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Upper St. Clair defeats South Fayette in first game of post-Render era

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Friday, August 23, 2019 | 11:13 PM

Mike Junko knew what the expectations were when he got the job as the football coach at Upper St. Clair. Not only was he inheriting a program that was a perennial power, he was replacing the legendary Jim Render, who walked the Panthers’ sideline for the previous 40 years.

Not to mention the fact that Render is the winningest coach in the history of the WPIAL.

“It’s our job to continue that tradition,” Junko said.

Junko’s debut turned out to be a smashing success in that regard. His defense played physical football, and his offense put 20 second-half points on the board as Panthers downed defending WPIAL Class 4A champion South Fayette, 27-13, on Friday night.

“It’s a relief,” Junko admitted after watching his team score three times in the fourth quarter to put the game away. “I’m happy for our kids. They’ve worked so hard this past year with a new system and some new coaches, and we asked them to believe in us and trust us. For them to get the payoff is tremendous.”

Win No. 1 for Junko was aided greatly by quarterback Ethan Dahlem, who amassed 264 yards of total offense. After a slow start, the 5-foot-10, 173-pound junior passed for 160 yards and two touchdowns and added 104 yards rushing and a score.

“He grew from the first half to the second half,” Junko said. “He really settled down. He started to make the decisions we saw him make in practice. Credit goes to him for how he managed the game.”

Dahlem gave Upper St. Clair a 7-3 lead when he hit David Pantelis with a 28-yard touchdown pass. Pantelis set up his TD with an interception on South Fayette’s previous possession. But it was Dahlem’s legs that gave Upper St. Clair a lead it would not relinquish. With his team trailing 10-7 in the third quarter, Dahlem found a seam up the middle, made a slick move to elude a tackle and slid into the end zone for a 26-yard score.

Dahlem then iced the game late when, on fourth down, he hit Mateo Cepullio with a quick out pass that Cepullio turned into a 24-yard score.

Defensively, Upper St. Clair limited South Fayette to 13 yards rushing and just a field goal after halftime. It also forced five turnovers.

“We had some success with that play earlier,” Junko said. “We were looking for a certain look, and we got it.”

South Fayette was led by quarterback Naman Alemada with 360 yards passing in his debut, including a 51-yard TD pass to Charley Rossi. But the Lions couldn’t overcome four interceptions.

“This goes back to the belief and the trust in what we’re doing,” Junko said. “It’s our job to carry on this tradition, and this will give them confidence moving forward.”

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