With a chance to lead the Ellwood City Wolverines to a 3-0 start, Elijah Palmer-McCane rose to the occasion.
Palmer-McCane, a senior running back, ran roughshod against Mohawk (1-2, 0-1), finishing the night with 139 yards rushing and four touchdowns. He helped Ellwood City to a 41-34 win against Mohawk in a WPIAL Class 2A Midwestern Conference game.
Ellwood City (3-0, 1-0) has won its first three games for the first time since 2011. Against Mohawk, the Wolverines started fast and held on late for a thrilling 41-34 win. The Wolverines jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but Mohawk came roaring back. Bobby Fadden’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Blake Logan gave the Warriors their first lead of the night in the third quarter, setting the stage for a back-and-forth second half.
Palmer-McCane’s third and fourth touchdowns of the night, both in the fourth quarter, extended Ellwood City’s lead to 41-27 and proved enough to preserve the victory.
Also in Class 2A
South Park 7, Steel Valley 0: No. 2-ranked South Park (3-1, 1-0) emerged victorious after a defensive stalemate for most of the night against Steel Valley (1-3, 0-1). Neither team could muster any points until the fourth quarter, when Robert Lenzi’s 1-yard touchdown run gave South Park all the offense it would need. South Park controlled the clock all night, running the football 50 times for 226 yards while holding possession for more than 34 minutes.
Seton LaSalle 48, Charleroi 8: Seton LaSalle (3-0, 1-0) opened Century Conference play with a comfortable win on the road against Charleroi (0-4, 0-1). Michael Pastirik was surgical at quarterback for the Rebels, passing for 229 yards and six touchdowns. Seton LaSalle led 42-0 at halftime before cruising to the finish line to stay undefeated.
Waynesburg 21, Washington 13: Waynesburg (3-1, 1-0) earned a hard-fought win against No. 4-ranked Washington (2-2, 0-1) on the road to open Century Conference play. Jacob Stephenson found the end zone twice on the ground, the latter of which extended Waynesburg’s lead to eight in the fourth quarter.
Class 1A
Brentwood 48, Springdale 6: Brentwood (2-2, 1-0) began Eastern Conference play in style, blowing out Springdale (0-3, 0-1). Colton Rosing delivered three touchdown passes while Zack Vickless punched in two touchdown runs, leading the Spartans to a 48-0 lead before Springdale’s lone score in the fourth quarter, its first points of the season.
Cornell 42, Burgettstown 0: No. 4-ranked Cornell (4-0, 1-0) continued its defensively dominant campaign with a shutout win at Burgettstown (1-2, 0-1) to open Black Hills Conference play. Khylil Johnson caught, ran for and returned a punt for a touchdown. Mark Stuckey Jr. passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. Cornell’s defense has still allowed only 12 points through four games this season.
Jefferson-Morgan 62, Mapletown 14: Jefferson-Morgan (4-0, 1-0) exploded for 62 points in a blowout victory at home against Mapletown (1-3, 0-1) to open Tri-County South Conference competition. Houston Guesman finished the night with 94 yards rushing and three touchdowns to lead the way for Jefferson-Morgan, which is now averaging 45 points per game this season.
California 72, Bentworth 14: California (2-2, 1-0) put on a show on offense in a rout against Bentworth (2-2, 0-1). Despite having only allowed 39 points over its first three games, Bentworth surrendered 58 by halftime to the dominant Trojans. California’s Lee Qualk finished with 259 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
Bishop Canevin 48, Laurel 23: Bishop Canevin (2-1) used a balanced attack to defeat Laurel (0-4) in non-conference play. Myontae Mott finished the night with three rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, contributing 274 yards of total offense to Bishop Canevin’s winning cause.
First Published: September 14, 2024, 3:32 a.m.
