Jags pose problems
Getting back to winning football is definitely easier said than done this week for Mars.
The Planets' three-game winning streak was snapped with a 25-23 home loss to New Castle last Friday.
Mars ventures out of Northwest Nine Conference play and will visit Thomas Jefferson Friday night.
The Jaguars (5-0) have won two straight WPIAL titles and have gone a combined 23-4 since the start of the 2015 season. Their last two seasons have both ended with a loss to Cathedral Prep in the state quarterfinals.
“There's only one way to go about doing things here and we demand an attention to detail in practice,” said veteran TJ coach Bill Cherpak. “Our kids understand what it takes week in and week out.”
The Jaguars, who defeated Ringgold 56-7 last week, have allowed just 14 points all season, but their starting defense was not responsible for either score.
“One touchdown came on an interception return and the other came against our (third-string) defense,” said Cherpak. “Our defense takes pride in shutting teams out. It's tough to do.”
Cherpak knows that his defense will receive a challenge from the Planets.
“What they do, they do very well,” he said. “We don't see a lot of teams that run the (Wing-T) and it is hard to simulate in practice.”
Senior wingback Andrew Moyer is one cog that makes Mars' offense tick. Aside from his 201 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns this season, he also throws key blocks when the ball is not in his hands.
“We point him out to other players and say, 'This is the type of attitude you have to have when blocking people,'” said Planet coach Scott Heinauer. “He's not a big kid (5-foot-8, 185 pounds), but he's physical and brings a lot of energy to the field.”
Offensively, the Jaguars are led by quarterback Shane Stump (693 passing yards, 12 TDs) and halfback Justin Vigna (708 rushing yards, 11 TDs).
“We have to rely on what we do to keep the ball,” said Heinauer. “That's run the ball and mix in some passes. We didn't block too well for the run last week and have to get back to basics.”
Indiana (1-4, 1-3) at Knoch (1-4, 1-3)
7 p.m. Friday
The host Knights have dropped their last four games to Indiana since posting a 20-14 win over the Little Indians in 2012. Indiana defeated Knoch 31-21 last year.
Indiana QB Luke Thomas is coming off a sophomore seaason that saw him throw for 1,435 yards and 17 TDs. But the Little Indians have been held to 20 points or fewer in their past four games. Receiver Tommy Arbuckle leads the team with four touchdowns.JohnAllen Snyder is in his first year as Indiana coach. The team allowed an average of 45 points per game before shutting out Ambridge, 20-0, last week.Frank Whalen is in his first season as Knoch head coach. The Knights are riding a four-game losing streak despite steady production from RB Ivan Stapchuk, who has 541 yards rushing and five TDs.Knights QB Jake Herrit has completed 12 of 36 passes for 161 yards. He has rushed for 252 yards and three TDs. A.J. Karenbauer is Knoch's top receiver at 10 catches for 120 yards and a pair of TDs.Laurel (1-5, 1-4) at C.W. North Cath. (4-2, 3-0)7 p.m., FridayCWNC won a non-conference game at Avonworth last week, 42-21. Sophomore QB Zack Rocco completed 14-of-16 passes for 152 yards and three TDs in the win.Five different receivers caught passes for the Trojans, including TD receptions by Ryan Maziarz, Tyree Brown and Rashod Allen.Maziarz, a former QB, leads the team in receptions with 23 for 267 yards and 6 TDs.Laurel dropped a 21-7 Midwestern Conference game against Neshannock last Friday.The Spartans' lone win this season came in a 35-7 decision in Week 3 against South Side.CWNC toppled Laurel last season, 54-14.Lakeview (0-6, 0-6) at Slippery Rock (2-4, 2-3)7 p.m., FridayDefense has not been a problem for Slippery Rock this season.The Rockets have gone up against some of the best attacks in District 10 this season and more than held their own.Last week, Slippery Rock held Grove City to just 102 yards rushing and a 2.7 yards-per-carry average after the Eagles came into the game averaging more than 200 yards and 6 yards per attempt.The problem has been on offense; the Rockets were shut out last week for the third time this season.Lakeview got its offense going last week in a loss to Hickory, rolling up 321 yards rushing.Senior Mitch Hansen gained 194 of those yards and lead the Sailors with 417 yards on the ground.Slippery Rock beat Lakeview last season, 19-14. The win launched the Rockets on a playoff push that netted them a spot in the postseason.Moniteau (2-3, 1-2) at Brookville (5-1, 2-1)7 p.m., FridayBrookville freshman quarterback Jack Krug will be a challenge for the Moniteau defense.Krug has thrown for 1,560 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 68 percent of his passes.He's not the only Raider the Warriors need to concern themselves with.Junior wide receiver Bryan Dworek has some eye-popping numbers with 52 receptions for 870 yards and 14 touchdowns.Toss in Brandon McGranor and his 613 yards rushing, and Brookville has quite the offensive triplets.Meanwhile, Moniteau is trying to find some consistency on offense after dropping two straight games.Moniteau took a 7-0 lead against Clarion-Limestone last week, but the Lions scored 41 unanswered points.Warriors' quarterback Chance Nagy has shown flashes in the passing game, completing 52 percent and throwing for 559 yards.Manny McLean leads the team in rushing with 397 yards and Wyatt Geibel is the leading receiver with 19 receptions for 275 yards.Union/A-C Valley (1-5)at Punxsutawney (2-4)7 p.m., FridayThe Falcon Knights were handled easily by Redbank Valley last Friday, 55-13. Union/ACV surrendered over 300 yards rushing in the loss.Senior QB Lucas Bowser has tallied 886 passing yards with 7 TDs and 7 INTs this season.Punxsutawney earned a 23-6 KSAC-Large victory at St. Marys last week.The Chucks are most dangerous when they take to the air. Junior QB Dylan Ishman has passed for 936 yards and 12 TDs through six games.Punxsutawney shut out the Falcon Knights in 2016 by a score of 36-0.DuBois Area (2-4, 2-2) at Grove City (6-0, 4-0)7 p.m., FridayLogan Lutz has been many things to Grove City this season and he's made his impact felt in many phases of the game.Last week, he made his biggest impact as a receiver again.Lutz caught 10 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown in the 28-0 win over Slippery Rock.Junior quarterback Brady Callahan has been exceptionally efficient for the Eagles, completing 76 percent of his passes for 8-4 yards and eight touchdowns.Trey Adams continues to be a bruiser for the Eagles' running game with 491 yards and 14 scores.DuBois is led by quarterback Matt Miller, who has passed for 1,152 yards and 10 touchdowns. His favorite receiver has been Kyle Hopson, who has 40 receptions for 659 yards.Shenango (2-3, 2-2) at Summit Academy (1-4, 1-4)12:30 p.m., SaturdaySummit Academy fell, 28-14, to Big Seven Conference foe Union last week.The Knights allowed a big game to Union QB Evan Pinkerton, who threw for 194 yards and 3 TDs.Shenango will look to rebound from last week's 27-21 home loss to Western Beaver. The Wildcats rely heavily on their ground game where Josh Young (341 yards, 3 TDs) and Braydan Smiley (273 yards) lead the team.Last year, Shenango beat the Knights, 16-8.
