer County team this season. The Eagles' 297 rushing yards represented Grove City's highest single-game rushing mark since gaining 370 yards October 1, 2021 at Sharon.

Titusville rolled up 371 yards last week but fell to visiting Girard in overtime, 56-55, at historic Carter Field. After Girard took a 56-49 lead on its overtime possession, Titusville junior running back Jaydin O'Neill scored his third rushing touchdown of the game. Titusville went for the win but Brody Sellen's two-point pass fell incomplete.

O'Neill ran for 204 yards. Sellen completed 12 of 21 passes for 129 yards and three scores. Blake Ross grabbed seven receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Michael Culpepper also caught a touchdown pass and returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

O'Neill leads Titusville with 279 rushing yards. Sellen has thrown for 232 yards and three scores this year. Ross leads the Rockets with 11 catches for 147 yards. Titusville opened the season August 22 with a 49-10 home loss to longtime local rival Corry.

Grove City is the only Mercer County team to not have a takeaway so far in 2025.

Titusville thumped visiting Grove City last season, 36-7, in a game that featured two lightning delays. Sellen had an interception for Titusville, one of three Rocket takeaways. For Grove City, current junior Drake Moore made his first start at quarterback and completed 11 of 17 passes.

Grove City head coach Sam Mowrey is a 2000 Titusville High School graduate. He then played collegiately at Grove City College and threw a program-record 16 touchdown passes as a senior in 2003. Fourth-year Titusville head coach Mike Reynolds is also a Grove City College alumnus. He earned First Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference at defensive end for the Wolverines as a senior in 1996.

Grove City and Titusville have met once in the playoffs. In 1997, Grove City rallied to edge Titusville, 22-20, in the District 10 Class AAA playoffs in a rainstorm at Franklin. The teams played against each other in the Northwest Conference from 1973 to 1980. Titusville won six of the eight meetings. The Northwest Conference started in 1971, but the teams did not play in 1971 nor 1972.

On the way to an undefeated season 56 years ago, Grove City pulled out a last-minute 6-0 win October 3, 1969 over highly-touted Titusville before a sellout Homecoming crowd at Forker Field. Grove City quarterback Dan Englehart scored on a one-yard sneak with 1:18 left in the game. The Eagles finished with 288 rushing yards that night. Titusville had blanked Grove City in each of the previous four seasons.

Grove City is 10-7 all-time at home against Titusville. The Rockets last won at Forker Field 44 years ago as head coach Buck Crabb's squad pulled out a 14-6 win September 18, 1981 over Grove City. The teams did not play again in the regular season for 31 years after that game.

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

Cambridge Springs at Greenville, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Greenville, 5-0
Last Cambridge Springs Win: None
Last Greenville Win: November 9, 2024 (27-26, District 10 Class 1A semifinal at Meadville)
First Meeting: October 16, 1920 (Greenville won 25-0)

It's a District 10 Class 1A playoff rematch Friday night as Greenville hosts Cambridge Springs in the Region 2 opener for both Class 1A teams. Spa will be making its third-ever regular season trip to Greenville and first regular season trip to Stewart Field at Stone-Snyder Stadium since 1967.

Friday's league lidlifter will feature two of District 10's most powerful offensive attacks, albeit with different methods. Greenville boasts a balanced attack that averages 162.0 rushing yards and 143.5 passing yards per outing. Cambridge Springs, on the other hand, relies on a punishing ground attack that averages 211.5 yards per game.

Both offenses showcased their respective strengths in Week Two victories. Greenville (1-1) rolled up 432 yards in a 46-13 victory at longtime rival Sharpsville. Senior running back Rudy Gentile ran for 112 of Greenville's 253 rushing yards. Meanwhile, junior quarterback Cael Thurber threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns on 10-of-14 passing. Classmate Justin Schell caught five passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns while finishing with 232 all-purpose yards.

Gentile leads Greenville with 163 yards while junior Kaysom Materia has added 91 yards on eight attempts. Thurber's 287 passing yards rank fourth on the local leaderboard.

Cambridge Springs opened its home schedule with a 43-18 victory over Northwestern, thanks to 309 rushing yards. Senior fullback Brett Kania ran for 212 yards and two scores while senior quarterback Brandon Hoover totaled 106 rushing yards and a score. He also threw for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

Kania now has 3,854 career rushing yards. He ran for 1,543 yards last year after chewing up 1,310 yards in 2023 as a sophomore.

