Rockets fend off Maples in Greene County thriller, 20-13
Jefferson-Morgan’s Owen Maddich (27) makes a leaping catch for a 55-yard touchdown despite double coverage by Mapletown’s Max Vanata (5) and Clay Menear (20) on a fourth-down pass during the fourth quarter of Friday night’s game in Mapletown. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s A.J. Vanata breaks a long run with Jefferson-Morgan’s Caden Maskil in pursuit during Friday night’s game at Mapletown. The run set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Maples but the Rockets rallied to win, 20-13.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Jefferson-Morgan’s Dalton Heath (20), Mason McNett (64), Jonathan Wolfe (33) and Owen Maddich (27) gang tackle Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson (1) in the backfield during Friday night’s game at Mapletown.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown quarterback Max Vanata (5) looks for a receiver on a rollout against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night’s game at Mapletown.
Jefferson-Morgan running back Jonathan Wolfe (33) follows the blocking of Seth Wolfe (70) during Friday night’s game at Mapletown. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Mapletown running back Landan Stevenson makes a leaping catch in front of Jefferson-Morgan’s Collin Bisceglia (9) during a Tri-County South game at Mapletown on Oct. 16. Stevenson was named to the TCS All-Conference team and was Greene County's top scorer with 80 points.
Mapletown's Max Vanata (5) breaks up a pass in the end zone to Jefferson-Morgan's Owen Maddich during Friday night's game at Mapletown.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson (1) scores on a 5-yard touchdown run against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night’s game at Mapletown.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Jefferson-Morgan quarterback Colt Fowler (13) tries to elude Mapletown’s Brody Evans (23) during Friday night’s game at Mapletown.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Levi Howard (58) and A.J. Vanata run interference as Landan Stevenson (1) takes a pitch from Max Vanata (5) during Friday night’s game at Mapletown. Stevenson had 44 yards rushing, 62 yards receiving and one touchdown but the Rockets won, 20-13.
Mapletown’s Cohen Stout (79) tackles Jefferson-Morgan’s Jonathan Wolfe (33) during a Tri-County South game at Mapletown on Oct. 16. Stout made a game-high 15 tackles. Wolfe rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown in the Rockets’ 20-13 win. Both players were named to the TCS All-Conference team. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Jefferson-Morgan coach Aaron Giorgi talks with Ewing Jamison (18) a game at Mapletown last season. Giorgi is leaving the Rockets to take over the football head coaching job at Waynesburg Central. (Photo by Rob Burcianti)
Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson (1) looks for running room against Jefferson-Morgan during a Tri-County South game at Mapletown on Oct. 16. Stevenson led Greene County in scoring with 80 points. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Jefferson-Morgan blocks an extra-point attempt by Mapletown’s Landan Stevenson during Friday night’s game at Mapletown.
Mapletown coach George Messich (right) checks on injured Maples running back Landan Stevenson during Friday night's game against Jefferson-Morgan at Mapletown.
Jefferson-Morgan's Owen Maddich (27) hits Mapletown quarterback Max Vanata as he releases a pass during Friday night's game at Mapletown.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Mapletown’s Clay Menear makes a valiant attempt at a diving catch against Jefferson-Morgan during the final seconds of Friday night’s game at Mapletown. The pass was incomplete. The Rockets hung on to defeat the Maples, 20-13.
GREENSBORO — Owen Maddich came through when it mattered most for Jefferson-Morgan.
The Rockets’ 6-foot-5 senior made a spectacular 55-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, then sacked Mapletown quarterback Max Vanata on the game’s final play as J-M hung on for 20-13 victory in a hard-hitting Tri-County South thriller Friday night.
Jonathan Wolfe rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown as Jefferson-Morgan evened its record at 3-3 in the conference and overall. The youthful Maples fall to 1-5 and 1-5.
“When you play Jefferson or Carmichaels or any one from the county, that’s the way it should be,” Mapletown coach George Messich said of the rugged battle. “The game should be full of excitement, the kids all know each other, both teams are giving 110%.
“I thought both teams played very, very well tonight. That was a great Greene County football game.”
Rockets coach Aaron Giorgi agreed.
“That was a lot of fun,” Giorgi said. “Both teams played very hard and it was evenly matched. We made some mistakes, they made some mistakes.
“Our guys kept their heads, they kept playing and they made big plays whenever it was needed.”
