NWPASports.com

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

WEEK EIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Region titles and playoff positioning are at stake in Week Eight as Mercer County's 11 high school football teams enter the final lap of the regular season. Two of this week's eight games will be played Thursday night in the eastern part of Mercer County.

Ten of the area's 11 teams are playing conference games. Reynolds has the open date in Region 1 and will host Lucas, Ohio, in a non-league affair.

THURSDAY NIGHT

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

Series History: Hickory, 45-31-3
Last Grove City Win: October 15, 2021 (20-7)
Last Hickory Win: October 11, 2024 (69-6)
First Meeting: October 31, 1947 (Hickory won 34-24 at Grove City)

Region 4 leader Hickory looks to clinch at least a share of the conference title Thursday night when the Hornets face Grove City for the 80th time in 79 seasons. Hickory makes its first trip to Forker Field in three seasons as the teams played in Hermitage in both 2023 and 2024.

Hickory also played at home last week as the Hornets (6-1, 3-0) rolled past visiting Titusville in Region 4 action, 48-10. Mar'Zair Gardlock opened the game with an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown while tailback Kelvin Morrison returned from a two-game injury absence to rush for 140 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Christian Dungee, as did sophomore tight end Dante Evans.

Dungee completed 6 of 8 attempts for 147 yards and added 67 rushing yards. He leads Mercer County in total offense, having accumulated 1,129 yards. Dungee also leads the county in completion percentage, having connected on 66.2 percent of his attempts.

Morrison has rushed for 100 or more yards in each of his five appearances this season. He averages a county-best 155.6 yards per game while his 779 net yards are No. 4 in the area.

Hickory held Titusville to a 1-for-10 performance on third down. The Hornets' three previous opponents -- Sharon, Erie and Canfield -- went a combined 18 for 33 on third down.

Hickory has won 19 straight games when winning the turnover battle. Freshman linebacker Jaxson Schneider intercepted a pass against Titusville, marking the game's lone turnover.

Slow starts have haunted Grove City over the last two weeks. In Week Five, Grove City fell behind Oil City, 14-0. The Eagles pulled to within 14-10 but eventually dropped a 28-10 decision to the 6-1 Oilers. Last week, Sharon bolted to a 21-0 lead on Grove City before the Eagles pulled to within 21-14 early in the third quarter. However, Sharon secured a 23-14 win, thanks to a safety on the final play of the game.

Junior wide receiver Levi Toth hauled in a season-long 67-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Heath Hohman on the third play of the third quarter to cut Grove City's deficit to 21-14. Sharon held Grove City to 90 yards on its other 41 offensive plays, however. The 42 offensive plays marked a season-low for Grove City.

Toth is tied for third in the county with 21 catches while Hohman's 861 passing yards are tops in Region 4 and second among Mercer County passers. He leads the county with 64 completions and 120 attempts.

Grove City does have one comeback win from a 14-point deficit this year as the Eagles charged past Slippery Rock in Week Four, 33-20, after trailing 14-0 in the first half.

Grove City's defense allows 299.1 yards per game, which ranks ninth out of 11 teams in the area. However, the Eagles have allowed only 14 touchdowns and one field goal in 26 opponent trips inside the Grove City 20. Grove City opponents are also 19 of 70 (27 percent) on third downs this year.

Last year, Hickory held Grove City to 10 total yards in a 69-6 victory in Hermitage. The 69 points marked the most ever allowed by Grove City. Morrison ran for 169 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries in the first half. Dungee intercepted a pass and also played extensively as the backup quarterback. He ran for a touchdown and completed 4 of 5 passes for 46 yards.

Hickory scored on each of its first 10 possessions. The Hornets substituted liberally throughout the final 30 minutes of the game on the way to their fourth straight win in the series. Peyton Miller's 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half accounted for Grove City's scoring.

