Oct 4, 2002 By The 18 min read

Daylight!

After digging itself an 0-3 hole to start the season, Laurel Highlands won its third straight game Friday night, as junior Corey Nesser rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-7 Keystone Conference victory over visiting Derry. The Mustangs (3-3, 2-1) overcame four turnovers and nine penalties totaling 85 yards as they built a 14-0 lead and held on.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Laurel Highlands coach Scott Knee. “What a shot in the arm for these kids.”

The Mustangs turned a Derry fumble into seven points midway through the first quarter. On first down at the Trojans’ 31, Nesser turned the corner and went untouched to make it 7-0 at the 6:10 mark.

After a defensive stand stopped Derry on fourth-and-eight at the LH 37 to start the second quarter, Laurel Highlands marched 77 yards in 11 plays to lead 14-0. On third-and-goal from the three-yard line, Nesser went off right guard for his second touchdown.

“We were running the toss play after play, and he was making things happen,” Knee said of Nesser. “His speed is phenomenal. Our offense is still making too many mistakes, but I think our running game will actually open it up more for our passing game.”

Laurel Highlands quarterback Matt Humbert was 8 of 16 for 109 yards and two interceptions.

Dom Oliver led Derry (1-4, 1-3) with 109 yards on 19 carries. His two-yard run with 1:11 remaining in the first half cut the Mustangs’ lead to 14-7.

Uniontown 28, Mount Pleasant 14

Uniontown started another winning streak Friday with Keystone Conference win over Mt. Pleasant at Bill Power Memorial Stadium.

A week after ending a regular-season winning streak that had reached 15 with a tough 9-7 loss at Greensburg Salem, the Red Raiders played lethargically at the beginning, then kicked into high gear in the second quarter behind junior quarterback Ryan Guthrie.

“Ryan make a lot of key plays for us tonight,” Uniontown coach John Fortugna said. “Our offensive line blocked very well and kept our running game going, plus our defense played a strong game, as well. A lot of the credit goes to our coaches. They worked these kids hard all week and it paid off tonight.”

Guthrie completed five of 11 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown, scored himself on a 1-yard run, ran for a two-point conversion and passed for another two-pointer. Junior halfback Bill McLee ran 19 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He got 68 of those yards in the second quarter when Uniontown posted 20 points.

McLee opened the scoring on a 3-yard run, capping a drive that featured two third-and-6 conversions. Guthrie passed to Junior Mays for 10 yards on the first one, then ran for seven.

McLee caused a Mt. Pleasant fumble that was recovered by Jeremiah Ditmore and Uniontown was in business again. Again, the Red Raiders converted a pair of third downs en route to the end zone. Todd Jackson ran for nine yards on a Statue of Liberty play for the first conversion before Guthrie passed to Eric Hughes for a 20-yard score on third-and-13. Guthrie’s 2-point conversion run made it 14-0 eight minutes before halftime.

Uniontown forced a punt, then marched 80 yards to Guthrie’s 1-yard touchdown run that made it 20-0 at halftime. Guthrie fumbled the snap on the third-and-goal play, but calmly picked up the ball and ran around right end for the touchdown.

Jeannette 13, Waynesburg Central 6 OT

Several golden opportunities gone awry, and one Bryan Golden opportunity stopped short.

Waynesburg Central and Jeannette’s battle of undefeated teams lived up to its billing.

After forcing the Jayhawks’ backs against the wall for most of the second half, the Raiders fell short in a 13-7 overtime thriller for first place in the Interstate Conference Friday at Raider Field.

The Raiders’ (5-1, 3-1) bid to tie the game and set up a would-be game-winning extra point fell one yard short as Golden plunged into the mouth of the Jayhawk defense, just shy of the end zone on a fourth-down run from the two-yard line.

Canon-McMillan 68, Albert Gallatin 12

Whether they looked to the skies or the scoreboard, the Albert Gallatin High School fans and football team were left with the same conclusion.

When it rains, it pours.

There was no silver lining for the visiting Colonials after their drubbing at the hands of Quad-West Conference unbeaten Canon-McMillan (3-0, 4-2).

