5 things we learned in Week 2 of WPIAL football: Ringgold finally gets back in win column

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, September 7, 2024 | 9:02 PM

Previous Next

Ringgold was ready to snap the longest active losing streak in the WPIAL when the Rams went for two in overtime a week ago. But the gamble failed in a heartbreaking 14-13 loss.

The streak grew to 27 games.

“I was down in the dumps,” first-year coach Robert Heller said. “We were so close. But you’ve got to bounce back and find a way.”

The Rams did so a week later.

Ringgold erased a six-point halftime deficit and scored twice in the fourth quarter Friday night to defeat host Yough, 21-19, in a nonconference win that was the Rams’ first in three seasons.

Their last win was Sept. 24, 2021.

An early standout for Ringgold this season is sophomore wide receiver Demetri Lowe, who has six touchdowns in three games. As the final seconds ticked away Friday, the Rams let loose with a long-awaited celebration.

“Everything had bottled up from losing for so long,” Heller said. “I actually had to get them (to stay composed) when we kneeled on the ball. A lot of these kids wanted to explode before it even hit zero.”

This season is only three games old, but four WPIAL teams with streaks of 17 losses or more already have won. Fox Chapel snapped a 22-game losing streak, New Brighton ended a streak at 21 and Summit Academy won after 17 losses.

Heller said he appreciated the emotions his players were feeling because most of them had never won a game in high school.

“I’m proud of them,” Heller said. “We knew in the summertime that we have the skill guys. And we’ve got a lot of young kids. I think a total of five freshmen played on defense. Our JV team is 2-0. We have a bunch of good, young kids coming up.”

A 2006 Ringgold graduate, Heller led all NCAA Division III rushers in yards as a freshman at Waynesburg. He was living in North Carolina but moved his family back to Western Pennsylvania to accept the Ringgold coaching job with plans for fixing his alma mater’s struggling program

The Rams have lacked coaching stability. Heller was the team’s fifth coach since 2017. The 37-year-old Heller, who has four children and works as a speed and agility trainer, said he took the Ringgold job “for the long haul.”

He and his wife, Domenica, had more than 20 players at their house for dinner before Friday’s game.

“We’ll let the kids enjoy this win, but you’ve got to keep the momentum going,” Heller said. “I know it’s weird saying that at Ringgold right now. But they got a little taste of what a win is like.”

A fumble return after a fumble return

The most unusual touchdown — and surely the longest — scored Friday night was a 100-yard fumble return by Woodland Hills sophomore D’Jarrard Dutrieuille Jr.

Central Catholic was about to score a defensive touchdown on a 15-yard fumble return, but the Vikings dropped the ball just before crossing the goal line. Dutrieuille noticed the mistake, scooped it up and ran the length of the field for a touchdown.

The play understandably caused confusion at the Wolvarena, but a few of Dutrieuille teammates alertly escorted him as blockers along the right sideline. Dutrieuille is 5-foot-7, 165-pound running back and safety.

Football IQ and Awareness????!???????????? @coachmeyer412 @CoachWalk23 @CoachBT02 @Tipton_05 @CoachTimBostard @PA_TodaySports @VideoJrm pic.twitter.com/ZxYu8fYlEN

— D’Jarrard ‘Dootch’ Dutrieuille Jr (@DJDootch22) September 8, 2024

The Wolverines also had a 98-yard interception return touchdown by another sophomore, Malik McCloud, but lost 54-14.

It’s a long season

An 0-3 record is never good, but the first weekend of September is no time to panic.

It might feel that way for some teams who aren’t used to seeing a zero in the win column. That list includes Central Valley, McKeesport and Penn Hills, who combined for 28 wins last year. But not all 0-3 records are equal.

Strength of schedule varies greatly in the season’s early weeks. Consider the three opponents Central Valley has played: Montour (2-0), Thomas Jefferson (3-0) and Belle Vernon (1-0). Like the Warriors, they’re also considered WPIAL title contenders, and all three are ranked in a higher classification

McKeesport, which lost twice in overtime, has faced Ohio school Lake High, Peters Township and Thomas Jefferson. Penn Hills lost to Susquehanna Township, Woodland Hills and North Allegheny.

The games that matter most — the conference matchups — start next weekend for many schools.

Milestone win No. 500

The WPIAL now has 25 football teams with 500 or more all-time wins with Uniontown becoming the latest to join the list. The Red Raiders (2-1) reached the milestone Friday with a 34-0 win over Carrick of the City League.

Uniontown started playing football in 1903. The team has played an independent football schedule in recent seasons but remains a WPIAL school.

The next team to 500 could be Upper St. Clair, which needs three more wins.

The WPIAL all-time wins list is led by eight schools with more than 700: Aliquippa (784), Jeannette (780), New Castle (758), Washington (744), Clairton (728), McKeesport (722), Greensburg Salem (714) and Beaver Falls (705).

Historic start for Gladiators

South Allegheny is 3-0, which ranks as the Gladiators’ best start in almost 50 years.

The last time they won their first three games was 1977. The Gladiators remain unbeaten after a 37-13 victory Friday over Carlynton. They will host Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (1-1) in an Allegheny Conference opener next Friday.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.