Apollo-Ridge has gone from a one-win season in 2024 to qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs.
The Vikings’ turnaround continued Friday when they clinched the postseason berth with a 45-34 Allegheny Conference victory over South Park, last year’s WPIAL Class 2A champion.
Apollo-Ridge (6-3, 4-1) and Steel Valley (6-3, 4-1) are tied for second place, but the Vikings own an 18-14 win over the Ironmen. Their only loss in the conference is to leader South Allegheny (9-0, 5-0)
Apollo-Ridge collected 428 yards of total offense against South Park, including 266 rushing yards on 37 carries with ground TDs from seniors Alex Clawson and Jaden McCray, junior Zac Myers and sophomore Preston Clemens.
Clawson led the way with 14 carries for 91 yards, and he completed 6 of 8 passes for 162 yards and touchdowns to McCray and junior Gage Wingard.
The Vikings cap the regular season and the conference slate Friday against Ligonier Valley (1-8, 0-5).
High-octane offense
Not too many times this season have both teams in a WPIAL game cleared 40 points.
But offense was not at a premium Friday in Leechburg’s 48-41 Eastern Conference home victory over Brentwood.
The Blue Devils (6-2, 4-1) bounced back from last week’s loss to Clairton and all but clinched a fifth straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs.
Leechburg rallied from a 20-14 halftime deficit. It took the lead in the third quarter with three straight scores: TD runs of 6 and 8 yards from Timmy Andrasy and a 35-yard scoring connection from Jaxon Vargo to Tristan Zalenski.
Andrasy topped the rushing list in the WPIAL Friday with 39 carries for 348 yards and five touchdowns. Brentwood quarterback Cedric Davis Jr. led the WPIAL in passing with 287 yards (14 of 20) and four touchdowns. He added 104 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
Freeport to play for title
The Yellowjackets (7-2, 4-1) will be the underdog this week against Imani Christian (9-0, 5-0) in the Allegheny 7 Conference finale for both teams.
Freeport will clinch a share of the section title with the upset, and it built a measure of momentum Friday with a 49-19 win over East Allegheny.
The Yellowjackets started the season 6-0 but dropped two in a row with a 28-27 overtime loss to Highlands before a 48-20 nonsection setback to Class 3A power Hopewell.
Freeport led East Allegheny, 28-13, at halftime and pulled away with three third-quarter scores. Senior Amos Glenn led the way with 206 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
Highlands closing strong
The Golden Rams, 6-3 overall and 4-1 in Allegheny 7 play, will wrap up second in the conference outright this week with a win over Valley (0-9, 0-5) and a Freeport loss against Imani Christian. They also will clinch a three-way share of the title if they win and the Yellowjackets upend the Saints.
Highlands, which has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the fifth year in a row, won its fourth straight game Friday with a 38-12 nonconference victory at McGuffey.
Senior quarterback Jamarkus Prager helped secure the win with a touchdown passes of 72, 44 and 17 yards to senior wideout Jahmar Wright.
Sophomore Tevin Owen Cratsenberg added an 18-yard touchdown run, giving him 13 rushing scores over the past four weeks. He also scored on a 51-yard punt return.
Cavaliers control playoff destiny
Kiski Area can clinch an automatic berth to the WPIAL playoffs this week with an upset win over Big East leader Woodland Hills (7-2, 5-0) at Richard Dilts Stadium.
The Cavaliers (4-5, 3-2), who saw their three-game win streak snapped Friday with a 29-12 nonconference loss to rival Plum, are a half-game ahead of Gateway (3-6, 3-3) in the Big East standings.
A loss to the Wolverines would drop Kiski Area into a third-place tie with the Gators. Gateway wrapped up conference play Friday with a 27-24 win at Latrobe.
Armstrong (3-6, 2-3) can join the mix this week with a win over Franklin Regional (1-8, 0-5).
Cavaliers sophomore quarterback Landyn Artman led his team against Plum with 178 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-24 passing. He added a 2-yard TD run in the third quarter. Senior Andrew Finney caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Huth passes away
Jack Huth, Freeport’s all-time leading career rusher, died Oct. 10 at age 67.
Huth played for the Yellowjackets under coach Don Earley from 1973-75, exceeding 1,000 rushing yards all three seasons and was All-Allegheny Interscholastic Conference (AIC) all three seasons. His Freeport teams earned a 23-4-1 record with Huth in the backfield.
He was an all-state honorable mention selection in 1974, the year Freeport made it to the WPIAL final, losing to Albert Gallatin. He also played as a safety and returned punts and kickoffs.