“If this is a learning experience, I never want another like it,” said AG coach Chuck Colborn, who couldn’t recall a worse defeat in his 20-plus years of coaching.

The Big Macs had four runners top 100 yards – Albert Miles (149), Stefon Strothers (147), Doug Rheam (113) and Brendon Steele (103) – and did not attempt a single pass. Miles, Strothers and Steele scored three touchdowns apiece.

By comparison, Vaughn Jones, Albert Gallatin’s leading rusher on the season, didn’t see his first carry until midway through the second quarter, and finished with just 13 yards on seven totes. Jones did provide his team’s lone bright spot though, taking the game’s opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. However, the Colonials’ claim of momentum was erased just 11 seconds later as Steele returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to tie the score at six. Canon-Mac scored on their next seven possessions and led, 54-6, at the half.

“We started bad, and we finished bad,” said Colborn, who saw the team’s record sink to 1-3 in the conference, 1-5 overall.

“It’s a shame because they have talent and they’re working hard,” said Big Mac coach Dan Pallante, who had prepared his team for a close match-up after watching AG play Upper St. Clair tough and beat Trinity. “They’re doing every thing they’re supposed to do. He and the kids just have to hang in there.”

The Colonials’ Scott Piper picked up some yardage late in the game to finish with 62 yards on seven carries. Quarterback Greg Moore completed three of five passes for 67 yards, but was under relentless pressure most of the night, getting sacked or tackled for a loss seven times.

Washington 39, Brownsville 18

Travis Thomas rushed for 195 yards and J.R. Ward scored three touchdowns, including a game-breaking 98-yard kickoff return to open the second half, as host Washington defeated Brownsville.

The loss dropped the Falcons to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Interstate Conference.

The Prexies improved to 4-2 and 2-1.

Washington rolled up 359 yards on the ground, including 95 by Ward.

Doug Patterson ran for 118 yards, one touchdown and a pair of two-point conversions to lead Brownsville.

“We play in spurts,” Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci said. “We play well for a little while, then we breakdown. We just can’t put it all together.”

Thomas and quarterback David Calabrese scored on first-quarter runs of 17 and one yard, respectively, as Washington jumped out to a 12-0 lead.

Brownsville got on the board with 23 seconds left in the quarter when Paul Orris sacked Calabrese in the end zone for a safety.

Ward made it 18-2 at the half with a two-yard TD run in the second quarter, then made it 24-2 with his electrifying runback to start the third quarter.

Ken Evans hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Calabrese later in the quarter as the Prexies took a commanding 32-2 advantage.

Patterson finally got the Falcons into the end zone with a 39-yard run late in the third quarter. Brian Gates’ 21-yard pass to Mike Stanley on a fake punt set up the score, which came two plays later. It was Gates’ only completion of the game, which was played in a steady rain.

Ward capped Washington’s scoring with a 24-yard run with 9:30 left in the game as the Prexies went up 39-10.

Carson Thomas’ gave the Falcons their second TD on a two-yard run with 7:35 left.

Geibel snaps losing skid

Geibel 27, Frazier 24

The offshoots of Hurricane Lili didn’t appear as some weather observers predicted, but Hurricane Geibel came in her place.

Playing four quarters of solid two-way football, and unleashing its best running offense of the season, Geibel Catholic scored in every quarter and defeated host Frazier, 27-24, in a physical game that showed the supportive crowd on both sides just what high school football is supposed to be all about.

The Gators were happy with their win, but they were even happier to get the losing millstone from around their necks with the win snapping a 19-game losing streak.

Both sides had potent running offenses, Geibel netting 322 yards overland, to Frazier’s 242. With their ground offense moving so strongly, the Gators went to the air only four times, completing one for seven yards. Frazier netted 78 passing.

Geibel coach Angelo Dippolito said, “With the rain, and the wind blowing, I didn’t want to pass, plus the way we were moving on the ground we didn’t have to pass. We saw some things that we felt we could do, and we were able to move the ball.”

Dippolito said, “Dan Chorba, Ardie Renze, John Bokat and our freshman quarterback Mitch Erdely all had good games offensively, and they had good line play in front of them that enabled them to move the ball. We got this win against a real good Frazier team. They have a good staff that has them ready to play every week.”

