Marvelous Maples: Mapletown caps perfect regular season with win at West Greene (copy)
Mapletown蘑菇视频 football team poses for a photo after the Maples defeated West Greene, 64-17, Friday night at Kennedy Field to wrap up the outright Tri-County South Conference championship and the program蘑菇视频 first ever 10-0 regular season. (Photos by Rob Burchianti)
Mapletown蘑菇视频 Landan Stevenson scores one of his five touchdowns during Friday night蘑菇视频 game against West Greene at Kennedy Field. The Maples won, 64-17, to end the regular season at 10-0 and as outright Tri-County South Conference champions. Stevenson蘑菇视频 285 points this year reportedly broke the WPIAL regular-season scoring record previously held by West Greene蘑菇视频 Benjamin Jackson (284 in 2019).
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Mapletown蘑菇视频 Landan Stevenson tries to ward off West Greene蘑菇视频 Patrick Durbin as he fights for extra yards during Friday night蘑菇视频 game at Kennedy Field. Stevenson scored five touchdowns in the Maples鈥� 64-17 win.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Mapletown蘑菇视频 A.J. Vanata (2) comes face to face with West Greene蘑菇视频 Brian Jackson (75) on a running play during Friday night蘑菇视频 game at Kennedy Field.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
West Greene蘑菇视频 Billy Whitlatch tackles Mapletown蘑菇视频 Landan Stevenson after a long gain with Seth Burns in pursuit during Friday night蘑菇视频 game at Kennedy Field.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Mapletown senior Landan Stevenson gets a hug from his dad, assistant coach Chad Stevenson, near the end of the Maples鈥� 64-17 win at West Greene Friday night. Mapletown finished the regular season 10-0 for the first time in school history. Stevenson rushed for 252 yards and five touchdowns in the game.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Mapletown蘑菇视频 football team and cheerleaders pose in front of their fans with a banner touting the Maples鈥� Tri-County South Conference championship and 10-0 regular season after Friday night蘑菇视频 64-17 win over West Greene at Kennedy Field.
GREENSBORO 鈥� Cohen Stout knew Mapletown had the potential to be a great football team a few years down the road as he rose up threw the ranks.
鈥淚 definitely thought we had the talent coming up but I knew it would take some time, that we鈥檇 have to work our butts off every offseason,鈥� said Stout, a senior linebacker and offensive lineman. 鈥淎nd we did that.鈥�
It all came to fruition last Friday night at West Greene蘑菇视频 Kennedy Field when the Maples rolled over the Pioneers for a 64-17 victory to claim the program蘑菇视频 first 10-0 season along with the outright Tri-County South Conference championship.
Senior star Landan Stevenson carried the ball 19 times for 252 yards and five touchdowns and A.J. Vanata added eight carries for 141 yards as Mapletown went unbeaten for the first time since it was 8-0 in 1968.
鈥淚t feels great,鈥� longtime Maples coach George Messich said. 鈥淭hat 鈥�68 team was the last undefeated team 54 years ago. Fred Answine was their coach and he was my coach when I played. Just to get up there with them is an unbelievable feeling.鈥�
The 2022 edition of the Maples have made their own legacy and now they鈥檒l head into the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 4 seed in Class A with a home game against No. 13 Leechburg Friday night.
The youthful Pioneers (2-5, 2-8) made it interesting in the first half despite playing without star junior running back Colin Brady who entered the game as the WPIAL蘑菇视频 leading rusher but was out with a hamstring injury. That allowed Stevenson to overtake him as the district蘑菇视频 regular-season rushing champion.
Stevenson gave the Maples a quick lead with a 40-yard touchdown run just 1:53 into the game but Lane Allison threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Parker Burns to make it 7-7.
Stevenson蘑菇视频 18-yard touchdown run with 3:30 left in the first quarter was followed by Brody Evans鈥� 16-yard TD pass to Evan Griffin early in the second quarter to put Mapletown ahead 21-7.
West Greene蘑菇视频 Kevin Thompson kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 21-10 and the teams combined for three touchdowns over the final 3:20 of the first half. Stevenson scored on a 38-yard run, Allison threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Seth Burns and then Stevenson scored again from 5 yards out.
When the smoke had cleared, the Maples held a 35-17 halftime lead.
