PIAA high school football Week 8: Final scores, highlights, recaps from Butler, Freeport, Karns City, Mars, more
Butler picked up a sixth win Wednesday after Westinghouse informed the Golden Tornado it was forfeiting Week 5’s victory.
Now, the Tornado (6-1) have the chance to earn a seventh win the old-fashioned way.
The Eagle will be at four games this week — Butler at Taylor Allderdice, 3:30 p.m. (John Enrietto), Hopewell at Freeport (Derek Pyda), Brockway at Karns City (Aidan Treu) and Mars at McKeesport (Brendan Howe). Follow this page for updates and scores from those games and all the rest throughout the night. Eagle sports editor Jake Merda Adams will post updates and highlights along with scores from kickoff to the final whistle.
And after the action is over, you can find all our game coverage and photos from the field.
Bookmark this page for the latest from Week 8.
Mark Klemz, defense leads in dominant win, continuing Butler’s best season in decades
Nathan Hess, defense turn close contest into Karns City rout against Brockway
McKeesport’s Kemon Spell keeps shredding Mars’ defense in highly anticipated WPIAL Class 4A battle
Hopewell sacks Freeport, QB Drew Ross in Yellowjackets’ 2nd loss of the year
Check back regularly for the latest in-game scores as they’re reported on social media.
Friday, Oct. 10
FINAL — Butler 35, Taylor Allderdice 8 (NFHS, requires subscription; WBUT radio)
FINAL — Hopewell 48, Freeport 20 (NFHS, requires subscription)
FINAL — Karns City 63, Brockway 27 (Tri County TV, Hudl)
FINAL — Hampton 38, Knoch 0 (WISR radio, Hudl)
FINAL — McKeesport 56, Mars 31 (YouTube)
FINAL OT — North Catholic 49, Beaver 42 (YSN, Hudl)
FINAL — Seneca Valley 47, Hempfield Area 8 (Meridix; NFHS, requires subscription)
FINAL — Slippery Rock 37, Titusville 14 (Hudl)
FINAL — Union/A-C Valley 63, Smethport 0 (YouTube)
FINAL — Northgate 22, Summit Academy 12 (Hudl)
Saturday, Oct. 11
7 — Moniteau at Union City (UCToday.org)
Refresh this page for more updates throughout the evening.
9:59 p.m.: North Catholic wins it in first overtime to snap skid
The Trojans are back in the win column after hanging onto a 49-42 win over Beaver in OT. Logan Schade scored the game-winning TD on the first possession, and the defense held on fourth-and-3, forcing an incompletion. North improves to 6-2.
9:56 p.m.: Logan Schade scores on first play of OT
North Catholic takes a 49-42 lead on Logan Schade’s first-play, 10-yard run. Beaver has a chance to tie it on this possession.
9:49 p.m.: North Catholic-Beaver heading to overtime
This could be a high-scoring game with both defenses struggling all night to force a stop. Beaver had a chance with one final drive and under a minute ago, but the offense seemed disjointed and never got across midfield. It’s 42-42 heading into OT.
9:45 p.m.: Slippery Rock gets back in win column
The Rockets beat the ... Rockets ... 37-14 to improve to 3-5. They still have a chance to make the District 10 playoffs.
9:43 p.m.: Felitsky takes it in himself, North Catholic ties it up late
This game could be heading to overtime. The Trojans’ defense just has to hold for less than a minute of regulation after QB Joe Felitsky led a long game-tying drive he capped with a rollout to his left from about 10 yards out. It’s 42-42 after the PAT is good.
9:25 p.m.: Beaver picks it off, has chance to win the game on final drive
Joe Felitsky’s deep ball was picked off, and Beaver returned it inside the 50 with around 5 minutes to play. It’s 35-35.
9:21 p.m.: Beaver scores on fourth-and-goal at the 1 to tie it up
North Catholic has 6:55 left to win this one after Beaver scored on a goal-line plunge to tie it 35-35. It’s been a tight game all night. The Trojans (5-2) are trying to snap a two-game skid.
9:14 p.m.: Gremlins getting the bounces, pouring it on
A pitch at the 1-yard line briefly hit the ground, but bounced into the running back’s hands and Karns City scored to make it 63-20.
