At least on this night, there was a much greater difference between Clairton and Springdale than one spot in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review rankings.
Clairton senior tailback Zaire Washington rushed for 219 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries. And second-ranked Clairton's defense held No. 3 Springdale's offense to minus-14 yards and one first down in a 26-0 win in a Class A Eastern Conference game Friday night at Veterans Memorial Field in Springdale.
"They're one (heckuva) fine football team; they're probably one of the best (in Class A) since Duquesne in 1993," Springdale coach Chuck Wagner said. "If they're not as good as that team, they aren't too far behind.
"We have a young team, but we're not a bunch of rinky dinks."
Washington, one of Clairton's four Division I prospects, rushed for over 179 yards before halftime, and the Bears (4-1, 2-0) limited Springdale (4-1, 2-1) to minus-10 yards in the first half, while piling up 233 yards -- all on the ground.
"Zaire pounded the ball, and that is what we do best," Clairton coach Tom Nola said. "I told him before the game he'd get 30 carries tonight. I didn't realize he had 39."
The Bears scored on their first three possessions and easily shook off their first loss of the season, which came last week at the hands of a much bigger Warren JFK team from Ohio.
Clairton opened the game with a 14-play, 84-yard scoring drive that chewed up more than seven minutes of the first-quarter clock, and quarterback Andrew Currington scored on a 2-yard run.
"We usually like to play defense first," Nola said. "But I believe it worked out early for us because we got them behind, and that played to our advantage."
Manny Williams, a fullback who has verbally committed to Pitt, caught the 2-point conversion to put the Bears up, 8-0.
Currington left the game with a sprained knee later in the opening quarter and was replaced by Troy Webb, who also rushed for a touchdown. Currington didn't return.
After a sack set the Dynamos back 12 yards on their opening drive, the Bears needed only two plays to score again -- this time on a 9-yard run by Washington, who set up the touchdown with a 45-yard pickup.
Clairton, which penetrated the Dynamos' line most of the game, opened the second quarter with another long drive -- this one using 14 plays to go 73 yards. Washington rushed nine times on the drive, including a 16-yard gain on third-and-9 and 17 yards on another run.
Webb scored from a yard out to make the score 20-0 with 3:02 left in the first half. The 2-point pass failed.
Deon Ellis returned a punt 38 yards to set up the Bears' first second-half possession in Dynamos' territory, and Williams caught a rare touchdown pass from Webb to make the score 26-0 with 6:09 left in the third.
Springdale drove to the Bears' 15 late in the third but was turned away after another sack.
"I was very impressed with the way our kids hung in there and didn't give up," Wagner said. "They didn't throw in the towel. I think that second half could determine a lot as to how we play from this point on. The season is still young."
