SA drops opener to Mt. Pleasant

By Jamie Rankin

For the MV Independent

South Allegheny took an early lead in Friday’s WPIAL Section 3 (3A) football opener, but host Mt. Pleasant scored three unanswered touchdowns and withstood a late rally to claim a 21-14 win.

“We needed that,” Mt. Pleasant coach Jason Fazekas said. “I knew it was going to be a tough one.”

The Vikings (1-0, 1-0) struggled to overcome penalties and mistakes in the early part of last season, but this year, Mt. Pleasant looks to be starting off much sharper.

“We got sloppy a little bit, but we stayed out of the personal fouls. You’re going to make some mistakes, but it wasn’t enough to do us in,” Fazekas said, noting that the Vikings have really focused on becoming mentally tougher and cutting down on errors and penalties. “You can’t win with penalties and fumbles.”

You can take advantage of some breaks, though. Mt. Pleasant’s first break came after Antonio Epps capped South Allegheny’s opening drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. The point-after was no good, putting the Gladiators ahead just 6-0.

The Vikings were facing third-and-seven on the ensuing possession when they caught their second break. Asher O’Connor’s pass was tipped away from the intended receiver, but Donavin Bair snagged it for an 11-yard gain. 

A roughing the passer penalty gave Mt. Pleasant a first down on the South Allegheny 15, and O’Connor finished the drive with an 11-yard scramble across the goal line. Robbie Labuda’s kick was good, putting the Vikings up, 7-6, at the end of the first quarter.

Mt. Pleasant took over on downs a few plays later, and two plays after that, Pete Billey motored 41 yards for a touchdown. Labuda’s kick made it 14-6.

Billey finished the night with 107 yards on 12 carries, and Aaron Alakson netted 87 yards on 15 carries.

“I ride him hard because I know he’s a special player, and he responded,” Fazekas said.

The Vikings’ 8-point lead held into the fourth quarter, and the pair combined to help the team put more points on the board.

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