9:07 p.m.: Falcon Knights now 8-0 this season after another blowout win
Logan Skibinski had four first-half touchdowns, Max Gallagher was active in the run game again, and Union/A-C Valley dismantled Smethport 63-0 to reach 8-0 on the year. The juggernauts have averaged 33.6 points while allowing 7.9.
9:03 p.m.: Kemon Spell adds to Mars’ punishment with another long TD
The McKeesport top recruit ripped off another run to the end zone, this one from more than 50 yards. It’s now 56-24 Tigers on a night of blowouts across Butler County.
According to the McKeesport broadcast, he has more than 400 all-purpose yards and well over 300 on offense.
8:54 p.m.: Kemon Spell, Cole Johnston add more points in respective blowouts
Mars will be happy not to see Spell again at least until the playoffs. He scored again (he had five TDs last year in two games against the Planets), to make it 48-24 in the third quarter.
Karns City is on the other end of a blowout, as QB Johnston threw up a ball into the end zone on a scramble drill to give the Gremlins a 56-20 lead over Brockway. The running clock is in effect now.
8:51 p.m.: Wade, Vikings pulling away from Freeport
Hopewell hit on an 83-yard pass and Nasir Wade ran in another from long distance, 54 yards, and the Vikings are pulling away from Freeport in the second half 28-7.
8:48 p.m.: Cayden Parker busts a big one to extend Seneca Valley’s lead
The Raiders’ running back took a handoff more than 60 yards for the score to make it 33-0. A trick play on a two-point conversion was intercepted, so SV can’t trigger the running clock just yet.
Mars was unable to turn it’s prime opportunity into points, and the Tigers made it pay shortly after with another long run for a TD to make it 42-24.
8:36 p.m.: Mars back in this after early score, fumble recovery
The Planets punched back first in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 35-17, and a fumbled handoff the defense was able to recover has them threatening in McKeesport territory.
Karns City and Union/A-C Valley extended their leads to 42-14 and 49-0, respectively.
8:33 p.m.: Some halftime stats for Mars-McKeesport
From reporter Brendan Howe:
Mars: QB Colin Yurisinec — 10/15, 101 yds. RB Ayden Yocum — 9 car., 31 yds. WR Gabe Hein — 4 rec. 66 yds.
McKeesport: RB Kemon Spell — 13 car., 174 yds; 1 rec., 66 yds.; 4 total TDs.
8:11 p.m.: Freeport-Hopewell QBs injured, banged up
Per reporter Derek Pyda, Freeport QB Drew Ross is playing injured (previous injury suffered a few weeks ago) and has been sacked seven times in first half. Hopewell QB James Armstrong left the game late in half with an injury.
8:07 p.m.: Cole Johnston puts Karns City in commanding position over Brockway
QB Cole Johnston took a keeper left and ran in almost untouched to make it 34-14 Gremlins (PAT no good).
8:04 p.m.: Have a day, Logan Skibinski
The Falcon Knights have made this one a route, and Skibinski is the reason why. The underclassman broke free for his fourth (!!!) touchdown of the half to put Union/A-C Valley up 42-0. An 8-0 start is all but locked up before halftime.
8:02 p.m.: Seneca Valley pulling away from Hempfield
Andrew Loebig is leading the way in the first half with his arm and legs. The QB made it 6-0 on a 47-yard run 1:38 into the game, hit Tommy Wuycheck late in the second half for a short TD then dropped one to Danny Drennan for a 72-yard strike to make it 27-0.
In between, WR Rory O’Shea scored on a reverse from 15 yards out. (My fantasy team is thankful for this game right now.)
7:50 p.m.: Logan Skibinski scores again; Mars falling behind; Freeport also trailing
Skibinski, the 1B to senior Max Gallagher’s 1A in the backfield, is again having a big game with his third touchdown of the half. U/ACV leads 35-0 in the second quarter after Gallagher punched in the two-point conversion.
Mars is having trouble stopping McKeesport’s vaunted run game and trails 28-10 in the second quarter, at risk of dropping a second game this season.
And after Amos Glenn’s big return, Freeport’s drive stalled on four downs, and Hopewell drove the shortly after to score on Nasir Wade’s 53 run and take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
7:29 p.m.: Amos Glenn sets up Freeport for lead
The Yellowjackets tailback, who already has seven special teams touchdowns, returned a kickoff 73 yards and has Freeport threatening to take a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter, according to reporter Derek Pyda.
