Peters Township Dominates Mt. Lebanon in Lightning-Shortened Affair

MCMURRAY, Pa.—They didn’t play a full 48 minutes as a result of lightning in the area, but Peters Township still managed to show why they’re a Class-5A powerhouse in their 35-0 home win over Class-6A Mt. Lebanon on Friday, Sept. 5.

Senior running back Cole Neupaver managed a hat trick, while quarterback Nolan DiLucia (Villanova commit) and linebacker Reston Lehman (4-star Pitt commit) demonstrated their Division I talent.

The Indians broke through on the second play of the second quarter with Neupaver punching in a one-yard touchdown. DiLucia set up the play with a diving bootleg run, falling just short of the endzone on his sprint to the sideline.

Neupaver doubled the Indians’ lead later in the quarter on a 38-yard catch-and-run off a screen from DiLucia, while Lehman made his presence known with a punishing tackle in the flat on second down, stalling a Mt. Lebanon drive. Lehman gave Peters Township another possession with 42 seconds remaining in the half with a toe-dragging sideline interception.

DiLucia found a streaking PJ Luke for a 47-yard completion, moving the ball inside the five, then kept it himself for a one-yard touchdown tote.

Peters Township continued to pour it on in the second half, with DiLucia finding tight end Lucas Shanafelt for a wide open completion down the sideline to put the Indians back in the redzone. Neupaver wasted no time cementing a hat trick with a 5-yard touchdown carry, then Jeremy Poletti tacked on a pick-six to make it 35-0 and activate the mercy rule.

Lightning began to streak the sky late in the third quarter, and the officiating crew called the game with 10:12 to play in the fourth.