Cambridge Springs will face a Greenville defense that has allowed 498 rushing yards over the first two weeks of the season. However, Greenville has also defending a county-high 97 opponent rushing plays this  year.

Spa opened the season with a 28-22 loss at Fairport (Ohio) Harding.

Greenville edged the Blue Devils in last year's district semifinals at Meadville, 27-26. Greenville stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the closing moments to preserve the victory. Schell caught six passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns. His 69-yard touchdown catch broke a 20-20 tie in the fourth quarter.

Greenville opened the Region 2 schedule last year with a 17-0 win at Cambridge Springs in Week Three. Keith Covert returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown while tight end Jackson Leskovac doubled the lead in the second quarter by catching a 30-yard touchdown pass from Thurber.

Six of Cambridge Springs' seven drives ended in Greenville territory. Three possessions ended with turnovers while three others ended on downs. Thurber intercepted a pass while current junior tackle Cameron Reimold recovered a fumble. Gentile ran for 92 yards.

Cambridge Springs went a combined 14 of 25 on third down in last year's two meetings. Greenville went 5 for 16.

Cambridge Springs has lost three District 10 playoff games at Greenville since its last regular season trip 58 years ago. Wilmington defeated Spa in the 1995 Class AA semifinals, 27-8. Seven years later, West Middlesex edged Cambridge Springs in the Class A semis, 7-6. In 2017, Farrell downed the Blue Devils, 52-17, in the district title game at Greenville.

Saegertown at Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Saegertown, 18-15
Last Lakeview Win: September 1, 2023 (58-19)
Last Saegertown Win: September 6, 2024 (31-29)
First Meeting: September 23, 1977 (Lakeview won 22-12 at Saegertown)

The Region 2 schedule begins Friday night for both Lakeview and Saegertown as the longtime adversaries both enter Week Three in search of their first win in 2025. Both teams dropped narrow home decisions last week against Class 2A teams. Lakeview opened its home schedule with a 14-6 setback against Mercer. Meanwhile, Saegertown dropped a 34-28 verdict to visiting Eisenhower.

Lakeview fields one of District 10's youngest starting lineups, with three freshmen and two sophomores comprising the offensive line. Two of the Sailors' few veterans combined for the team's touchdown against Mercer as senior quarterback Owen Reynolds fired a 50-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Julian Zacherl. Zacherl started the game at running back but moved back to wide receiver, where he started in 2024, in the second half.

The Sailors welcome back senior running back Gavin Schell this week after he missed the first two weeks due to ejection in last year's District 10 quarterfinals against Greenville. Schell ran for 187 yards last year while primarily playing fullback.

In spite of the overall inexperience, Lakeview ranks second in the 11-team area in penalty yardage, having been flagged only 11 times for 46 yards. The Sailors also rank second in the county with five takeaways.

Saegertown amassed 304 rushing yards as a team last week against Eisenhower. Junior running back Blake Burchill ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns while senior quarterback William Shaffer rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Burchill leads the Panthers with 199 yards and Shaffer has added 176 yards this season.

Burchill scored three times in Saegertown's season-opening 42-20 loss at Seneca.

Saegertown finished 6-5 last year, which marked the Panthers' best season in 13 years. Head coach James Wolfgang is in his 10th season at Saegertown.

Last year, the Panthers pulled out a 31-29 win over visiting Lakeview. Elliot McWright's 26-yard field goal as time expired gave Saegertown its first win over the Sailors since 2003. Saegertown has won 10 of 16 meetings at Lakeview, but has lost in its last three trips to "The Twin Cities." Saegertown's last win at Lakeview came October 18, 2002, a 35-6 triumph.

The teams first met as league foes in 1978, with visiting Saegertown earning a 29-7 Crawford County League win. The schools played yearly from 1980 to 2003 as members of the French Creek Valley Conference.