Grove City and Hickory met in the season finale every year from 1950 to 1970. Grove City's 1961 team capped a 9-0 campaign by defeating visiting Hickory, 19-13. Eight years later, Grove City capped another undefeated season (7-0-2) with a 20-14 home win over Hickory. In 1964, 6-0-2 Grove City dropped a 13-0 decision at Hickory in the season finale.

Grove City and Hickory met every year from 1947 to 2009. The teams did not play in 2010 or 2011 due to Grove City being in Class AAA and Hickory in AA. The series also went on hiatus in 2016 and 2017 when the Eagles competed in Class 5A and Hickory played in Class 3A.  

Hickory is 19-17-2 against Grove City at Forker Field. The Hornets are 1-1 in other games played at Grove City. Hickory downed Mercer at Grove City, 24-2, October 19, 1945 in the Hornets' inaugural season. Four years ago, Slippery Rock defeated Hickory at Forker Field, 23-17, in the District 10 Class 3A semifinals.

Thursday's game had been scheduled for Saturday, October 11 at 1 p.m. However, Grove City College is celebrating Homecoming Weekend this weekend, featuring a full-length parade through downtown, and then a 2 p.m. football game at Robert E. Thorn Field. Thorn Field is 900 feet from Forker Field and the facilities share parking lots in the area.

This is Grove City's first Thursday game since October 30, 2014, when the Eagles closed the season with a 44-26 home win over Northgate.

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

Cochranton at Lakeview, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Lakeview, 25-12-1
Last Cochranton Win: September 9, 2005 (14-0 at Lakeview)
Last Lakeview Win: October 10, 2024 (55-14 at Lakeview)
First Meeting: October 20, 1979 (Lakeview won 12-0)

For the third straight season, neighboring schools Cochranton and Lakeview will play on a Thursday night in Region 2 action. It's Lakeview's home finale for 2025 while Cochranton closes its road schedule. Both teams are looking to snap losing streaks. Youth-laden Lakeview is 0-7 overall while Cochranton has dropped to 3-3 after winning its first three games.

Thursday's game features two of District 10's most productive wide receivers, Lakeview senior Julian Zacherl and Cochranton senior Walker Carroll. Zacherl ranks fifth in Mercer County with 20 catches and 347 receiving yards. He has five touchdown catches, which is tied for second in the county.

Carroll, a West Virginia University baseball commit, has caught 18 passes for 314 yards and seven touchdowns this year. He has been on the receiving end of passes from younger brother Noah Carroll, who has started all six games at quarterback as a freshman.

Noah Carroll threw for 154 yards on 14-of-25 passing last week in a 41-12 loss to Cambridge Springs. Walker Carroll had seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Noah Carroll has thrown for 952 yards and 12 touchdowns this year. Brayden Williams leads the Redbirds with 357 rushing yards and four scores.

Zacherl caught a season-long 77-yard touchdown pass from Owen Reynolds last week in Lakeview's 47-14 setback to Region 2 leader Greenville. Reynolds also intercepted a pass on defense.

Reynolds has thrown for 444 yards and six scores this year. Sophomore Remington Marsh leads Lakeview with 180 rushing yards while senior Gavin Schell has added 164 yards and a team-high three touchdown runs.

Lakeview prevailed last year in Cochranton, 55-14. Lakeview led 41-0 at halftime and outgained Cochranton, 376-142. Williams ran for two fourth quarter Cochranton touchdowns.

The Sailors have won 10 straight games with Cochranton. Lakeview went undefeated in its first 10 all-time meetings with Cochranton, with the only wart being a 0-0 tie in the 1984 finale. Cochranton's first win over Lakeview came October 14, 1989, when the Cardinals won 16-6 at home. The series began in 1979, the final season of the Crawford County League. The schools then met annually as members of the French Creek Valley Conference from 1980 to 2003. 

