Sep 30, 2022 3 min read

COAL CENTER – The play up front in the trenches usually dictates how a team is going to do in any given season.

After its convincing 52-20 win at California Friday night, Mapletown’s offensive line is still controlling play for a sixth consecutive week, and the Maples are looking to dominate their way up front to the school’s first conference title since 2005.

“We have four (linemen) who play guard and tackle and two alternate at center,” said longtime Mapletown coach George Messich. “All they do is work in the weight room and work at practice.

“Usually, I have one or two good lineman, but this year we have six.”

California coach Ed Woods shared his feelings after the Tri-County South game.

“They have a good football team and were the better football team tonight,” he said. “I am happy for Mapletown and happy for George and their staff that they have a team like this.”

The Mapletown (3-0-, 6-0) line opened holes all night, and running back Landan Stevenson took advantage.

The senior entered the game fourth in the WPIAL with 868 yards, and he finished with 251 yards and four scores on 30 carries, not to mention a 45-yard touchdown pass to Brock Evans.

“Landan would be the first one to give the offensive line credit,” Messich said. “They work extremely hard.”

The Maples finished with 362 yards on the ground on 47 carries.

After forcing a California punt on the opening drive of the game, Mapletown went 78 yards on 11 plays and took a 7-0 lead on an 8-yard run by Stevenson with 4:46 to go in the first.

It didn’t take the Trojans (1-2, 4-2) long to counter as Jake Layhue hit Caden Powell with a 45-yard scoring strike with 2:11 to go in the quarter, but the Trojans came up short on the two-point conversion attempt and it was all Mapletown from there.

With the score 7-6 heading to the second, the Maples scored 17 points to take a 24-6 lead at the half.

Stevenson made a 34-yard field goal with 6:35 left, then he scored form one yard out and hit AJ Vanada with a two-point conversion pass with 2:10 to go.

After turning the Trojans over near midfield, Brody Evans scored from a yard out to give the Maples the 18-point halftime advantage.

Stevenson opened the second half with a 40-yard touchdown run, hit Evans with the scoring strike a short time later and also added a two-yard score in the fourth.

Evan Griffin closed out the scoring for Mapletown with a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth.

Layhue connected with Powell for a second touchdown for the Trojans, this one from 59 yards, halfway through the third and tallied the game’s last touchdown on a 17-yard run with less than two minutes to go.

Layhue finished with 202 yards passing for California.

Messich said Mapletown’s approach won’t change moving forward.

“We talk to the kids after big wins, and we will celebrate the win over the weekend,” he said. “Come Monday, we are 0-0, just like we are each week.”

Woods said the Trojans will learn from this loss.

“We will take a look at tape, see where we made mistakes,” he said. “We will have to learn and move on.”

Both teams head on the road Friday as Mapletown is at Jefferson-Morgan (2-1, 4-2) and California is at West Greene (1-2, 1-5).