Sharpsville at Brookfield, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharpsville, 30-22-4
Last Brookfield Win: October 3, 1986 (13-7 at Sharpsville)
Last Sharpsville Win: September 8, 2001 (35-0)
First Meeting: November 14, 1925 (13-13 Tie at Brookfield)

It is fitting that in 100th anniversary season of the first meeting between these two longtime Shenango Valley rivals, Brookfield and Sharpsville will renew their football series. It's the first meeting in 23 years and 57th all-time clash between the bordering schools that are separated by five miles.

Sharpsville dropped to 0-2 last Saturday night with a 46-13 home loss to longtime rival Greenville. The Blue Devils also likely lost sophomore quarterback Brady Gerlach for the season due to a broken collarbone suffered late in the first half.

Fullback Geno Currie took the bulk of the snaps in the second half for Sharpsville, although senior starting cornerback Michael McClearn played the final series of the game at quarterback. The Sharpsville roster listed only Gerlach as a quarterback.

While operating at both running back and quarterback, Currie ran for 180 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries last week. He ranks second in the county with 338 rushing yards and leads the area with 55 rushing attempts.

Sharpsville owns nearly a 2-to-1 edge in average time of possession on the season. The Blue Devils are averaging 31 minutes, 7 seconds worth of possession through the first two weeks of the season. The Blue Devils have executed 111 offensive plays so far.

Brookfield (0-2) will play its third of four straight home games. The Warriors are in pursuit of their first win on the new turf at their athletic facility behind the Bedford Road school building. Hubbard blanked Brookfield in Week One, 48-0. Last week, Springfield Local picked up a 20-7 win over the Warriors.

Brookfield competes in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (MVAC) Gray Tier, along with Champion, Crestview, Garfield, LaBrae, Liberty, Newton Falls and Ravenna Southeast. Brookfield, Champion, LaBrae, Liberty and Newton Falls all formerly competed in the Trumbull Athletic Conference (TAC-8) in the 1990s and 2000s. Brookfield hosts Champion in next week in the MVAC opener.

The Warriors are Division VI in OHSAA parlance. Sharpsville would also be considered Division VI by Ohio enrollment standards.

Both teams aim for faster starts this week. Sharpsville has been outscored 27-0 in the first quarter this year while Brookfield's opponents have outscored the Warriors 21-0 in the first 12 minutes.

Brookfield went 3-7 last season, snapping a streak of six straight postseason appearances. Head coach Randy Clark is in his 21st season leading the program. He owns a 123-91 record.

Sharpsville and Brookfield played yearly from 1940 to 1978. Brookfield concluded a 10-0 regular season in 1978 with a 26-5 home win over Sharpsville. The Warriors went on to win the Ohio state title in Class AA. In 1977, Sharpsville downed 9-0 Brookfield, 18-14, in the season finale. That night, Sharpsville's Jim Leetch recovered three fumbles and returned two for touchdowns.

Brookfield is 44-29-5 all-time at home against Mercer County area teams. Sharpsville is the first area team to visit Brookfield since August 30, 2003, when Slippery Rock blanked the homestanding Warriors, 42-0, in the season opener. That's also the last time Brookfield played a Pennsylvania team.

The Warriors have hosted each of the 12 active Mercer County area football programs at least once over the last century. Notably, Brookfield never played West Middlesex.

This is Sharpsville's first trip to Ohio since a 28-21 win September 17, 2021 at Jefferson, Ohio. Sharpsville is 19-25-2 all-time in Ohio. 

Wilmington at Northern Bedford County, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Wilmington, 1-0
Last Northern Bedford County Win: None
Last Wilmington Win: September 6, 2024 (21-19)
First Meeting: September 6, 2024 (Wilmington won 21-19)

While Sharpsville has a short trip in non-conference play, Region 1 brethren Wilmington travels to south central Pennsylvania to face District 5 power Northern Bedford County. Wilmington's 150-mile jaunt to Bedford County will the Greyhounds' first trip to District 5 since a 35-20 win over Chestnut Ridge in the PIAA Class 2A playoffs six years ago at Somerset. It's the 'Hounds longest in-state trip since their trip to Hershey in 2020 for the Class 2A state title game against Southern Columbia.