Lakeview is 12-6-1 at home against Cochranton.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Wilmington at Mercer, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Wilmington, 38-12-1
Last Mercer Win: October 21, 1994 (34-21 at Wilmington)
Last Wilmington Win: October 11, 2024 (49-8)
First Meeting: October 7, 1960 (Mercer won 20-0)

After spending ample time on bus trips to Somerset County, Bedford County and Ashtabula County, Ohio, Wilmington will enjoy a very short road trip Friday night as the Greyhounds make the nine-mile trek up State Route 158 to visit Region 1 rival Mercer. It is Mercer's home finale as well as the Mustangs' conference windup. Mercer has the open date next week in the five-team conference.

Both teams earned league wins at home last week. Mercer rallied from a 12-3 deficit to slip past Sharpsville, 18-12. Meanwhile, it is a short week for Wilmington after the Greyhounds rolled to a 42-0 win over visiting Reynolds last Saturday.

No local teams have run the ball with more frequency than have Wilmington and Mercer. Mercer has executed 293 rushing plays this year while Wilmington's 283 running plays are No. 2 in the area. Wilmington leads the county in rushing offense, averaging 280.7 yards per game.

Five men rushed for touchdowns in Wilmington's win over Reynolds. Fullback Cam Kettering ran for 81 yards and a touchdown while split end-turned-halfback Freddie Zehetner picked up 73 yards and a score. Split end Michael Mistretta scored on an 18-yard reverse. Halfback Cael Kettering and quarterback Rowan Miller also ran for touchdowns as Wilmington.

Wilmington played without leading rusher Chase Mitcheltree last week. Mitcheltree leads the Greyhounds with 704 rushing yards.

Wilmington leads the area with a plus-12 turnover margin and the Greyhounds' three takeaways last week led to 21 points. Cael Kettering returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown while Wesley Vass-Gal set up a touchdown by returning a pick to the Reynolds 4. Miller also intercepted a pass.

The Greyhounds have an area-best 11 interceptions this year, led by Zehetner's three interceptions.

Adding to that total may be unlikely Friday night as only Wilmington (18 attempts) has attempted fewer passes this year than has Mercer, with 47 attempts. Fifty-five of the Mustangs' 61 offensive plays against Sharpsville came on the ground in last week's win.

Senior fullback Kyle Suhrie bulled his way to 95 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries while sophomore quarterback-turned-halfback Noah Miller-Frye added 74 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback Rider Chiappini added 39 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 2:26 left in the game.

Chiappini's score capped the longest drive, time-wise, this season in Mercer County: a 19-play, 74-yard march that used 10 minutes, 36 seconds. Mercer held possession for 20:50 of the possible 24 minutes in the second half.

Chiappini and Cash Flores both intercepted passes, helping the Mustangs finish plus-2 in turnovers against Sharpsville. Mercer is 2-0 when winning the turnover battle this year. Last year, the Mustangs had a positive turnover margin in six games, but went 1-5 in those outings.

Mitcheltree and Mistretta both ran for over 100 yards last year in Wilmington's 49-8 home win over Mercer. Mitcheltree finished with 123 yards and three touchdowns while Mistretta had 115 yards and two scores. Vass-Gal threw touchdown passes to Miller and Zehetner.

Wilmington outgained Mercer, 393-88. Cam Kettering recorded two sacks. Miller-Frye scored on a two-yard run for Mercer.

Wilmington is Mercer's most-frequently played active opponent. The Mustangs have faced West Middlesex 54 times. Likewise, Mercer is Wilmington's most-frequently played opponent. 

Mercer and Wilmington played yearly from 1960 to 1989 in the Tri-County League/Tri-County North A. In 1990, Mercer joined the Mercer County Athletic Conference, which temporarily halted the series. The series resumed in 1994, when Wilmington joined District 10. That year, Mercer earned a 34-21 win at Wilmington in the regular season. However, Wilmington defeated Mercer in the District 10 Class AA title game at Sharon, 27-0. That title game win started Wilmington's 20-game win streak in the series. 

Wilmington is 10-0 at Mercer since joining District 10. The Greyhounds have won 11 straight games at Mercer. Wilmington is 20-6-1 all-time at Mercer. Mercer's last home win over Wilmington came September 19, 1986, when the Mustangs pulled out a 10-7 win. Greg Scarsella's 25-yard field goal with two seconds left gave Mercer the win.  