And Logan Skibinski and Aidan Fox have put two more TDs on the board for Union/A-C Valley, which is pulling away from Smethport 21-0 in the second quarter. The Falcon Knights are the lone 7-0 team left in Butler County.
7:16 p.m.: Hunter Scherer gets into the passing game for Karns City lead
The Gremlins are up 7-0 early on against Brockway after running back Hunter Scherer got some receiving action out of the backfield, catching a pass and taking it down the right sideline for the early score.
7:15 p.m.: We’re back, and Mars is down early
A short intermission here between the afternoon matinee (READ BUTLER RECAP HERE) and the 7 p.m. kickoffs. Among the early scores, Mars finds itself down 14-0 early against familiar foe Kemon Spell and McKeesport. The Tigers are up big after Spell took a handoff on the second drive and ran 44 yards before getting tackled inside the 10-yard line, then got the ball a few plays later for a 5-yard score.
5:55 p.m.: Butler is 7-1, continuing impressive season
A late Allderdice touchdown made it 35-8, only ruining a chance at a Tornado shutout but not a win. Butler is 7-1 with one more home game next week. More on this game from reporter John Enrietto to come.
5:45 p.m.: Mark Klemz scores second of the day
Butler’s running back scored from 8 yards out, capping a quick three-play drive to give Butler a 35-0 lead with a little more than 7 minutes to go. The mercy rule running clock will run for the rest of the game.
5:39 p.m.: Safety, Beau Burchett!
The Tornado tack on two more points as Beau Burchett wraps up Allderdice’s quarterback for a safety. It’s 29-0 Butler with 8:18 to go in the game. The Tornado are about to improve to 7-1.
5:29 p.m.: A quick, scoreless third quarter at Cupples Stadium
Butler is maintaining a 27-0 lead against Allderdice, but the Dragons are driving for the second time this half. Tornado RB Mark Klemz has 104 yards today, per reporter John Enrietto.
4:45 p.m.: Halftime stats as Butler is dominating Allderdice
Nicco Baggetta has 136 yards passing, and Mark Klemz has 90 yards rushing at the half, per reporter John Enrietto. The Tornado defense has held the Dragons to just 46 yards and two first downs.
4:20 p.m.: Baggetta keeps it himself, Butler closing in on running clock
Set up by a big jet-sweep carry by Deacon Simko, Nicco Baggetta plowed into the end zone from a few yards out for his eighth rushing TD and a 27-20 Tornado lead over the Dragons.
4:07 p.m.: Butler pouring it on, Baggetta tosses 2nd TD
Nicco Baggetta hit Deacon Simko on a 55-yard touchdown pass on what might have been busted Allderdice coverage, to give the Tornado a 21-0 lead. It’s still the first quarter. They are so far putting any doubt they deserve to be an above-.500 team to bed.
4:00 p.m.: Mark Klemz breaks off big run for score
Mark Klemz continued his quest for 1,000 yards and a big year, breaking off a 55-yard run late in the first quarter to give Butler a 14-0 lead over Allderdice.
3:50 p.m.: Butler takes early lead on Baggetta’s TD toss
Marcus Vicari was on the receiving end of Nicco Baggetta’s 27-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter, giving Butler a 7-0 lead over Allderdice. It’s Baggetta’s 10th TD throw of the year, although he’s know as a physical runner as well.
The TD came after both teams exchanged turnovers on their first drive and lineman Stone Speck was taken off the field with an injury, a potentially critical loss on both sides of the trenches for the Tornado.
3:28 p.m.: Butler about to kick off against Allderdice seeking 7th win
Hello from a rare afternoon kickoff on this crisp fall Friday! We’ll have some updates throughout Butler’s second road game of the season, at Cupples Stadium. The Golden Tornado are seeking a seventh win this season after learning Wednesday their Week 5 loss to Westinghouse was now forfeited by the Bulldogs for using an ineligible player. That gave Butler an unexpected sixth victory, the first time it has won that many games in a season since 1997.
Each week the Butler Eagle sports staff will preview everything you need to know ahead of Friday night’s games. Missed anything this week? Catch up with our analysis here:
Week 8 staff picks: Who did Eagle reporters, Scoop predict will win?
Leaderboard: Butler County passing, rushing, receiving and scoring leaders
Standings: WPIAL, District 9 and District 10 standings and schedules
Eye on Sports: Seneca Valley soccer coach Mark Perry interview, Jake's no-good sports weekend, Week 8 predictions