Wilmington dropped to 1-1 last week with a 28-21 loss to visiting Hubbard at Terry Verrelli Stadium. The Greyhounds chewed up 317 rushing yards, their second straight game with 300 or more rushing yards to begin the season. Junior right halfback Chase Mitcheltree ran for 147 yards and a score while quarterbacks Rowan Miller and Wesley Vass-Gal also scored rushing touchdowns. Miller ran for 73 yards. Vass-Gal started the game at split end, with split Freddie Zehetner sliding to left halfback in the Greyhounds' reshuffled offensive backfield.

Wilmington leads the 11-team area in rushing offense, averaging 308.5 yards per game. No team has executed more rushing plays than has Wilmington, with 105. Mitcheltree's 328 rushing yards are No. 5 locally. His 444 all-purpose yards are No. 2 in the area.

Wilmington has not scored in either the first quarter nor third quarter this season. The Greyhounds have committed only four penalties for 21 yards over the first two weeks of the season.

A pair of narrow setbacks has Northern Bedford County at 0-2 for the first time in seven years. The Panthers held host Southern Huntingdon to 143 total yards in Week One but dropped a 13-7 decision in Three Springs, Pa. Last week, the Panthers forged a 14-14 tie in the third quarter after trailing Claysburg-Kimmel by two touchdowns at halftime. However, Northern Bedford fell, 17-14.

Senior running back Ben Clark leads the Panthers with 260 rushing yards. He ran for 1,124 yards last season.

Much like Wilmington, Northern Bedford features a ground-based offensive attack. Seventy-eight percent of the Panthers' total yards (303 of 389) have coming on the ground this year. Wilmington has generated 91 percent (617 of 675) of its offense on the ground in 2025.

Wilmington edged visiting Northern Bedford County last year, 21-19. The Greyhounds stopped a late two-point conversion to preserve the victory. Cael Kettering returned a kickoff 70 yards for a Wilmington touchdown and also scored on a 12-yard run. Miller caught a nine-yard pass from Vass-Gal in the first quarter to give Wilmington a 7-0 lead.

Defensively, Maverick Whiting recorded three of Wilmington's five sacks. Northern Bedford threw for 330 yards. Clark had four catches.

Northern Bedford County is 56-17 over the last six-plus seasons. The Panthers went 9-3 last year, falling to District 5 champion Windber in the district finals, 14-7. Northern Bedford went 12-1 in 2023, including a District 5 title. The Panthers fell to eventual state champion Steelton-Highspire, 21-7, in the first round of the state playoffs.

Northern Bedford competes in the Inter-County Conference South Division. The Panthers will play Berlin Brothersvalley, Everett, Meyersdale, North Star Tussey Mountain and Windber. Northern Bedford visits Everett (2-0) in the conference opener next week.

Wilmington will travel to Berlin Brothersvalley next week. Prior to this week, a Mercer County area team had not traveled to District 5 in the regular season since September 25, 2009, when Greenville captured a 29-7 win at Chestnut Ridge.

With an enrollment number of 101, Northern Bedford County is the smallest District 5 school that sponsors football without a co-op agreement. The Panthers list 48 players on their 2025 roster. Northern Bedford is located north of Loysburg, approximately 20 miles south of Altoona. The school is approximately 30 miles east-southeast of Johnstown.

Northern Bedford is 1-2 against Mercer County area teams. The Panthers fell to Farrell, 34-19, in the PIAA Class 1A playoffs at Slippery Rock High School in 2017. Three years ago, Northern Bedford downed Reynolds in the PIAA Class 1A tournament, 35-22, at Greenville High School. 

Both programs are in Class 1A. Should both teams qualify for the state playoffs, they could not meet until the state championship game. Districts 5 and 6 are in the "eastern" half of the Class 1A draw in this current two-year cycle.

SATURDAY
EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL
St. Mary Central Catholic at Kennedy Catholic, 4:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

Kennedy Catholic plays its second straight home game Saturday afternoon when Sandusky-based St. Mary Central Catholic visits Butala Stadium. The Golden Eagles aim to rebound from a 62-0 setback in last week's home opener against Southington Chalker.

Meanwhile, St. Mary has opened the season with consecutive shutout victories. The Panthers downed Cardinal Stritch in the opener, 43-0, then secured a 40-0 win last Saturday over visiting Sebring McKinley. Sebring McKinley defeated Kennedy in Week One, 22-6.

St. Mary Central Catholic went 9-2 last year. Kennedy will have an open date next weekend before traveling to Southington in Week Four.