Farrell vs. Sharpsville, 7:00 p.m., at West Middlesex

Series History: Farrell, 28-18-4
Last Farrell Win: November 9, 2024 (28-18, District 10 Class 2A Championship at Hickory)
Last Sharpsville Win: October 23, 2015 (26-8 at Farrell)
First Meeting: c. October 15, 1921 (Farrell won 20-12)

For the second time in four seasons, Sharpsville will "host" Farrell at West Middlesex as West Middlesex High School celebrates Homecoming 2025. Farrell can clinch at least a share of the Region 1 title with a win while Sharpsville pursues its first conference win of 2025.

The Blue Devils led league rival Mercer in the first half last week, 12-3, but dropped an 18-12 road decision. Sharpsville had the ball for only 3:10 of the second half and ran only nine plays over the final two quarters.

Sophomore wide receiver Landen Hassel continued his breakout 2025 season by catching five passes for 101 yards and both Sharpsville touchdowns. He caught a 67-yard halfback option pass from Will Vogan on the first offensive play of the game, then later pulled in a 20-yard touchdown strike from sophomore Lincoln Breit.

The Blue Devils also welcomed back sophomore fullback Geno Currie, who had missed the previous two games due to injury. He ran for 27 yards on seven carries in his return.

Hassel has moved into third place in the area with 21 catches this year. His 398 receiving yards are No. 4 locally. Hassel leads all area sophomores in both categories.

One does not have to look long to find Farrell names among Mercer County's statistical leaders in 2025. Junior quarterback Aaron Pegues ranks third in the county with 858 passing yards, 55 completions and 10 passing touchdowns despite only playing six games this season.

Senior running back Juelz Johnson has 790 rushing yards, good for third in the area. His 13 total touchdowns and 86 points are both No. 2 on the county leaderboard.

Defensively, Farrell leads the area in scoring defense, rushing defense, pass defense and total defense. The Steelers allow only 11.7 points, 97.3 rushing yards, 53.2 passing yards and 150.5 total yards per game. Opponents average a county-low 3.5 yards per play this year against the Steelers' defense.

Those numbers did take a hit last week, however, as Ohio power Steubenville accumulated 377 yards and 21 first downs in a 40-24 win over visiting Farrell. Johnson ran for a touchdown, caught a Pegues pass for a touchdown and also returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown.

Pegues completed 9 of 17 attempts for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 77-yard touchdown strike to Dorean Cain. Pegues added 76 rushing yards on nine attempts.

Farrell has a Mercer County-low two turnovers this year. Sharpsville has forced a county-low six turnovers.

Farrell secured a 40-21 regular season victory last year over Sharpsville and then pulled out a 28-18 victory over the Blue Devils in the District 10 Class 2A title game at Hickory. Johnson ran for 149 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season victory. Pegues threw for 148 yards and also ran for 76 yards. Currie picked up 68 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries for Sharpsville.

Johnson's 27-yard touchdown run in the third quarter helped seal Farrell's title game win after Currie's one-yard plunge had cut Farrell's lead to 21-18. Johnson finished with 184 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Currie ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Sharpsville.

Farrell earned a 48-7 win October 7, 2022 over Sharpsville at West Middlesex. That is the Blue Devils' lone loss at West Middlesex since the schools entered into their co-op agreement in 2021. Sharpsville is 3-1 in "home" games at West Middlesex.

Farrell is 8-4 all-time in games at West Middlesex. Sharpsville has won 18 of the 25 games it has played at West Middlesex.

Conneaut at Sharon, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Sharon, 4-0
Last Conneaut Win: None
Last Sharon Win: November 1, 2024 (65-6, District 10 Class 3A Quarterfinal at Wilmington)
First Meeting: September 28, 2018 (Sharon won 48-12)

Sharon closes its home schedule Friday night by welcoming 6-1 Conneaut to Sharon Tiger Stadium in Region 4 Class 3A action. The winner remains mathematically alive to potentially earn a share of the league title if Hickory drops one or both of its two remaining conference games.

