By Keystone Clutch Sports
A year ago, Shenango finished 4-6. Seven games into 2026, the Wildcats haven’t lost.
Shenango is 7-0 overall, according to MaxPreps, and unbeaten in Class A Big 7 Conference play, according to TribLive’s playoff picture through Week 8. The Lawrence County program has already clinched a WPIAL playoff berth, and it sits No. 3 in Class A in the Oct. 17 Trib HSSN rankings. It is the only unbeaten team in that Class A top five.
With two regular-season games left, Shenango has a clear path in front of it. Winless Summit Academy visits Friday, and then Laurel, the defending Big 7 champion, comes to Shenango on Oct. 30.
The turnaround, by the numbers
The 2025 Wildcats went 4-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big 7. They scored 142 points and allowed 246 over 10 games, according to MaxPreps’ 2025 schedule. TribLive also lists the 4-6 finish.
Through seven games this fall, Shenango has outscored opponents 274-72, according to MaxPreps.
- Aug. 28: Shenango 41, New Brighton 14
- Sept. 11: Shenango 35, Mohawk 7
- Sept. 18: Shenango 30, Northgate 22
- Sept. 25: Shenango 49, Rochester 8
- Oct. 2: Shenango 36, South Side 15
- Oct. 9: Shenango 42, Cornell 6
- Oct. 16: Shenango 41, Union 0
The results through Oct. 9 match the Shenango athletics schedule. The Union score is confirmed by the New Castle News and MaxPreps. Six of the seven wins came by 21 points or more. The only close one was the 30-22 win at Northgate in the Big 7 opener.
A first-year coach and a fresh start
Casey Hilton took over in April. The Shenango Area School Board approved his hiring 8-1, the New Castle News reported, and he replaced Jimmy Graham, according to TribLive’s list of new WPIAL coaches. Shenango was one of five Big 7 programs with a new head coach this fall.
This is Hilton’s first head coaching job, but he comes from a winning program. TribLive reported that he played at Wilmington, a successful District 10 program, and later coached there as an assistant. While he was on staff, Wilmington reached the PIAA championship game in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The same story says Hilton helped persuade starting center Nicholas Rainey to return after Rainey sat out last season.
How Shenango wins: on the ground
The New Castle News describes the offense as a Wing-T. Senior Jasyn Williams is the centerpiece. Hilton described the approach to TribLive this way: “We have been run heavy and have won in the trenches.”
Through five games, Williams had 723 rushing yards on 58 carries, an average of 12.5 yards per carry, according to an Oct. 8 report by TribLive. Quarterback Niko DeSalvo had 325 rushing yards and Jaeshaun Williams had 214 in that span. Since then, Williams ran for 140 yards against Cornell, according to TribLive’s Week 7 leaders, and TribLive’s game roundup credits him with three touchdowns in that game. He added 107 yards at Union, while DeSalvo ran for 141, according to TribLive’s Week 8 leaders.
The defense has caught up
The run game gets the attention, but the bigger change from last season may be on defense. Shenango allowed 72 points through seven games this fall. Last season it allowed 246 in 10, per MaxPreps. No opponent has scored more than 22, and the Wildcats have held four of the seven under 10.
The Union win carried extra weight. Before the game, Lawrence County SportsNet called it the 90th meeting between the schools and the most-played rivalry in Lawrence County history. The 41-0 shutout was Shenango’s first win over Union since 2020, according to the New Castle News.
Why this week matters
Summit Academy plays at Shenango on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. That time and site are listed by Shenango athletics, MaxPreps and TribLive’s Week 9 schedule. The Knights are 0-5 in the Big 7 and have been eliminated from playoff contention, according to TribLive.
Week 10 is the obvious reason this week matters. Laurel (6-2 overall and also unbeaten in Big 7 play) is the only other Big 7 team without a conference loss. The Spartans have also clinched a playoff spot, and they play at South Side on Friday. The two teams meet at Shenango on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., according to Laurel’s MaxPreps schedule and Shenango athletics.
If both teams win Friday, the Oct. 30 game would decide the Big 7 title outright, and Shenango could finish the regular season 9-0. Even with a Week 9 slip, either team could still earn at least a share of the title by winning Oct. 30, as Lawrence County SportsNet noted.
Laurel sets a high bar. The Spartans went 12-2 last season, won the Big 7 and lost 8-6 to Clairton in the WPIAL championship game, according to TribLive and WKBN. They beat Shenango 42-0 last October, per MaxPreps. This season Laurel has outscored opponents 318-54. Its only losses were 14-7 at Neshannock and 21-17 to Fort Cherry, according to MaxPreps and TribLive. The Trib HSSN rankings put Laurel No. 5 in Class A.
The playoff format raises the stakes too. Under the current WPIAL setup, the top three teams in each Class A conference qualify automatically, along with four wild cards. Shenango and Laurel are both in, so the last two weeks are about the Big 7 title and playoff positioning.
The Keystone Clutch Takeaway
Shenango went from 4-6 to 7-0 by running the ball and playing stingy defense. Friday is the Wildcats’ chance to reach 8-0 before Laurel comes to town on Oct. 30.
Big Moments, Big Pressure, Big Performance.
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