Oct 21, 2022 5 min read

By August Lober

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

CANONSBURG – When Peters-Township traveled onto Pike Street to play Canon-McMillan in an out-of-conference game, each team was playing the penultimate game of their regular season. Both teams’ final regular-season games have playoff implications.

Nevertheless, the Big Macs won the Washington Country rivalry game, 26-7, over the Indians on Friday night.

Canon-McMillan entered their last regular-season home game with a record of 4-4, coming off a 28-24 victory on the road against 5A Upper St. Clair.

Against PT, the Big Macs chalked up their first home win of the season.

“We’re looking at it like we’ve won two in a row. If we win tonight, we’ll call it a win streak,” Canon-McMillan head coach Mike Evans said pregame. “Offensively, we just need to stick to our plan. Peters Township is a good team. Defensively they have a little bit different scheme than most.”

Peters Township took the short bus ride south to Canonsburg hoisting a 6-2 record. The non-conference game meant little for the Indians’ playoff hopes, but for a team seeking an Allegheny Six Conference title, getting momentum before heading to conference leader Bethel Park next week could prove valuable.

“There’s no extra motivation to come down here and play these guys,” Peters Township head coach TJ Plack said. “We’ve always had a little back-and-forth, they’re an extremely physical team and we always try to play that way too. So, it is always a great game.”

The first half of play was dominated by the defenses of each team. The Big Macs held Peters Township to just 94 yards of total offense and without a score. Peters Township junior quarterback Chris Cibrone was held to just 65 yards.

“Bottom line is (Cibrone) has thrown for 2,000 yards so far this year,” Evans said. “He’s seen just about everything he’s going to see in eight weeks, and he’s been as successful as any quarterback in Western Pennsylvania.”

Canon-McMillan was able to score a touchdown but only gained 140 yards, 101 of which were by the air. A normally strong Canon-McMillan rushing attack was neutralized in the first half of play.

After throwing an interception to Peters Township senior defensive back Brendan McCollough on the Big Macs’ first possession of the night, Canon-McMillan junior quarterback Mike Evans played well in the first half. He completed eight of 14 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Rolling to his left, the left-handed Evans found his favorite target of the first half, senior wide receiver Benjamin Urso, in the endzone for a ten-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was scored with just over nine minutes left in the 2nd quarter but was the only score of the first 24 minutes of play.

The Big Macs went to the locker room leading 6-0.

To start the 2nd half, Canon-McMillan forced Peters Township to punt. On the ensuing Big Mac drive, Urso stepped in at quarterback for Evans who was injured on the final drive of the first half. Urso would throw an interception on his first pass attempt of the night.

The interception set the Indians up with a short field. Peters Township capitalized on the opportunity when Cibrone found fellow junior Carter Shanafelt in the back of the endzone. The touchdown and PAT gave the Indians the lead for the first time all night.

After consecutive drives that ended in punts, the Canon-McMillan ground game caught fire at the start of the fourth quartr. Senior running back Jacob Kasper had a 54-yard run that set up a Kaedon Singleton touchdown reception. With a two-point conversion, the Big Macs led 14-6.

On their following possession, the Big Macs scored again through the air. This time Urso rolled out to his left, threw to the front pylon, and found fellow senior wide receiver Austyn Winkleblech from 12 yards out for the score. The touchdown was again set up by a long Kasper run, this time of 64 yards.

Following a punt and interception on their next two drives, Peters Township had the ball with a minute remaining needing two touchdowns. On the last play of the game, Winkleblech intercepted Cibrone and returned the ball 95 yards for a touchdown.

“It means a lot. They’re one of our rivals,” Evans said postgame. “They have beaten us three straight years. To me, we had to go out and avenge that. I feel a lot better going into next week knowing that we are on a three-game winning streak. Now we have to put this one behind us and go beat a well-coached football in Mt. Lebanon.”

Canon-McMillan will end their regular season on the road against reigning 6A WPIAL Champions Mt. Lebanon.

“I told our guys that they got better tonight,” Plack said after the game. “They might not know it now, it hurts, it stings but it was a great football game for most of the game.”

Peters Township travels to Bethel Park next week in a game that will decide the winner of the Allegheny Six conference champion.