Sharon overcame 10 penalties and three turnovers last Friday night in a 23-14 win over visiting Grove City. Sharon led 21-0 late in the first half, thanks to three Terrian White touchdown runs. The senior tailback ran for a career-high 193 yards on 32 carries. His effort helped Sharon accumulate 386 total yards on a season-high 65 offensive plays.

The Sharon defense held Grove City's potent offense to 157 yards and six first downs. The 157 yards matches a season-low allowed by Sharon. The Tigers also limited Mercyhurst Prep to 157 yards in the season opener. The six first downs allowed marked the lowest total yielded by the Tigers' defense since holding Hickory to four first downs in a 12-0 win September 8, 2023.

White has taken over the county lead with 937 rushing yards this year. His 118 carries also lead the area.

Sharon's passing attack also ranks second in the county with 921 yards. Senior Ethan Engelmore has started the last three games after junior Gha'fir Lampkins suffered a left arm injury. Lampkins, who has played free safety in spite of the cast on his left arm, is reportedly close to full health. Both men have thrown six touchdown passes. Engelmore has 608 yards while Lampkins has thrown for 301 yards.

Conneaut's six wins this season are the most for the Eagles in eight years. The Eagles picked up their fourth consecutive win last week with a 26-13 home triumph over Slippery Rock. Mason Welcheck's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter helped sew up the victory.

Wyatt Luke ran for a season-high 118 yards on nine carries while Aidan Ford added 73 yards. Chance Meader, Conneaut's leading rusher on the season, chipped in 52 yards. Meader leads Conneaut with 689 yards while Ford has 670 yards. Meader has four 100-yard outings this year while Ford has surpassed the 100-yard mark three times in 2025.

Head coach Josh Blood is in his fourth season at Conneaut. He is a Conneaut Valley High School graduate. The Eagles have increased their win total in each of his four seasons. After going 1-8 in 2022, Conneaut went 2-7 in 2023. Last year, the Eagles finished 5-6.

Sharon won both meetings last season. The Tigers won at Conneaut in the regular season, 63-7, then secured a 65-6 win in the District 10 Class 3A quarterfinals. Engelmore completed 7 of 10 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season victory. Ra'Keem Hughes had four catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. White ran for 73 yards and a score. Engelmore, Marius Best and A'anavyon Brown also ran for touchdowns.

Brock Ondo recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, helping Sharon take a 55-0 lead by halftime.

Engelmore then went 9 of 12 for 126 yards and three touchdowns in the postseason win. Hughes, White and Cyliem Smith all caught touchdown passes. Best and White both ran for touchdowns.

Sharon head coach Jason McElhaney is 4-0 in his career against Conneaut. He earned a win at Conneaut in his first season as Sharon head coach in 2019. In 2012, McElhaney's West Middlesex team downed Conneaut, 32-7, in Linesville. McElhaney went 8-5 at West Middlesex against the three schools that merged into Conneaut. He went 4-0 against Conneaut Valley, 3-1 against Conneaut Lake and 1-4 against Linesville while coaching the Big Reds. 

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

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

Series History: Slippery Rock, 6-3
Last Slippery Rock Win: September 27, 2019 (42-13)
Last Titusville Win: October 11, 2024 (42-0 at Slippery Rock)
First Meeting: October 13, 2006 (Titusville won 27-0 at Slippery Rock)

Slippery Rock and Titusville meet Friday night at historic Carter Field with both teams looking to keep alive their flickering District 10 Class 3A playoff hopes. Both teams are 0-3 in Region 4 play. For Slippery Rock, a trip to Carter Field may be the tonic needed to cure a two-game slide as the Rockets have won four straight games in Titusville.