Allison, who missed the second half due to an injury, completed 9 of 14 passes for 137 yards with two scores and one interception by Griffin.
鈥淲e had a little discussion with out defense at halftime and it paid off because we shut them out in the second half,鈥� Messich said. 鈥淥ur kids played the second half the way they鈥檙e used to playing football.鈥�
Mapletown scored twice in the third quarter on Evans鈥� 1-yard run and Vanata蘑菇视频 70-yard burst. Evans threw a 27-yard touchdown to Griffin and Stevenson added a 13-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Evans only went to the air three times but completed each of those throws to Griffin for 39 yards and the two TDs. Stevenson threw one pass for 23 yards to Brock Evans.
Stout led the way with 12 tackles and was followed by senior Brody Evans (10), Stevenson (9), Grffiin (8), Vanata (7) and Josh Howard (6).
Mapletown recovered three West Greene fumbles with Stevenson, Chase Taylor and senior Grant Murin each pouncing on a loose ball.
Billy Whitlatch had three receptions for 36 yards for West Greene and Johnny Lampe, filling in for Brady as the Pioneers鈥� feature back, had 104 yards on 24 attempts.
鈥淏rady is a very good football player but I was really impressed with Lampe,鈥� Messich said. 鈥淗e蘑菇视频 one of the tougher running backs I鈥檝e seen this year.鈥�
Both will return next year for the Pioneers.
Messich admitted he was a bit uneasy in the week leading up to the clash with West Greene.
鈥淭here was a lot of pressure coming into the game tonight knowing it蘑菇视频 been 54 years since we had an undefeated team,鈥� Messich said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really super proud of these kids. That 鈥�68 team, the 鈥�05 team that was 9-1 and this team here, there蘑菇视频 been some really good teams at Mapletown.鈥�
Like Stout, Stevenson envisioned an undefeated season several years ago.
鈥淚t was always a dream,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淲e knew this group was pretty special as we went along. We talked about this weeks upon weeks before this season started, to win it all. We made the dream become real. We made it happen. It shows that all the hard work we put in paid off.鈥�
鈥淓veryone on the team was hungry,鈥� said Stout. 鈥淓veryone on the team wanted it. We鈥檙e a close-knit group and I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of every player here. I鈥檓 so happy now. It蘑菇视频 amazing.鈥�
Both Stevenson and Stout praised Messich.
鈥淗e deserves this so much,鈥� Stout said. 鈥淗e always sticks with the team. He knew we could do it. Our whole coaching staff put us in position to win every game this year.鈥�
鈥淗e蘑菇视频 a wonderful coach,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淗e蘑菇视频 always there to support us. You couldn鈥檛 ask for a better guy to be your head coach.鈥�
Stevenson shared an emotional moment with his dad, assistant coach Chad Stevenson as the two embraced late in the game.
鈥淗e just told me good job, that he loved me and he was proud of me,鈥� Landan Stevenson said.
Messich waved off the praise.
鈥淭he kids deserve all the credit and my assistant coaches, too,鈥� Messich said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got the best coaching staff going.鈥�
In addition to Chad Stevenson, Mapletown蘑菇视频 coaching staff also includes Andrew Vanata, Rick Menear, Rich Pekar and Will Cossick.
It was a record-breaking night as well for the Maples.
Stevenson, a senior who ran for three two-point conversions and kicked a pair of extra points to give him 38 points, reportedly broke the WPIAL regular-season mark for points with 285 this year. The previous mark was 284 in 2019 by West Greene蘑菇视频 Benjamin Jackson.
Stevenson also went over the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the year (2,031) making him the first player in Mapletown history to do so. He now has 5,682 career rushing yards which is 80 short of Dylan Rush蘑菇视频 school record (5.762).
Stout upped his season total to 104 tackles, making him the first player in Maples history to record over 100 in back-to-back years. Stout now has 323 career tackles and has averaged 8.5 per game as a four-year starter.
The Maples had a large throng of fans cheering for them at West Greene and are happy to have earned a home playoff game.
鈥淲e have such great fans, they came here for us tonight and they鈥檒l all be there next week for the first round of the playoffs,鈥� Landan Stevenson said.
鈥淥ur community has backed this team so much this year, it蘑菇视频 just tremendous,鈥� Messich said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e jumped behind these kids and they鈥檝e put in a 110 percent the way they鈥檝e cheering for us.鈥