Mountain Top Jr Comets Edge GWA Warriors 21-13 for Valley Football Conference Senior Division Super Bowl Title
By: Danielle Petros | SportzWire | November 9, 2026 | Photo courtesy Danielle Petros
The Mountain Top Jr. Comets secured their third consecutive Super Bowl championship Sunday, holding off the GWA Warriors 21-13 in a hard-fought battle of unbeaten teams at Mountaineer Stadium.
The Jr Comets Senior Division victory marked the program's first title as a member of the Valley Football Conference.
Both squads entered the championship 10-0, and it showed. The first quarter passed scoreless as the Warriors' defense bottled up Mountain Top's offense early. But the Jr Comets found their footing in the second quarter when Carter Crivellaro broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run, giving Mountain Top a 7-0 lead with 5:28 left before halftime.
GWA answered almost immediately. Just 11 seconds later, Ryan McKernan took the ensuing kickoff 68 yards to the house, tying the game at 7-7 heading into the break.
Mountain Top regained the lead in the third quarter when Crivellaro punched in his second touchdown of the day, a 6-yard scamper that made it 14-7 with 1:10 remaining in the frame. It was the only score of the quarter, as both defenses tightened up.
The Warriors refused to go away. Ian Winstead broke a 31-yard touchdown run with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter, pulling GWA within one at 14-13 and setting up a tense final stretch.
Mountain Top's offense delivered when it mattered most. Facing 4th and Goal on their final drive, and after GWA called a timeout, quarterback Henry Arcangeli found Maddox Centak for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 to play, pushing the lead to 21-13 and ultimately sealing the win.
According to Jr Comets Assistant Coach Nick Crivellaro, the coaching staff liked their matchup with Centak against GWA's corner but needed to see the defensive look first. "We came out in our spread formation, trying to draw them offside and get a look at how they were aligned. We called a timeout, looked at each other, and said, 'It's there.' As the kids walked over, we told them the play, and the confidence they had was what stood out to me. Then Coach Hausherr said, 'Henry, how many times have you and Maddox played catch?' Henry replied, 'Like a million.' Coach Hausherr said, 'This isn't any different.'"
Coach Crivellaro credited the team's composure throughout the game. "We've talked all year about staying composed throughout the game. We knew they were a good team and were going to be well coached. There are highs and lows of the game. We can't get too high, and we can't get too low. Forget about the last play and focus on the now. We had a lot of kids make the most of their opportunities when called upon this year. It's fun to watch them grow and support each other."
The win marks the third consecutive Super Bowl title under Jr Comets Head Coach Dustin Hausherr, who has compiled a 49-2 record in five years at the helm.
GWA Head Coach Michael Fanti praised his team's fight despite the loss. "Overall I was extremely proud of the effort put forth by our team. Yesterday's game was a great game. Both teams left it out on the field. I want to congratulate Mountain Top on winning the Championship. They are a great team and a great program."
Fanti also reflected on his team's season as a whole. "I am most proud of the growth, not just as athletes but as teammates. Our team had a great season, the team has nothing to be ashamed up. Obviously it wasn't the finish we wanted by coming up short in the Super Bowl to a great Mountain Top team. I felt our team really worked hard all season to accomplish what we did. We had an undefeated regular season and won our division, which 4 out of the 5 teams were playoff teams."
Fanti singled out several defensive standouts along with his team's two touchdown plays. "Ian Winstead had a great game on both sides of the ball having a rushing TD and played great on the defensive front. Ryan McKernan had a huge kick off return for our first score of the game. Our defensive front which consisted of Ian Winstead, Carson Cornia, Logan Vonderchek and Dom Giordano played great containing a great Mountain Top run game."
GWA's defense and special teams made plays all night, highlighted by McKernan's kick return touchdown and Winstead's fourth-quarter burst, but Mountain Top's offense found the answers it needed on the final drive to close out the win.
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