Frazier coach Larry Wilson felt that “turnovers and penalties hurt us. Tonight we had them and they didn’t. We had a big win last week and we had a good week of workouts, during which I told them that Geibel was a better team than their record shows, and tonight they proved it. They made long runs, they moved the ball, and they didn’t turn it over, and that was the difference.”

Chorba led the Gators with 128 yards on 14 carries, Bokat was 20-82, Renze 11-78, all with one TD, and Erdely had one score.

Craig Neely led Frazier with 93 yards and one score in 13 tries. Quarterback T. J. Martinak was 10 for 91 with two TDs, and Justin Knight caught 8 for 71 yards.

The final outcome wasn’t really determined until the last second of the game.

With 27 seconds left to play, Frazier got the ball at its 38 after a Geibel punt. Martinak passed to Knight for 18 yards, then after the Gators were flagged for offsides, Martinak made up the loss on a keeper for a first down at the G 34, with 8 seconds to go. Martinak went to the air, and Nick Staffieri intercepted in the end zone to end the game.

Belle Vernon 20, Greensburg Salem 17

In the same game last year, Greensburg Salem won on the last play of the game.

As Greensburg Salem marched down the field late Friday night, Belle Vernon coach Jesse Cramer began having flashbacks.

“It was almost like déjà vu,” Cramer said.

This time, though, with first place on the line in the Keystone Conference, it was more like deja don’t.

Belle Vernon’s Adam Freet and Elikalee Fuller stuffed Greensburg Salem running back Brandon Sticca at the goal line as the timeout-less Golden Lions helplessly watched the final seconds tick off the clock in Belle Vernon’s 20-17 win.

“It was dumb coaching,” said Greensburg Salem coach George Kemerer. “I should’ve thrown the ball. If I throw the ball, we have two plays. That was just dumb coaching there. My kids played great. They put a drive together. I let them down.”

Belle Vernon rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to take the lead on a 63-yard touchdown run by Andrew Bell with 6:03 left in the game. Greensburg Salem took over at its 27 and drove to the Belle Vernon one-foot line in 16 plays.

With 11.3 seconds left, Belle Vernon called timeout, giving Kemerer a chance to decide what to do without any timeouts remaining. His decision became an all-or-nothing call that put first place on the line.

“Well, I probably would’ve done the same thing he did. I’m not going to lie to you,” said Cramer. “The ball’s on the one-foot line. You figure you can punch it in from there. I mean, anybody figures they can do that. And he was running the ball in the short game pretty well. They got their yard or two yards when they needed it.

“Obviously, they could’ve kicked it and went into overtime, but we always second-guess ourselves. I did it last year when they beat us, so I can understand how he feels.”

Greensburg Salem appeared as if it was poised to run Belle Vernon off its own field on homecoming. The Golden Lions did run most of the home fans away as the stormy weather, combined with an early 17-0 lead, forced fans into their cars and homes for shelter.

Woodland Hills 54, Connellsville 3

Woodland Hills put pall over an already damp Connellsville Homecoming game Friday night.

The Wolverines took advantage of poor tackling by the Falcons to break several big plays to down the Falcons in Quad-East action.

Woodland Hills (6-0, 3-0) took the opening kickoff to the Connellsville 48, on a 49-yard return by Chris Morgan. From there, the Wolverines needed only four plays to get to the end zone on a 12-yard run by Morgan. Mark Yezovich PAT made the score 7-0.

The Falcons (1-5, 0-3) responded. With six seconds left in the quarter, as Ben Popson connected on a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

In the second quarter, the Falcons began to miss tackles that resulted in big plays and 20 points for the Wolverines. At 10:09 of the quarter, Ken Benzo ran off the right side, broke a tackle, got to the outside and raced 67 yards for the score. The kick by Yezovich made the score 14-3.

“We spent extra time this week on tackling”, Connellsville head coach Dan Spanish said. “During the week we practiced with emotion, but tonight during the game we were flat and did not execute.”

