Lions going back to Heinz
Ryan Schmider (No. 13) and Dom Malosh (No. 38) celebrate along with teammates Brett Beltz (No. 16) and Logan Sharp (No. 1) while Dequay Broadwater (No. 15) agonizes after a critical Seton-La Salle fumble. South Fayette scored off the turnover and raced to a 28-7 halftime lead. The Lions also scored once off an interception in the first half.
Hunter Hayes (No. 2) bolts through the line for big yardage against Seton-La Salle. The South Fayette tailback rushed for two touchdowns in the first half to help South Fayette to a 28-7 lead in the WPIAL Class AA semifinal football game.
McMURRAY – Maybe it was the wake-up call in the quarterfinals against South Park, or maybe it was just playing a familiar and bitter opponent.
Whatever the reason, South Fayette was not looking to start slow again. And while the offense wasn’t as potent as it usually is, the Lions got a few breaks and the defense held off Seton-La Salle to lead South Fayette to a 35-21 victory in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals Friday night at Peters Township.
South Fayette (12-0) next has a rematch with Aliquippa for a chance to repeat as WPIAL champions next Friday at Heinz Field at 5 p.m.
“This rivalry is just awesome,” said South Fayette coach Joe Rossi. “Obviously, getting back to Heinz Field is great, but when you have an opportunity to beat your rival to get there, it’s phenomenal.”
Maybe more so than in most victories, luck played a key role for South Fayette. A Rebel punt hit a Lions player in the helmet, but rather than give up possession, South Fayette was able to recover the loose ball and eventually score for a 14-0 lead.
Conversely, a muffed punt by Seton-La Salle (10-2) not just stopped any momentum the Rebels had gained but gave it to the Lions.
The Rebels had just scored to make it 14-7 in favor of South Fayette. The Lions went three and out on their next possession and punted the ball away. But Dequay Broadwater couldn’t cleanly handle the kick, and South Fayette’s Ryan Schmider came away with the football.
South Fayette marched down the field and scored on Hunter Hayes’ second touchdown run of the game to take a 21-7 lead.
On Seton-La Salle’s ensuing drive, miscommunication between Tyler Perone and one of his receivers turned into a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jack Relihan, and suddenly the Lions were ahead by 21.
“At this time and stage, you need some luck,” Rossi said. “Jack’s interception was huge. A little sight adjustment by them and he read it. He’s played well for us all year.”
Seton-La Salle’s defense kept Brett Brumbaugh relatively in check, holding him to 217 yards passing on 13 of 30 attempts, but the Rebels often struggled to generate offense. Ricky Mellick, who gained over 1,100 yards this season, ran the ball only eight times for 23 yards, though he also caught three passes for 50 yards and totaled two touchdowns. But Perone threw 41 passes, completing only 20 for 215 yards.
Perone did connect with Danzel McKinley-Lewis on a 39-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter for the Rebels’ first touchdown, but the work of Roman Denson, Relihan and the rest of the South Fayette secondary limited Seton-La Salle’s big-play capability.
The Lions were in danger of being shut out for the second half before Dan Trimbur made a great sliding catch for a 7-yard touchdown with 6:51 left in the game that extended South Fayette’s lead to 35-13. The Rebels responded quickly by scoring on a five-play drive, but Seton-La Salle didn’t get the ball back.
Hayes become South Fayette’s workhorse, especially as the passing game continued its struggles. He ran the ball 28 times and gained 117 yards, including converting a big third down late in the game as the Lions were trying to kill the clock.
“Any time you play a team twice, it’s tough,” said Rossi. “They know what we do. We try to change a little bit, they try to change a little bit.”
Rossi and the rest of the Lions will now prepare for the Quips, who ousted Washington, 44-26, in the other semifinal. The two teams have played some memorable playoff games in recent years, including last season’s 34-28 South Fayette victory in the WPIAL championship game.
“There’s no better team in AA,” said Rossi. “They respect our team and we respect theirs.”