It's Slippery Rock's second straight trip to Crawford County. Last week, the Rockets dropped a 26-13 decision in the county's western end at Conneaut. Slippery Rock trailed 14-7 at halftime but pulled to within a point late in the third quarter when senior tight end Sawyer Allen caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Doug Popovec. However, Conneaut blocked the tying extra point, then sealed the win with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.

Popovec ran for a team-leading 60 yards and also threw for 99 yards. Senior halfback Owen Long chipped in with 54 rushing yards and senior fullback Kole Scott contributed 43 yards on the ground.

Popovec ranks fourth in the 11-team area with 1,014 total yards. He leads area quarterbacks with 433 rushing yards. Scott leads Slippery Rock with 443 yards and Long has 302 yards rushing. Slippery Rock is the only local team with three backs having rushed for 300 or more yards this year.

Slippery Rock has outscored opponents in the first quarter this season, 56-13. But the opposition owns a 103-40 scoring edge in the second half.

Titusville fell at Hickory last week, 48-10, as the Rockets punted on each of their first possessions. Junior running back Jaydin O'Neill ran for 121 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Hunter Martin started at quarterback and threw for 88 yards on 7-of-14 passing. Sophomore Adam Reynolds also saw time at quarterback, as well as at wide receiver.

O'Neill leads Titusville with 932 rushing yards. Senior wingback Blake Ross has caught a team-high 18 passes for 220 yards while Reynolds has netted 119 yards on 13 catches.

Senior kicker Max Chatham kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal at Hickory. Two of Titusville's losses have come in overtime this season, a 56-55 home loss to Girard in Week Two and a 20-14 setback at Conneaut two weeks later.

Titusville blanked host Slippery Rock last season, 42-0. Titusville outgained the Hi-Rockets, 453-71. Slippery Rock had won each of the previous six meetings. Slippery Rock is 3-1 all-time at Carter Field against Titusville. Slippery Rock also owns a 41-28 win over Oil City in the 2022 District 10 Class 3A quarterfinals, held at Titusville.

This is the first District 10 football game this year in which the teams have the same nickname. Next week, Grove City hosts Conneaut in an all-Eagles game. 

Saegertown at Greenville, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: Greenville, 3-0
Last Greenville Win: October 11, 2024 (35-13 at Saegertown)
Last Saegertown Win: None
First Meeting: September 14, 2012 (Greenville won 42-6 at Saegertown)

Greenville can clinch at least a share of the Region 2 with a win in the home finale Friday night against Saegertown (4-3, 2-1). The game features two of District 10's hottest teams as Greenville owns a six-game winning streak while Saegertown has won three straight.

Greenville improved to 3-0 in the conference with a 47-14 victory at Lakeview last Friday night as junior quarterback Cael Thurber threw touchdown passes to Zach Copeland, Hunter Cox and Justin Schell. Thurber completed 5 of 8 passes for 89 yards. Senior running back Rudy Gentile led the Trojans' ground attack with 101 yards and two touchdowns while junior running mate Kaysom Materia added 63 yards.

The Trojans continue to feature Mercer County's most balanced offense as they are averaging a county-best 8.7 yards per offensive play. Thurber leads the area with 1,062 passing yards and 16 touchdowns while Schell's 26 catches, 597 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions are all tops in the area.

Gentile and Materia have emerged as one of the area's top backfield duos as they have combined for 1,105 yards and 15 touchdowns. Gentile has 657 yards and 10 touchdowns while Materia has added 448 yards and five scores. Materia leads Greenville in yards per carry, averaging 10.7 per tote. He has rushed for 254 yards over the last three weeks.

Greenville has won 17 straight games when outrushing its opponent. The Trojans have also won 13 straight regular season games when winning the turnover battle. Greenville has outscored opponents in the first quarter, 112-7. The Trojans lead the area in first quarter scoring and fewest points allowed in the first quarter.

Saegertown returned to Region 2 play last week with a 26-8 home win over Maplewood. The Wood outgained Saegertown, 316-249, but the hosts forced four turnovers in the win. Senior quarterback William Shaffer completed 8 of 15 passes for 77 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 78 yards and two scores.

