It was a long night for Williams Valley head coach Tim Savage, as Steel-High advanced to the PIAA Class A Semifinals with a 41-6 win over the Vikings.
Star RB Dylan Rabuck, who injured his ankle in last week’s PIAA opening round win over Old Forge, played in limited capacity through the first quarter before being pulled out in the second. Nick Savage entered the game to relieve Rabuck, and exited with an injury of his own after being dragged down by the collar.
Steel-High got on the board early and often, with their first two drives ending in Malachi Young touchdown passes of five and 10 yards. This gave the Rollers an early 14-0 lead.
Just when it looked like the Vikings were putting a drive together, the snap sailed high over Levi Engle’s head. Steel-High’s Javion Grant completed the scoop and score for a touchdown, giving the Rollers a 20-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Dupri Andrews added scoring runs of 30 and 15 yards, extending Steel-High’s lead to 34-6 midway through the third quarter. Andrews also intercepted a Levi Engle pass in the game.
With Rabuck and Savage down, Dylan Wolfgang took most of the carries for the Vikings. The senior finished with 133 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
The Steel-High defense set up camp in the Viking backfield all night, recording 13 tackles for loss and two turnovers. The Rollers capitalized on good field position throughout the game and only punted once. Senior receiver Jake Wolfgang, who gave the Rollers fits in last year’s quarterfinal, was held without a reception on the night.
The Rollers advance to the PIAA Class A Semifinals to face Homer-Center, who knocked off top-seeded Bishop Guilfoyle in their quarterfinal clash. Williams Valley ends the season 13-1, wondering what could have been had they remained at full strength during the playoffs.
