Undefeated Wilmington (7-0) put No. 198 in the win column for Coach Terry Verrelli last Friday, stepping out of the District 10 Region 4 Class AA League to thump Class AAA Warren (3-4) 59-7.
Verrelli, a 1965 Curwensville Joint High School graduate, has guided 28 Greyhound teams to a 198-98-3 record.
Wilmington, ranked No. 6 in Class AA by the Pennsylvania Football News and The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, has outscored its opponents 260-46. The Greyhounds are 4-0 in the league and can lock up the championship with a victory Friday against visiting Sharon (6-1, 3-1) on one of the District 10 headliners.
Corry, coached by 1992 Moshannon Valley High School grad Homer DeLattre, remained in contention for the District 10 Class AA Playoffs by coming from behind with two touchdowns in the final five minutes to beat Girard 19-13.
The Homecoming win leveled the Beavers\’ District 10 Region 4 Class AA League at 2-2. They\’re 5-2 overall for Friday\’s trip to Waterford to play Fort LeBoeuf (0-7, 0-5). Corry is tied for the league\’s fourth and final league playoff berth.
Shaler\’s bid for a signature WPIAL Class AAAA Northern Five Conference victory was denied by North Allegheny, which turned a 7-3 halftime lead into a 35-3 conquest.
The Titans, coached by 1986 Clearfield Area High School grad Jacque DeMatteo, slipped to 5-2, 2-1 in the conference. North Allegheny is 5-2, 3-0.
Shaler, which ran out of time in the second quarter inches away from a go-ahead touchdown, will try to rebound Friday at Seneca Valley (3-4, 0-3).
* * * * * * * * * *
The D9Sports.com editors had another difficult time selecting the District 9 Football Player of the Week after receiving all of the Week Seven statistics, and running back Chris Cavallari of Coudersport was the choice for his performance that helped the unbeaten Falcons turn back Johnsonburg 24-0 to wrap up another Allegheny Mountain League North Division championship.
The 5-10, 180-pounder, who was converted from split end for his senior season, carried 28 times for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He also was credited with four tackles, one a sack, on defense.
Among the players he beat out was Curwensville senior Nick Sipes, who became Pennsylvania\’s 41st back to rush for more than 5,000 yards with his 197 yards for 25 carries against Smethport. The Golden Tide senior, whose career total is 5,141 yards, scored three times and kicked five extra points in the 55-19 win.
Others who had outstanding games were Moniteau quarterback Tyler Armagost, 15-for-36 for 332 yards passing and 16 carries for 41 yards and one TD rushing in a 20-18 loss to Karns City in a showdown of 6-0 Class teams for the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference lead; Kane running back John Bizzak, 27 carries for 235 yards and all three TDs in a 21-7 victory over Otto-Eldred, and Brookville running back Joe Galbraith, 19 carries for 164 yards and three TDs plus two interceptions on defense in a 41-18 win over Keystone.
Sipes, Armagost, Bizzak and Galbraith head the Week Seven Honor Roll. Clearfield sophomore back Isiah Morgan and Curwensville senior quarterback Shawn Sopic were honored along with 10 others. Morgan gained 183 yards on 25 carries and scored a pair of TDs in the Bisons\’ 24-14 win at DuBois, while Sopic carried five times for 66 yards and one TD, completed four of six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns and grabbed his fifth interception of the season on defense.
* * * * * * * * * *
Curwensville (6-1) is one of six District 9 teams recognized by The Patriot-News in Harrisburg and/or the Pennsylvania Football News in their latest state rankings. The Golden Tide is on The Patriot-News honorable mention list and the PFN \”Others To Watch\” list in Class A.
The PFN has Coudersport (7-0) ranked No. 9 in Class A. It\’s \”Others To Watch\” list includes Bradford (5-2) in Class AAA and Karns City (7-0) and Moniteau (6-1) in Class AA. The Patriot-News HM lists have Karns City, Moniteau and Brookville (6-1) in AA and Coudersport in A.
Ten District 6 teams, led by No. 5 Tyrone in Class AA in both rankings, are in the spotlight. Making the PFN \”Others To Watch\” list are State College (6-1) in AAAA, Johnstown (6-1) in AAA, Marion Center (7-0), Bishop McCort (6-1) and Penn Cambria (6-1) in AA and Purchase Line (6-1), Portage (6-1), Southern Huntingdon (6-1) and Bellwood-Antis (5-2) in A. Rating honorable mention by The Patriot-News are State College, Huntingdon (6-1) in AAA, Marion Center, Bishop McCort and Penn Cambria in AA and Portage in A.
Windber of District 5 retained its No. 10 ranking in Class A. The Rambler, the last unscored upon team in the state, finally gave up a touchdown in handing Portage its first loss 26-7.
* * * * * * * * * *
League standings:
District 9 League — Brookville 3-1, Bradford 3-1, Clearfield 2-1, Punxsutawney 2-1, St. Marys 1-3, DuBois 0-4.
Mountain Athletic Conference Seven Mountains Division — Huntingdon* 5-0, Clearfield 3-1, Bellefonte 3-2, Indian Valley 1-3, Punxsutawney 1-3, Lewistown 0-4.
Allegheny Mountain League South Division — Curwensville 6-1, Johnsonburg 5-2, Ridgway 5-2, Elk County Christian 3-4, Brockway 3-4, Kane 3-4.
Allegheny Mountain League North Division — Coudersport* 7-0, Cameron County 5-2, Port Allegany 2-5, Otto-Eldred 2-5, Sheffield 1-6, Smethport 0-7.
* — 2006 Champion.
* * * * * * * * * *
EXTRA POINTS — Clearfield quarterback Andrew Janocko continues to be a runaway passing leader in District 9 with 1,452 yards on 97 completions in 170 attempts, a 57.1 percent average, according to statistics compiled by D9Sports.com. A distant second is Moniteau\’s Tyler Armagost with 889 yards. One-two in receiving are Bisons Adam Jury with 45 catches for 711 yards and Doug Kephart with 28 receptions for 585 yards. Bison running back Isiah Morgan ranks 10th in rushing with 655 yards on 128 carries. Curwensville\’s Nick Sipes is the rushing leader with 190 carries for 1,165 yards and also is tops in touchdowns with 18 and total points with 136… Coudersport has a 26-game winning streak against Allegheny Mountain League North Division opponents… Clarion (4-3) couldn\’t have picked a tougher foe to fill this week\’s open date. The Bobcats will travel to Catawissa to take on defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Southern Columbia (7-0), which is averaging 50.43 points a game, nearly eight points more than second-place Bethlehem Liberty… Talk about lighting up the scoreboard! A game between two winless teams in Eastern Arkansas ended up 73-72, East Poinsett County (1-6) nipping Hughes (0-5) in overtime in spite of a state-record nine touchdowns by Kendric Smith. Quarterback Brett Hardin starred for the winners with 835 all-purpose yards, including 222 on 25 rushes and 287 on 16 completions in 34 pass attempts… The longest winning streak in the nation reached 100 when Independence, N.C., defeated East Mecklenberg 54-26… Back in the Keystone State, Ford City, which lost 29-26 to Wilmington in its opener, pounded West Shamokin 77-8.