Shady Side Academy topples Valley
Shady Side Academy continued its drive toward the Allegheny Conference title in the year the school celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Brian Nickel scored two touchdowns and rushed for 148 yards, as the Indians remained undefeated Saturday with a 14-3 victory over Valley in front of a huge homecoming day crowd at McKelvey Field.
Shady Side (7-0, 7-0), which already clinched a WPIAL Class AA playoff berth last week, needs a victory in its final two games to clinch at least a share of its first conference title since 1998. The Indians are No. 4 in the Tribune-Review rankings.
Valley (5-2, 5-2) needs one more victory to secure its third consecutive trip to the playoffs.
Brian Nickel scored on 11- and 1-yard runs for Shady Side.
Summit Academy 28, Deer Lakes 14
Summit Academy’s defense forced six turnovers — four interceptions and two fumbles — and scored twice against Deer Lakes (2-5, 2-5) in an Allegheny Conference game. After the defense forced turnovers that set up the first two touchdowns, Trayvon Grogan scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 42-yard fumble return, followed by Chandler Smalls’ 22-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Mike Martin threw for 133 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for another score for Summit Academy (2-5, 2-5).
Class AAAA
Shaler 35, Seneca Valley 32
Ninth-ranked Shaler used three successful fake punts to keep the ball from Seneca Valley’s potent offense and went on to an important victory in the Quad North.
The first led to a touchdown in the first half and the third helped Shaler (6-1, 2-1) run out the clock with four minutes left in the game. Each time, Shaler running back Jesse Della Valle, who finished with 17 carries for 101 yards overall, recorded a first down.
Shaler junior quarterback Tyler Bills completed 10 of 14 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns — 13 yards to Della Valle and 31 to Gary Bryan.
Seneca Valley quarterback C.J. Brown, who leads the WPIAL in passing, completed 20 of 34 passes for 253 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a 1-yard score while Seneca Valley (3-4, 0-3) was rallying from a 35-19 deficit. Running back Tyler Mack ran 16 times for 116 yards and a 5-yard touchdown.
Shaler moved into a three-way tie for second place with North Allegheny and Pine-Richland. Shaler is home Friday against first-place North Hills (3-0).
Class A
North Catholic 20, Riverview 0
Sixth-ranked North Catholic (6-1, 4-1) held Riverview (3-4, 3-2) to 114 total yards in the Eastern Conference. North Catholic’s Martin Long threw for 102 yards, and he added a 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
South Side Beaver 41, Shenango 0
Jordan Potts ran for two touchdowns, and five other players rushed for one each, as No. 9 South Side Beaver (5-2, 3-2) blanked Shenango (2-5, 0-5) in the Big Seven Conference. Colin Checkan, who scored a touchdown, ran for 175 yards on 20 carries. William Shiel blocked two Shenango punts.
Non-section
Kiski School 29, United Academy 12
Reggie Garner rushed for three touchdowns and 210 yards to lead Kiski School (2-4) past the United Academy (0-3) in the Interscholastic Prep School League.
Boys soccer
Upper St. Clair 3, Mt. Lebanon 1
Aashay Kumar scored the game’s first two goals to lead Upper St. Clair (10-6-1) to a non-section victory over previously undefeated Mt. Lebanon, the No. 1 team in the Tribune-Review’s Class AAA rankings. Mt. Lebanon (17-1) won its first 12 games this season by shutout.
is a former freelancer.