No matter how many times Jon LeDonne guides Pine-Richland to the big game, he insists it never gets old.
For the fourth time in as many years since arriving from Penn Hills in 2022, LeDonne and the No. 1 Rams are going to the WPIAL Class 5A championship game after vanquishing No. 5 Moon (9-4) in an action-packed battle at Chartiers Valley, 34-24. Defending champion Pine-Richland (11-1) is now one win away from its third WPIAL title in the past four seasons under LeDonne, who also won a WPIAL and state title at Penn Hills in 2018.
“You never take it for granted,” LeDonne said. “It’s a different team every year. You’ve got to step up to the challenge. You’re going to have guys coming for you. For us, this is a different group than when we first started. We watched them grow up from young pups into dogs now.”
After winning nine games in a row by 30 points or more — including an eye-opening 67-0 beatdown against Class 6A finalist North Allegheny — the Rams received all they could handle from the Tigers on Friday night. With several high-caliber athletes and a defense known for its aggressive, physical playstyle, many observers believed Moon could give Pine-Richland its stiffest test since the Rams lost to Central Catholic way back on Aug. 29.
It may not have seemed that way after Pine-Richland phenom Khalil Taylor caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Oobi Strader, then returned an interception for a 104-yard TD to give the Rams an early 14-0 lead. But sure enough, the Tigers clawed their way back, cutting the deficit to four on a 64-yard TD reception by Braeden Stuart followed by an interception by Paul Bronaugh that led to a 44-yard field goal by Evan Senkevich.
“We knew they were going to come in tough,” LeDonne said. “They play very strong defense. Their QB played really well in the first half, then didn’t come back in the second half. We weren’t really prepared for the Wildcat, but they battled until the end, so hats off to them.”
Pine-Richland scored again to make it 21-10, but a 40-yard TD scamper by Dionte Henry trimmed the gap back to four going into the half. Henry would finish the game as the Wildcat quarterback for Moon after starting quarterback Andrew Cross left with an injury and did not return.
The Tigers’ defense did a great job limiting the Rams’ explosive passing plays on offense, but Strader simply took matters into his own hands — or legs, rather — rushing for 198 yards along with a pair of touchdowns to put the game away. He is now set to start in his third consecutive WPIAL championship game after doing so as both a freshman and sophomore.
“[Strader] showcased his legs tonight,” LeDonne said. “Our guys faced some adversity there. For a lot of our guys, that was our first game playing four quarters since Week 1 against Central Catholic. … We’re just excited to be back in the position to compete for another championship.”
Other Class 5A semifinal
The first time Peters Township and Upper St. Clair met earlier this season, it was a back-and-forth heavyweight fight that ended with the Indians coming out on top after a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Friday’s rematch at Canon-McMillan was a completely different story.
Although the No. 3 Panthers (10-3) took the first lead of the game on a 26-yard field goal by Jacobo Echeverria, their advantage would be short lived, as No. 2 Peters Township (12-0) responded with a 7-yard TD run by Cole Neupaver to take control. After a strip sack by Pitt recruit Reston Lehman, the star senior then caught a TD pass from Nolan DiLucia to extend the Indians’ lead going into halftime. From there, Peters Township poured it on with three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to polish off a commanding 31-6 victory.
Class 3A semifinals
Getting the chance to match wits against revered Central Valley coach Mark Lyons for the first time, Imani Christian coach LaRoi Johnson made the most of the opportunity.
After star quarterback Gabe Jenkins raced 40 yards to the end zone on the Saints’ first play from scrimmage, No. 2 Imani (12-0) never looked back en route to a dominant 48-0 victory at Montour against the completely overmatched Warriors (7-5).
The Saints’ other blue-chip prospect, electrifying senior David Davis, followed Jenkins’ opening score with a 75-yard TD run, then added an 83-yard TD run and a 73-yard TD run in the second quarter to blow the game wide open. Both Anthony Portis and Maurice Williams also scored on 40-yard fumble return TDs for Imani, along with a 43-yard TD reception for Da’Juan Craighead.
Awaiting the Saints in next week’s championship game will be defending champion Avonworth (12-0), which defeated No. 5 North Catholic (9-4) for the second time this season, 44-24, to set up a highly anticipated clash of unbeaten powerhouses for all the marbles. The No. 1 Antelopes defeated Imani in last year’s semifinal round, 14-6.
Dimitri Velisaris rushed for a trio of touchdowns in the win for Avonworth against the Trojans, while Luca Neal tacked on two rushing TDs for the Lopes and Jaden Jones hauled in a 54-yard receiving TD from Carson Bellinger.
SCOREBOARD
WPIAL CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS
Peters Township 31, Upper St. Clair 6
Pine-Richland 34, Moon 24
WPIAL CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS
Avonworth 44, North Catholic 24
Imani Christian 48, Central Valley 0
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
