Mount Pleasant, Pa. – Veteran head coach Jason Fazekas kept his focus on one goal last week: beating longtime rival Southmoreland to keep the Vikings’ postseason hopes alive. With a wild‑card berth on the line, Fazekas ignored every scenario and let the players concentrate on the game in front of them.
Comeback victory secures playoff berth
Trailing 17‑6 early in the third quarter, the Vikings rallied with a series of decisive drives. After a 17‑yard touchdown pass from Dawson Wolfe to Reese Jordan gave Southmoreland a brief lead, Mount Pleasant answered with a 38‑yard strike from quarterback Cole Hart to Brady Brooks, followed by a 15‑yard rush by Brooks that put the Vikings ahead 20‑17.
Hart continued to find Brooks, connecting on a 16‑yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, and senior running back Nick Morell capped the comeback with a 69‑yard sprint to the end zone. The final score, 33‑17, not only turned the tide but also secured a No. 14 seed wild‑card spot for the Vikings in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) playoffs.
Coach Fazekas on the win and upcoming challenge
“I didn’t pay attention to any of the scenarios because I knew if we didn’t win the game we weren’t going to get in,” Fazekas said. “There was not a lot of anxiety – it was just what it was.” He added that his assistant coaches kept him informed about the WPIAL committee’s deliberations, reinforcing the belief that the team had done enough to earn the spot.
Fazekas, now in his 10th season, has guided Mount Pleasant into the postseason seven times. After a six‑year stretch without a playoff appearance, the Vikings are back in the dance for 2026. “We try to keep certain standards,” he explained. “The goal is always to have the last few games have meaning, and making the playoffs is a big part of that.”
Injury‑filled season but resilient performance
The Vikings finished the regular season 5‑5 overall and 3‑3 in the Class 3A Interstate Conference, placing fourth behind Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward and Waynesburg Central. Fazekas noted the team’s resilience despite a “shell of ourselves” at the season’s start due to injuries.
“We lost key guys on defense and had to shuffle personnel,” he said. “Our second‑year quarterback Cole Hart has stepped up, and Nick Morell, now the fourth running back we’ve used, rushed for almost 190 yards on Friday.” The coaching staff’s adjustments at halftime, particularly on defense, helped swing momentum in the second half.
First‑round matchup against Hopewell
Mount Pleasant’s next test comes Friday night against the Western Hills Conference champion Hopewell, a 9‑1 team that boasts a prolific offense led by Penn State recruit James Armstrong. Armstrong has thrown for 1,964 yards and 29 touchdowns with only two interceptions, while also rushing for nearly 700 yards.
“They’re a good team with a strong quarterback and solid lines on both sides of the ball,” Fazekas said. “Our plan is to play our best game of the year and see what happens.”
The Vikings will look to build on their recent comeback and prove that their resilience can carry them deep into the postseason.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