Shaffer has thrown for 859 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. He also leads the Panthers with 567 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Junior running back Blake Burchill has contributed 204 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Defensively, Saegertown has forced 15 turnovers.

Greenville forced four Saegertown turnovers in a 35-13 Week Eight win last year at Canon Memorial Field. Schell had two interceptions. He also caught five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Thurber ran for two scores in the second quarter as Greenville led 28-0 at halftime.

Saegertown seeks its first four-game win streak since the final month of the 2020 COVID-abbreviated season.  

Lucas, Ohio, at Reynolds, 7:00 p.m.

Series History: First Meeting

Reynolds closes its home schedule Friday night by hosting Lucas (Ohio) High School in non-conference action. Reynolds (6-1) looks to rebound after dropping a 42-0 decision last Saturday night at Region 1 foe Wilmington.

Three turnovers and a 1-for-12 performance on third down helped foil the Raiders in Week Seven. It marked the sixth straight game in which Reynolds has committed multiple turnovers in a game. Reynolds, which has a county-best 17 takeaways this year, did not force a turnover against Wilmington, snapping a streak of eight games in which the Raiders have forced at least one turnover.

Reynolds still leads the area in scoring offense, averaging 37.3 points per game. The Raiders also average an area-best 8.4 yards per offensive play and 375.6 total yards per game.

Senior running back Gabe Minjarez continues to lead Mercer County with 14 rushing touchdowns and 102 total points. His 887 rushing yards are No. 2 in the area. Meanwhile, senior slotback Parker Nay continues to rank second in the area in the four main receiving categories with 21 catches for 519 yards and five touchdowns. He averages 23.6 yards per reception and has a county-high 1,087 yards from scrimmage.

Nay has surpassed the 500-yard mark in both rushing and receiving. He is the third area player in the last 10 seasons to accomplish that feat. Farrell's Kylon Wilson achieved the feat in 2022 while Lakeview's Blake Skiles surpassed those milestones in 2024.

This is the first time in 56 years that an Ohio team has visited Reynolds. Brookfield blanked host Reynolds, 27-0, October 4, 1969. The Raiders are 2-1 at home against Ohio foes. In 1965, Reynolds earned a 40-12 home win over Southington. Two years prior, the Raiders edged visiting United, 13-12.

Reynolds has dropped its home finale in each of the last two seasons. In 2023, North East downed the Raiders in Week 10, 51-19. Last year, Union/A-C Valley picked up a 50-35 win in Week 10 at Reynolds.

Lucas (2-5) has dropped three straight games after a 62-0 win September 12 over Vanlue. The Cubs fell, 35-7, last week to Amanda-Clearcreek. It is the first time that Lucas has lost three straight games since 2022. The Cubs' last four-game slide came in 2012, when Lucas dropped seven straight games.

The Cubs primarily use a double-wing offense with two tight ends and minimal line splits. Lucas has also incorporated some Single Wing elements into its offensive attack.

Senior running back Tim Daley, junior running back Brady Guegold and sophomore quarterback Carter Cox lead the Cubs' offense. Daley ran for 122 yards and Guegold added 104 rushing yards in the Cubs' 51-0 season-opening win over Plymouth. Daley has been the "quarterback" in the Single Wing sets.

Jim Sweat is in his second season as the Cubs' head coach. He is a 1993 Lucas High School graduate who spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Lucas. He served as defensive coordinator in 2019 when the Cubs advanced to the Ohio Division VII state title game.

Lucas has competed as an independent in football since 2013. Starting in 2026, the Cubs will play in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, based in north central Ohio. From 1963 to 1967, Lucas competed in the now-defunct Johnny Appleseed Conference.

Lucas is approximately 60 miles north-northeast of Columbus and 65 miles southwest of Cleveland, near Mansfield. The Cubs' trip to Reynolds will be approximately 135 miles.