Even for future NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady, leading a game-winning touchdown drive while starting at your own 5-yard line with no timeouts and less than a minute to play might be a bit too much to ask.
Apparently, for Penn-Trafford quarterback Nate Desmond it was just another day at the office.
Making just his third career start for the Class 5A No. 4 Warriors, Desmond delivered a clutch performance for the ages in a thrilling 25-24 comeback victory at Moon (2-1). The senior completed 15 of 26 passes for 241 yards, rushing for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter before hooking up with Landyn Stikkel on a screen pass for a game-clinching 15-yard TD with 6.8 seconds remaining.
Just like Penn-Trafford coach John Ruane drew it up.
“All three of our games have come down to the last minute, and hopefully that pays dividends down the road,” Ruane said. “I’m really proud of our bunch.”
Despite playing without arguably their top two players in junior running back Ben Grabowski and all-conference senior linebacker Jamison Yurt — both considered week-to-week with injuries — the Warriors received a handful of major contributions from both likely and unlikely sources. For those who remember former Penn-Trafford star Cade Yacamelli, who now plays running back at Wisconsin, it was certainly no surprise to see his younger brother, Cody, step into the spotlight while filling in for Grabowski.
A sophomore, Cody Yacamelli rushed for 84 yards and a pair of TDs on 18 carries in the win. Elsewhere, junior Nick Ponko followed up his big game in a win against Mt. Lebanon last week with another terrific outing, catching eight passes for 95 yards on the evening.
“A lot of guys have been really stepping up and making plays when it counts the most,” Ruane said. “I thought Nate Desmond was fantastic. He led two long drives for touchdowns to get us back and finally win it.”
After jumping out to a 12-0 first-quarter lead, the momentum that seemed to be firmly in the Warriors’ grasp evaporated in an instant when a long touchdown run by Yacamelli was called back by a holding penalty, followed by a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by the Tigers on the very next play.
Just like that, Moon erupted for four consecutive scores — three touchdowns and a field goal — to take full control of the game with a 24-12 lead in the fourth quarter.
“It was two totally different games,” Ruane said. “The entire game swung on two plays. … We didn’t really wake back up until we were down two scores.”
In a game between two of the WPIAL’s most physical programs both battling it out for one of the final spots in the Class 5A rankings, many expected it to come down to the wire, including Ruane. Still, even after spending the past 16 years coaching the Warriors, Ruane conceded that he can’t remember many endings quite as heart-pounding as the frantic final moments of Friday’s win.
“Credit to Moon. They’re a great team, and coach [Ryan] Linn is a great coach. We had nothing but respect for those guys,” Ruane said. “It’s definitely one of the wildest finishes we’ve ever had.”
THOMAS JEFFERSON RALLIES PAST McKEESPORT IN FINAL MINUTE
For the second week in a row, Class 4A No. 1 Thomas Jefferson found itself trailing early on — but this time, the Jaguars’ deficit carried all the way into the final minute of the fourth quarter in a WPIAL championship rematch at Class 4A No. 3 McKeesport (1-2). After forcing a crucial goal-line fumble on the last play of the first half, Thomas Jefferson (3-0) went ahead on a 1-yard TD run by sophomore quarterback Harrison Kolling with 52 seconds remaining in the fourth, then a pick-six by senior Emmett Forte sealed the Jaguars’ emotion-filled 16-7 win. Tigers star running back Kemon Spell played the first series but did not return to the game after aggravating an ankle injury.
NESHANNOCK NIPS ELLWOOD CITY IN FINAL MINUTE
In a game that played out in nearly identical fashion to Penn-Trafford’s win against Moon, Class 1A No. 4 Neshannock fell into a 14-point halftime deficit before storming back for a 26-20 road win at Ellwood City (1-2). The Lancers (2-1) tied the score with just over four minutes left on a 71-yard TD run and 2-point conversion by Anthony Eakin, then quarterback Jino Mozzocio found Ethan Beaman for a game-winning 8-yard TD pass with just 13 seconds remaining.
AVONWORTH AVENGES DEFEAT AGAINST ALIQUIPPA
Traveling into one of the toughest places to play in the state at Aliquippa’s Heinz Field, Class 3A No. 1 Avonworth (3-0) marched into enemy territory and avenged a lopsided loss from last season against Class 4A No. 2 Aliquippa (1-1), putting together a defensive masterpiece with a trio of interceptions en route to an eye-opening 23-7 win. Dimitri Velisaris ran for a pair of scores while Antelopes quarterback Carson Bellinger connected with Luca Neal for a 53-yard TD strike in the win.
