September 3, 2012

Andrew Chiappazzi
PaPreps.com

Over the decades, Pennsylvania has produced all styles of running backs who have put up monster games. Lancaster Catholic senior and Division I prospect Roman Clay stamped his name onto the all-time list Friday night.

The bull of a running back ran for a Lancaster-Lebanon League record 442 yards and scored six touchdowns on just 22 carries. Clay, a two-star prospect with a half-dozen offers from mostly FCS and MAC schools, scored on touchdown runs of 1, 16, 33, 62, 67, and 76 yards.

The performance is the fifth best rushing single-game rushing total in PIAA history. According to LancasterOnline.com, the record belongs to Harbor Creek's Stephen Blose, who ran for 490 in 2005. All of the top five have been set since 2000.

DISAPPOINTMENT ON THE EMERALD ISLE

Father Judge was the underdog in going up against Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Prep, but that didn't stop the Philadelphia-area Catholic school from making a go of it across the pond. Judge trailed the entire game, but had multiple opportunities to put Notre Dame back on its heels. Judge just couldn't convert, and had just two field goals to show for its efforts in a 20-6 loss.

The game was played in Navan, Ireland, just outside of Dublin as part of a 12-team tournament that also was tied in with major college action featuring Notre Dame's rout of Navy.

RALLY TIME

Up 13 points with 1:34 remaining, Blackhawk had to feel its season opening victory over West Allegheny was secure.

Not quite.

West Allegheny rallied behind two touchdowns passes from sophomore Andrew Koester to stun Blackhawk 31-27. The first touchdown game with 44 seconds left, and West Allegheny quickly pounced an onside kick. A Blackhawk penalty helped put West Allegheny on the Cougars' 15-yard line with seven seconds left, where Koester tossed the winning touchdown to Tory Delmonico.

Delmonico scored two rushing touchdowns earlier in the game. Blackhawk got all four scores courtesy of 2014 prospect Chandler Kincade, who threw for 273 yards in the loss.

SUPERLATIVES

Easton sophomore Shane Simpson burst out of the gates last year as the Red Rovers' most dynamic weapon. Friday night, he proved that he's more than ready for another go-round. Simpson ran for 289 yards and scored five times as Easton topped Pennsbury 32-14...Wilkes-Barre area Meyers' running back Parrish Bennett ran for 293 yards and scored three touchdowns as Meyers topped Holy Cross 40-0...North Allegheny QB Mack Leftwich threw for 304 yards and a couple scores as the defending WPIAL champs beat Mt. Lebanon 39-14...Bethel Park's Avery Dibble had three scores, but none on offense. Dibble returned two punts for touchdowns as well as taking back an interception...Berwick running back Matt Chasman helped welcome back coach George Curry with a 21 carry, 285 yard, 2 touchdown performance as Berwick won 48-21 over Crestwood...Eastern York's Alex Cooley scored five touchdowns and racked up 325 yards on 20 carries...York Catholic's James Dougherty tossed three touchdown while completing 20-of-30 passes for 384 yards in a 33-28 loss to Northeastern

MILESTONES

Central Bucks West's 31-0 win over Upper Dublin was its first shutout in a decade, according to Philly.com...Conneaut, a new District 10 school made out of the merger of former schools Linesville, Conneaut Valley, and Conneaut Lake, won its first football game by beating Girard 36-16...Clairton extended it's national best active winning streak to 48 with a 22-20 win over Chartiers-Houston...Valley High won its first game in three years Friday night with a 14-7 win over Deer Lakes...Cumberland Valley's 44-10 win over Red Lion was head coach Tim Rimpfel's 300th career victory.

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