Week 10 football roundup: Gabe Hein’s huge game leads Mars in rout; North Catholic clinches WPIAL berth with dramatic win
Gabe Hein scored on a punt return and two long receptions as Mars eased into the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs with a 42-7 win at Indiana on Friday night.
Hein’s touchdowns covered 75 yards on the punt and 42 and 50 yards through the air for the Planets (8-2, 4-1 Greater Allegheny Conference). He finished with 11 catches for 216 yards, giving him 842 on the year. He was Colin Yurisnec’s only target all night as the QB went 11 of 12.
Ayden Yocum got in on the action, too, with TD runs of 14 and 41 yards, finishing with 11 carries for 114 yards. Ryan Walker added a blocked-punt return for a score.
North Catholic 44, Hopewell 36 — The Trojans had one job to do to clinch a WPIAL Class 3A playoff berth: win. And they did, in a back-and-forth road affair that featured multiple lead changes and a huge game from receivers Will Waskiewicz and Preston Simko.
North finishes the regular season 7-3 (4-2) and claims the final automatic bid from the Western Hills Conference.
Waskiewicz scored on plays of 15 and 6 yards, and Simko had chunk plays for six points covering 36 and 24 yards. He also had a 70-yard reception that set up a Tom Arth score.
Quarterback Joe Felitsky rebounded from a pick-six to finish 20 of 23 for 312 yards and three TDs.
Running back Logan Schade ripped off a 48-yard TD run in the first half to cut a 14-3 Hopewell lead down to four points and spark the comeback effort. He finished with 107 yards.
St. Marys 49, Moniteau 16 — The Warriors finished their first season under Clay Kohlmeyer 3-7 (0-4 District 9, Region 3).
Brendin Sankey closed his career with an 11-carry, 37-yard night on the ground. Weston Cook completed 14 of 33 passes for 151 yards, two interceptions and two late TDs to Aiden Kern and Liam Allison.
Imani Christian 53, Freeport 7 — The Yellowjackets (7-3, 4-2) already had a playoff berth secured before Week 10, but the loss drops them to third in the Allegheny 7 Conference.
Quarterback Drew Ross briefly put Freeport up 7-6 on a 23-yard connection to Madden Wisniewski, but undefeated Imani got three rushing and three passing scores from junior QB Gabe Jenkins to run away with this one.
Ross finished with 120 yards passing, and Freeport’s typically potent ground game was held to 22 yards. The Saints forced three turnovers.
McKeesport 57, Knoch 0 — The Knights closed out the season 0-10 (0-5 Greater Allegheny) in T.J. Wiley’s first season. No other stats were provided.
Butler County playoff teams — Five will make it to the dance this year: Freeport, Mars and North Catholic in the WPIAL, and Karns City and Union/A-C Valley in District 9.
