It’s been a busy stretch for Pitt’s 2027 recruiting class, and several commits turned in standout performances over the weekend as the high school season pushed past the midpoint. A few others had lighter nights thanks to bye weeks, but there was still plenty of production to track across the board.
James Perrone put together the kind of dual-threat outing that jumps off the page. The Pitt quarterback commit helped Miami Central roll past Miami Northwestern 52-10 by doing damage both through the air and on the ground.
Perrone finished 7-of-12 for 156 yards and two touchdowns, then added 147 rushing yards and another score on only nine carries. Miami Central is now 4-1 and heads to Miami Springs, which is 5-1, for a Saturday night matchup this week.
Ryker Reynolds was just as sharp in a different way. The Pitt tight end commit caught two passes and turned both into touchdowns as La Porte beat Beaumont West Brook 45-42 for its third straight win.
Reynolds now has five receptions for 134 yards and four scores this season. He’s also remained a major part of La Porte’s run game as a blocker, and that showed again Friday with the team averaging around 250 rushing yards per game.
La Porte opened 0-2 but has since strung together three wins and will be off this weekend before returning to action on October 9th.
Jeremiah Proctor added another active game to his season for Gainesville. In a 50-0 rout of Alpharatta, the Pitt linebacker commit recorded an interception and kept showing up around the ball the way he usually does.
Gainesville started 0-2, but the Red Elephants have now won three in a row. Their next test comes this weekend at Roswell, which is 4-1.
Trey Moore also helped his team break through for a first win. Working at his usual left tackle spot for Collins Hill, the Pitt offensive line commit was part of a 39-15 victory over Central Gwinnett.
Moore showed some mobility on several pulling blocks and even made a few plays on defense. Collins Hill piled up more than 400 yards of offense in the win and now gets Seckinger, which is still winless, on Friday.
Eric Anderson and Detroit Catholic Central kept rolling, too. The Shamrocks beat St.
John’s Jesuit 36-3 to move to 5-0 and extend their winning streak to 19 games. Anderson handled his left tackle duties and helped protect quarterback Duke Banta, who threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Detroit Catholic Central’s next game looks like its toughest yet, with Central Catholic of Toledo coming in Saturday afternoon. Central Catholic is 5-1 and ranked No. 6 in Ohio by MaxPreps.
Dominic Letlow did a little bit of everything for Cardinal Mooney, even if the result didn’t go his way. The Pitt defensive end commit caught a 38-yard touchdown and was disruptive on defense, but Cardinal Mooney fell 34-22 to St Francis (NY) at home.
Letlow has been active all season and has shown plenty of versatility, whether at defensive end or wherever his team needs him. Cardinal Mooney is now 3-3 and will try to rebound against Benedictine, which is 4-2, this weekend.
Jacob Thomas shared his midseason highlights from his senior year after continuing to post big numbers. The speedy wide receiver has 19 catches for 423 yards and six touchdowns in four games played. Miami High School is 2-3 and coming off a loss to Goleman, and Thomas and his team will visit Western High School, which is 3-2, on Friday night with a chance to get back to .500.
DeShaun Thomas contributed in Merritt Island’s 39-16 win over Titusville, finishing with two catches for 17 yards. Merritt Island improved to 6-0 and has the weekend off before facing Eau Gallie on October 9th. On the season, Thomas has 15 receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
Cam Aime logged two tackles in St. Joseph’s Regional’s 23-10 loss to Don Bosco Prep, the top-ranked team in New Jersey.
Aime now has 21 tackles, along with team-leading marks of 6.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. St.
Joseph Regional dropped to 2-3 and will be off this weekend before meeting St. Peter’s Prep on October 10th.
A’javion Willis had one catch for eight yards in Miami Columbus’ 58-0 blowout of Homestead, a game where the starters barely needed to stay on the field. Willis has worked his way back after missing time with injuries earlier in the year and now has three catches for 48 yards.
Miami Columbus is 5-1 and gets a major test this weekend against St. Thomas Aquinas, which is the top-ranked team in the country and features Pitt running back commit Tyler Reid.
Saniiyn Black chipped in on both sides of the ball for Zephyrhills in a 35-0 win over Fivay. Black had four tackles and two catches for 14 yards as the Mighty Bulldogs improved to 4-2.
He now has 29 tackles and two interceptions this season. Zephyrhills travels to River Ridge, which is 4-1, on Friday night.
In Other News...
Pitt Faces Its Biggest ACC Test Yet In Hostile Blacksburg
Pitts first road trip of the season comes with plenty on the line, because Virginia Tech is waiting in Blacksburg with the same 4-0 record and a reputation for making life difficult at Lane Stadium. The Panthers have leaned on a defense that has been strong against the run, and that has to travel well against a Hokies attack built around running back Jefferey Overton Jr. For a Pitt team trying to stay in the thick of the ACC race, this is the kind of game that can shape the rest of the league picture in a hurry.
Mason Heintschel gives Pitt some reason for confidence, too, since he has handled ACC road environments fairly well, but this one figures to be a real test of poise. The Panthers are also managing a few question marks on the injury front, which only adds to the challenge in a hostile setting where every possession tends to matter. It is the sort of early-season matchup that can tell you a lot about how legitimate a teams start really is. [Read more 🡒]