By Ed Farrell

Herald Assistant Sports Editor

Through the season’s first two-thirds it’s been two steps forward, one step back for West Middlesex High’s football team. But entering the season’s stretch run the Big Reds were rolling downhill Saturday afternoon at Butala Stadium.

Led by Kyle Allen’s 3rd 200-plus yard rushing performance of the season, Middlesex manufactured 434 yards of total offense en route to a 41-6 rout of Kennedy Catholic in a District 10 Region 1-A contest.

Allen annexed 214 yards on 13 carries and tallied touchdown runs of 39, 60 and 9 yards on consecutive carries. Allen is averaging almost a 1st down per carry (9.9) thus far this season — 1,139 yards on 115 attempts, including 14 TDs.

To date, Middlesex (3-2 Region 1-A, 5-2 overall) commenced the campaign with back-to-back wins over Union Twp. and defending D-10 titlist Mercyhurst Prep, but bowed to Sharpsville, then laid into both Lakeview and Conneaut Lake before being blown out by Farrell. After crushing Kennedy (1-5, 1-6) the Big Reds’ remaining games include at home with Linesville, a trip to Mercer, and the season finale against winless Conneaut Valley.

“We’re excited, man! Hey, bring it on! It’s that time of year. It’s October, high school football and you’re battling for a playoff spot. Where else could you ask to be,” rhetorically asked Big Reds’ head coach Jason McElhaney. “Who wants easy ones down the stretch? Let’s strap it up and battle it out, and our kids are excited to go for it.”

Middlesex moved the ball at will against Kennedy. In addition to Allen’s antics, quarterback Kyle Wimer was responsible for a pair of TDs, throwing a 13-yard 1st-quarter scoring strike to Ryan Chupak to commence the scoring, then adding a 49-yard scoring sprint at the 2nd stanza’s outset in which he completely reversed field. Due to illness, Wimer did not finish the 1st half.

Also, Nate Ash added 55 yards rushing, including a 3-yard TD, and Mark Saylor sprinted for another 46 as the Big Reds ran roughshod behind the line of Cody Truchan, Eric Coast, 6-foot-2, 305-pound Ryan Benson, Kris Mason and Frank Zieminick. Defensively, Logan Mihalcak pilfered a pair of passes, Mason was credited with a sack, and the Big Reds recovered 2 of Kennedy’s 7 fumbles.

By the contest’s conclusion, Kennedy had 21 players in uniform as quarterbacks Danny D’Onofrio and Chris Rossi both were forced from the game due to injury.

The Golden Eagles’ lone bright spot occurred with 3:38 remaining and Middlesex maintaining a 41-0 margin. Frosh defensive tackle Joel Stephenson wrestled the ball from a Big Reds’ runner and sprinted 33 yards for a touchdown. KC concluded, however, with only 84 total yards on 35 snaps.

With an unprecedented 3rd consecutive win in the all-time series, Middlesex moved within 24-9 dating back to 1966.

“We’re excited, it’s a big rivalry, and we like anytime we can beat Kennedy,” McElhaney said.

Regarding Linesville (4-1, 5-2), which dropped a 41-35 overtime decision to undefeated Saegertown Friday night, a game McElhaney witnessed, the 2nd-year Middlesex mentor assessed the Lions thusly: