WPIAL Week Two quick reactions: Derry wins wild game, thomas jefferson slides by mckeesport, penn-trafford wins dramatic game

Deer Lakes linebacker Daniel Bichler, right, attempts to bring down Derry quarterback Anthony Sacco, left, during the fourth quarter of the Trojans' 24-21 win at Deer Lakes.

WEST DEER - Noah Stough insisted that Derry's performance in a back-and-forth road win over Deer Lakes Friday in a non-conference road contest was a better representation of what the team is.

The Trojans did a lot of good things during a 24-21 win. Derry recovered an onside kick to start the second half. The Trojans blocked a field goal and punt. 

The Trojans came behind twice during the fourth quarter in a win.

"This is really going to give us some good momentum going into next week," Stough said. "Last week was a fluke. Some players were out injured and we made mistakes. This game, I think, is going to keep pushing us."

Stough finished with 140 receiving yards and caught two touchdown passes. He also converted a fourth down on Derry's last drive that put them in position to score the winning touchdown with 7.9 seconds remaining.

There's a real argument to be made the game shouldn't have been as close as it was. Stough had a 58-yard reception on the first drive, but Derry fumbled the ball away at the Deer Lakes 3-yard line on the next play.

Deer Lakes stopped a drive in the second quarter with an interception in the endzone.

"I thought we created a lot now and there's a lot of stuff we have to clean up," Derry coach Mike Arone said. "I think we had three touchdowns called back because of penalties. We can't make those mistakes, especially on big plays where we're scoring touchdowns and continuously come back. But our kids never quit. They didn't put their heads down. They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting, and they were able to pull it out the end."

It was a tough loss for Deer Lakes, which found a lot of success in the passing game. Luca Mangieri caught three long touchdown passes from his brother, Dante. Luca caught scoring strikes of 25, 55 and 79 yards.

Lancers coach Tim Burk said his kids were resilient, but was disappointed with the end result.

"We just didn't make plays," Burk said. "We had the opportunity and you hope one of them would step up and make a play at a key moment. We couldn't do that tonight. The lack of game experience we have is tough. You can't simulate it in practice."

McKeesport falls on hard times
There was a lot of interest in the rematch from last year's WPIAL Class 4A title game this weekend. But the Tigers' offense could never get going. Penn State commit Kemon Spell left with an injury to his ankle in the first quarter of a 16-7 loss to Thomas Jefferson.

Spell told Brad Everett of the Pittsburgh Union Progress he hoped to be back after being out for a few weeks.

"Will be in much better form when I come back," Spell wrote on X.

Despite Spell being out for much of the game, McKeesport's defense held tough. The Jaguars scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Harrison Kolling with 52 seconds remaining.

Penn-Trafford squeaks by Moon again
The Warriors have had the Tigers' number for the past five years. Penn-Trafford, which outlasted Moon in the 2021 WPIAL Class 5A title game, won by one score against the Tigers for the second straight season. 

Landyn Stikkel caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nate Demond with 6.8 seconds remaining to allow the Warriors to steal a 25-24 win. Penn-Trafford, which leads the all-time series again Moon 6-2-1, beat the Tigers 14-7 last season.

Antelopes rumble by Quips
Aliquippa got a majored boost to its storied program when Mike Warfield returned as coach. The Quips got their first major test of his new tenure, falling 23-7 at home to the defending Class 3A champions, Avonworth. Dimitri Velisaris scored two touchdowns for the Antelopes.

Avonworth will get a stiff test next weekend when it welcomes undefeated defending 4A champions Thomas Jefferson to its stadium.

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted via email at [email protected] or on X @J_oshrizzo