Sometimes, the big games really do live up to the hype.
The 2025 rendition of the “Route 19 Rivalry” between undefeated Allegheny Six Conference foes Peters Township and Upper St. Clair may have been the biggest regular-season showdown ever between the teams, and they have certainly played in some big ones in recent years. But this one just had a different feel to it, with the Indians ranked No. 2 and the Panthers ranked No. 3 in Class 5A, and with both teams having split a pair of gritty, hard-hitting affairs last season — including one that sent Peters Township to its second consecutive WPIAL championship game.
By the end of it, some fans could be heard exiting the stadium saying it was the best high school football game they had ever attended.
That may have been a bit of hyperbole, of course, but this was an absolute classic that will prove pivotal when the seeds are handed out for the WPIAL tournament at the end of the year. After a back-and-forth second half that left spectators’ heads spinning, it was the host Indians (6-0, 1-0) who came out on top, 24-20, to keep their perfect record intact.
“I’ve done this for 30 years. There’s no more nerves,” said Peters Township coach T.J. Plack. “It’s good to see more offense in this rivalry. … A few years ago, we beat them pretty good. But outside of that, they’ve all been close games, and they’ve all meant something.”
A two-way standout for the Indians with more than 7,000 yards passing for his career, senior quarterback Nolan DiLucia completed 15 of 22 passes for 277 yards and a pair of TDs in the win. DiLucia is also a four-year starter at safety who ranks among the top 20 passers in WPIAL history.
“I know the guys I’ve got behind me, and I know how clutch they all are,” DiLucia said. “It’s definitely not just me on this team. … It was back-and-forth the whole game. It was close. We just kept fighting.”
After a bit of a slow start to the game on both sides as the defenses controlled the game throughout the first half, the offenses came out firing late in the second quarter. First, Upper St. Clair quarterback Ethan Hellmann found 6-3 wideout Randy Yan for a 5-yard touchdown pass right at the front pylon, then DiLucia connected with Stanford recruit Lucas Shanafelt for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the half to tie the game, 10-10, giving Peters Township the spark it needed going into the locker room.
“It was good to give us some some momentum,” Shanafelt said. “I was just trying to do anything I can to help the team, and it worked out.”
The Indians carried over their offensive momentum coming out of the break, as DiLucia led them right down the field before finding P.J. Luke for a 45-yard touchdown pass to take a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter. Following a 33-yard field goal by Jacobo Echeverria to cut the deficit to four, the Panthers (5-1, 0-1) then took the lead on a 40-yard TD pass from Hellmann to Nico D’Orazio later in the quarter.
The leading passer in the WPIAL entering the game, Hellmann finished with 24 completions on 37 attempts for 308 yards and two passing TDs to go with a team-high 51 yards rushing, putting up a valiant effort in the defeat.
“He played great tonight,” said Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko. “He did a great job managing the game, standing in the pocket and creating with his feet when he had to. Two really good quarterbacks out here [tonight]. There’s a reason the two of them are at the top of the WPIAL. Folks in the stadium tonight, they got a heck of a show.”
After watching Upper St. Clair’s go-ahead touchdown by Hellmann, who DiLucia said is a good friend of his, the Villanova recruit took it upon himself to embrace the moment rather than fold under the pressure in front of his home crowd. And with the help of his sturdy offensive line, DiLucia effortlessly orchestrated the game-winning drive, capped off by a 3-yard touchdown plunge by senior tailback Cole Neupaver.
Neupaver had himself a game to remember in the win, finishing with 30 carries for 123 yards and the winning TD to go along with two catches for 43 yards.
“He’s an animal,” DiLucia said. “He runs through holes like a different man. People underestimate him by his size, but he works hard. … I can’t say enough about him.”
From here, both of these teams must put this one behind them and move on to face the rest of their grueling Allegheny Six Conference slates, with South Fayette coming to town next week for the Panthers and Moon on tap for Peters Township. But each coach and the vast majority of their players know that further down the road, there’s a very high likelihood they will see each other again.
And as big as this game was Friday night, if it happens again later this year, it will be much, much bigger.
“It’s different playing at home,” said Peters Township senior Reston Lehman, a Pitt recruit. “It gives you an extra edge, for sure.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