Especially Maddich.
With Jefferson-Morgan clinging to 14-13 lead and facing fourth and eight from its own 45 late in the fourth quarter, Giorgi eschewed a punt and called for a long pass to his towering receiver. Maddich, facing double coverage from the Maples’ Clay Menear and Vanata, made a leaping reception deep down the right sideline at the 10-yard line, twisted free and pranced into the end zone for a touchdown with 1:52 left.
“I kept telling Owen all game if they’re smart they’re going to put two to three guys on you every play,” Giorgi said. “But I said you’re going to get a chance at some point, and that was the point there at the end of the game when we needed a big play.
“Colton threw a beautiful ball and Owen went up and got it.”
Messich gave credit to Giorgi and the Rockets.
“It was a gutsy call, and I thought we had good coverage,” Messich said. “We had two people right beside the receiver but we were giving up five or six inches in height, and he went up and made a great catch. I couldn’t ask my kids for better coverage.
“Their player just made a great play.”
The Maples’ defense stuffed Wolfe on a 2-point conversion run to keep the score at 20-13.
Mapletown wasn’t through yet as Vanata gamely guided his team downfield in the waning moments. With two seconds left and the ball on the J-M 16, Vanata rolled to his right but before he could get a final heave off into the end zone Maddich corralled him with a game-ending sack.
“We got the ball with very little time left and he took us down the field and gave us a chance,” Messich said of Vanata.
“I was proud of the defense,” Giorgi said. “They had a couple defensive stands and the one at the end was tremendous to close out the game for us. They had to cover (the receivers) but watch the run at the same time so that wasn’t an easy task.”
The Rockets limited Maples star running back Landan Stevenson to 11 carries for 44 yards, but the sophomore did gather in four receptions for 64 yards to give him 106 total yards.
“He is a tough runner,” Giorgi said. “We got to him in the backfield a lot of times before he got going. Our game plan was to try to take him away and I felt like we did a good job of that tonight.”
Mapletown took a 7-0 lead with 6:42 left in the first quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Vanata and Stevenson’s extra-point kick.
Collin Bisceglia’s 2-yard touchdown run and Wolfe’s 2-point conversion run with 6:16 left in the second quarter put Jefferson-Morgan ahead 8-7 heading into halftime.
The Maples surged back in front, 13-8, on Stevenson’s 5-yard touchdown run with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter but the extra point was blocked.
Wolfe’s 4-yard touchdown run gave J-M the lead back, 14-13, with 27 seconds left in the third quarter but its run for a 2-point conversion was stuffed by Mapletown.
That set the stage for Maddich’s fourth-quarter heroics.
Fowler completed 3 of 9 passes, all going to Maddich for 60 yards, and added 16 carries for 59 yards.
Vanata was 7 for 22 passing for 86 yards but was sacked four times with Wolfe recording three. A.J. Vanata ran four times for 21 yards with one catch for four years. Menear added one rush for 12 yards and one reception for 13 years.
Maddich and Wolfe led J-M in tackles with eight and seven, respectively. Dalton Heath intercepted a Stevenson halfback option pass in the third quarter.
Cohen Stout had a game-high 15 tackles for Mapletown and drew rave reviews from Messich.
“Cohen played defensive end until about three of four games ago,” Messich said. “We put him at linebacker and he’s been just a terror there ever since. He’s a leader on defense. The kids look up to him.
“With two more years left I think he’s going to be one of the best linebackers we’ve ever had here.”
Stevenson made 10 tackles while Levin Howard and A.J. Vanata each had eight.
Both coaches feel their teams have gotten better as the season has gone along.
“We’re gaining confidence and the kids are learning to play as a team,” Giorgi said. “They have adjusted extremely well to the injuries we’ve had throughout the year. We just keep plugging away.”
One of those injuries was to starting quarterback Cole Jones, who suffered a broken collarbone against Avella on Sept. 18, with Fowler moving over from wide receiver to run the offense since then.
Messich commended his team’s effort Friday night and for the season.
“I was really proud of our kids,” Messich said. “We started one senior tonight (Lance Stevenson) and he was hurt in the second half, so, basically, we’re playing all underclassmen.
“Our kids are really coming together and playing good football. One of our goals was to improve throughout the season and, although I know it hasn’t shown up in the win column, from the first scrimmage until now these kids have done that.
“We’re really excited about the future.”