5 things we learned in high school football Week 5: Hopewell kicker ties record with 55-yard boot

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, September 28, 2024 | 5:13 PM

Hopewell hasn’t had many moments to celebrate in recent years, but kicker Rocco Marcantonio gave the team one Friday night.

Marcantonio made a 55-yard field goal that tied for the longest in WPIAL history. With the help of holder Zander Muzy and long snapper Dominick Gaughan, Marcantonio converted a fourth-quarter kick from just beyond the opponent’s 45-yard line.

“We talked in practice this week that if we had a long field goal, we were going for it,” said first-year Hopewell coach Matt Mottes, who was missing his punter because of injury.

There was some uncertainty in the stadium about whether the kick counted as a 55- or 56-yarder because the spot was between yard lines. That yard was the difference between tying or breaking the WPIAL record.

For measuring field goals, the National Federation of State High School Associations gives this example: “Player A kicks a field goal from between Team B’s 35- and 36-yard lines. It is a 45-yard attempt unless the ball is touching the 36-yard line.”

That makes Marcantonio’s field goal a 55-yarder, tying him with East Allegheny’s Josh Miller, who set the WPIAL record in 2002. No one else in WPIAL history is known to have made one from that distance.

Central Catholic’s Billy Lech made a 54-yarder Friday.

Hopewell coaches knew the WPIAL record was 55 before the attempt. Marcantonio had made a 49-yarder earlier this season. So facing a fourth down at the 38, Mottes called for his kicker. The hold was only inches beyond the 45-yard line, said Mottes, who hopes to get him a chance someday to break the record.

Friday’s field goal helped Hopewell win 24-7 over Quaker Valley. The team improved to 3-3 overall, 1-2 in the Western Hills Conference. Mottes is working to turn around a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2011.

A 5-foot-11, 160-pound junior, Marcantonio is a captain on Hopewell’s soccer team.

“He has turned himself into a football player,” Mottes said. “He’s a good kid and works hard, almost to a fault. At halftime, he’s out kicking field goals. He’s always working on his game.”

⁦@mwhiteburgh⁩ pic.twitter.com/BHEPDZPdTb

— Coach Mottes (@jarma72) September 28, 2024

Putt, pass and kick

Mohawk quarterbacks seem to be the WPIAL’s ultimate dual-threat athletes, meaning they’re good at more than just passing. They’re also good putters.

Bobby Fadden has a 9:24 a.m. tee time Wednesday as one of 38 boys competing in the WPIAL 2A golf championship at Sewickley Heights. The junior has passed for six touchdowns and rushed for four this season.

But this combo is not new for coach Tim McCutcheon. Last year’s quarterback, Jay Wrona, placed 30th at the WPIAL golf championship. Playing two sports in one season isn’t easy, but Fadden took on the challenge this fall with his coach’s support. He also is a standout basketball player.

“You can, obviously, see how talented he is,” McCutcheon said. “I’m not going to keep the kid from playing.”

Fadden passed for 125 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s 41-14 win over Union. Mohawk (2-2, 1-1) hosts New Brighton next weekend. After playing 18 holes Wednesday, the quarterback has football practice later in the day.

“There are no absences,” McCutcheon said. “He will be there for sure.”

Old school football

North Allegheny coaches are finding new ways to use senior kicker Peter Notaro, an Alabama recruit. The Tigers on Friday attempted a free kick, an obscure play that had many scratching their heads.

With 30 seconds left until halftime, North Allegheny fielded a short punt at Central Catholic’s 41-yard line and quickly waved for a fair catch. That opened the door for a 51-yard attempt at a free kick, which is essentially a field goal off a tee with no defensive pressure.

Notaro’s attempt missed to the right.

“Knowing Notaro has the leg to do it, we thought we could grab three points,” NA coach Art Walker said. “I’m not happy that it wasn’t executed. I have to take the heat for that. But it’s something we’ve talked about wanting to try.”

Sorting out 6A

Central Catholic established itself as the WPIAL Class 6A favorite Friday with North Allegheny likely close behind. But good luck predicting which two others might qualify for the playoffs from the big-school classification.

Canon-McMillan (1-1), Seneca Valley (1-1), Hempfield (1-2), Mt. Lebanon (1-2) and Norwin (0-2) all have a chance.

On Friday, Hempfield defeated Canon-McMillan, 33-27, in overtime. A week earlier, the Big Macs celebrated a 17-14 win over Mt. Lebanon in overtime.

Breaking a streak

Charleroi celebrated its first win in two seasons Friday. The Cougars snapped a 14-loss streak with a 17-6 victory at Sto-Rox. The win was Charleroi’s first since Oct. 28, 2022.

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.