MARS PULLS OFF MORE LATE-GAME MAGIC
For the second week in a row, Class 4A No. 4 Mars relied on its smothering defense to keep the game close before pulling ahead in the final minutes for a 13-10 triumph at North Hills (0-3), the alma mater of Planets coach Eric Kasperowicz. This time, Mars used a go-ahead 34-yard TD pass from Colin Yursinec to Gabe Hein with 4:15 remaining to eke out the win and remain undefeated. Ayden Yocum finished with 82 yards on 18 carries for the Planets (3-0), while Liam Corcoran added 63 yards and a TD on 10 carries.
PUP BITES
• Although Bethel Park quarterback Evan Devine has started only three career games, he already has two games with more than 350 yards passing after completing 21 of 30 attempts for 367 yards and four TDs in a 56-28 home win over Armstrong. The senior signal-caller also tacked on a 2-yard rushing TD for the Black Hawks.
• For the first time since 2021, Fox Chapel recorded back-to-back victories by posting a 20-18 win at Knoch. Joe Geller passed for 203 yards and two TDs to Max Melocchi, who finished with five receptions for 145 yards, but it was Georgia recruit Harran Zureikat who played the hero by converting a game-winning 22-yard field goal with nine seconds left.
• Although the game was called midway through the third quarter due to inclement weather, that didn’t stop West Allegheny from setting school records for points scored in a half (57) and game (65), as the Indians cruised to a 65-7 blowout win at McGuffey.
THREE STARS
*** — Dawson Wolfe, Southmoreland. The big, bad Wolfe steered the Scotties to a 54-7 romp against visiting Laurel Highlands in a battle of unbeaten teams, completing 9 of 12 passes for 135 yards and two TDs while rushing for 163 yards and three scores.
** — Jake Lucas, Hampton. In a rousing rendition of the Route 8 Rivalry, Hampton rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit for a dramatic 25-24 victory at Shaler thanks to a walk-off 46-yard field goal by Lucas.
* — Logan Schade, North Catholic. In a game that included 114 total points and 1,176 combined yards of offense, the Trojans’ senior tailback stole the show with a whopping 408 yards from scrimmage (343 rushing, 65 receiving) and four TDs to help North Catholic emerge with a 65-49 win against Blackhawk.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
SCOREBOARD
Albert Gallatin 28, Connellsville 14
Allderdice 45, Perry 6
Avella 35, Springdale 6
Avonworth 23, Aliquippa 7
Belle Vernon 25, Central Valley 22
Bentworth 45, Charleroi 0
Bethel Park 56, Armstrong 28
Bishop Canevin 21, Steel Valley 6
Brentwood 41, Sto-Rox 0
Burrell 28, Mount Pleasant 21
Butler 48, Meadville 34
Canon-McMillan 37, South Fayette 28
Chartiers Valley 42, Indiana 6
Chartiers-Houston 35, Mapletown 28
Cornell 35, Riverview 21
Derry 24, Deer Lakes 21
Elizabeth Forward 60, East Allegheny 13
Fort Cherry 55, West Greene 8
Fox Chapel 20, Knoch 18
Frazier 31, Carmichaels 14
Freeport 42, Quaker Valley 7
Greensburg Salem 26, Valley 10
Greensburg C.C. 35, Apollo-Ridge 16
Hampton 25, Shaler 24
Hempfield 43, Kiski Area 10
Hopewell 49, Ambridge 2
Imani Christian 41, Beaver 3
Jeannette 31, Ligonier Valley 0
Jefferson-Morgan 26, Burgettstown 10
Laurel 43, Riverside 0
Leechburg 26, Serra Catholic 0
Mars 13, North Hills 10
Monessen 20, Beth-Center 3
Montour 35, Trinity 27
Neshannock 26, Ellwood City 20
New Brighton 38, Northgate 0
New Castle 32, Highlands 0
North Allegheny 35, Penn Hills 0
North Catholic 65, Blackhawk 49
Norwin 35, Latrobe 0
Penn-Trafford 25, Moon 24
Peters Township 35, Mt. Lebanon 0
Pine-Richland 49, Seneca Valley 20
Plum 23, Gateway 14
Seton LaSalle 39, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 7
Shenango 24, Mohawk 0
South Allegheny 53, Carlynton 0
South Park 27, Keystone Oaks 14
South Side 26, Beaver Falls 6
Southmoreland 54, Laurel Highlands 7
Thomas Jefferson 16, McKeesport 7
Uniontown 34, Brownsville 27
University Prep 56, Carrick 12
Upper St. Clair 49, Franklin Regional 6
Washington 44, Union 6
Waynesburg 27, California 20
West Allegheny 65, McGuffey 7
West Mifflin 41, Baldwin 0
Western Beaver 41, Rochester 6
Yough 40, Ringgold 0
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