California 18, Mapletown 0

Senior Ryan Robinson rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns as California blanked Mapletown in a game that was a must-win situation for the Trojans if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Tri-County South Conference.

Robinson rushed for 128 yards last week in a loss against Monessen.

“This win was huge,” said California coach Joe Kuhns. “Things got a little sloppy in the second half and our defense did a really good job and we knew that we had to win to have a shot at the playoffs.”

The Trojan defense held Mapletown quarterback Drew Denham to only nine completions for 64 yards.

“We prepared for them to throw the ball,” said Kuhns. “They have a really good offense and we shut them out. I’m pretty proud of our guys.”

Robinson scored both of California’s first-half touchdowns on runs of 79 and 17 yards, respectively.

At the half, California had 188 total offensive yards compared to Mapletown’s 88.

Mapletown started off the second half controlling the tempo of the game with extended drives, but their efforts ended in turnover.

“We just made a lot of mistakes tonight. We dropped three or four passes that we should have caught,” Mapletown coach George Messich said. “We did have some nice drives going in the second half and we just turned the ball over.

“We’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and regroup.”

Carmichaels 35, Jefferson-Morgan 7

The rain was not the only thing that that dampened Jefferson-Morgan’s Homecoming.

Carmichaels splashed its way to a victory in Tri-County South play. The win sets the table for a clash of Tri-County South undefeated teams when the Mikes travel to Monessen.

The wet turf did not hurt the Mikes’ running game as they rushed for 284 yards on 47 carries. Bobby Hathaway led the ground assault with 202 yards on 16 carries and four (20, 7, 1, 79) touchdowns.

The Mikes led 7-0 early in the first quarter without even running a play from scrimmage. After the Mikes stopped the Rockets on three plays, Carmichaels dropped three men deep to receive the punt from Mike Myers. Josh Grim took the punt and handed the ball off to Colby Giles who scampered 70 yards for the score with 9:25 remaining in the first quarter.

“We took the wind out of their sails with the punt return,” said Carmichaels coach John Menhart. “80 percent of the game is mental and when you can get an early edge it helps.”

The touchdown gave the Mikes the momentum early. After the Rockets ran another three-and-out, the Mikes put together a 55-yard scoring drive. Hathaway capped the seven-play drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. The run seemed to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, but Hathaway leaped over the would-be tackler to hit paydirt. Derek Maynard added the PAT, and the Mikes led 14-0 at the half.

The wet field conditions hampered the Mikes’ passing game in the first half, along with the Rockets blanket defensive coverage.

“We couldn’t utilize Colby (Giles),” noted Menhart on the only part of the game that was missing for the Mikes. “So we said here we come.”

“We had pressure when we needed to,” said J-M coach Jan Haiden. “They (the Rockets) played as hard as they could play and as a coach that’s all you could ask for.”

FRIDAY’S PIAA RESULTS

WESTERN REGION

Aliquippa 30, Beaver Falls 14

Altoona 34, Central Mountain 7

Avella 23, Beth-Center 20

Baldwin 30, Hempfield 0

Beaver 21, New Brighton 6

Bedford 45, Central (Martinsburg) 9

Belle Vernon 20, Greensburg Salem 17

Bellwood-Antis 49, Penns Valley 21

Bethel Park 13, Central Catholic 5

Bishop Carroll 25, Johnstown 14

Blairsville 7, United 0

Bradford 33, Brookville 27

Brashear 22, South 12

Brentwood 29, Duquesne 27

Brockway 23, Cameron County 0

Burrell 14, Mars 11

California 18, Mapletown 0

Canon-McMillan 68, Albert Gallatin 12

Carmichaels 35, Jefferson-Morgan 7

Cathedral 34, Erie Central 6

Charleroi 28, Southmoreland 14

Chartiers-Houston 21, Burgettstown 7

Chestnut Ridge 34, Mt. Union 6

Clairton 36, Leechburg 6

Clarion-Limestone 54, Union-Rimersburg 0

Cochranton 20 , Lakeview 8

Curwensville 20, Kane 6

East Allegheny 19, Steel Valley 0

Farrell 32, Western Beaver 0

Ford City 65, Shady Side Academy 7

Fort Cherry 20, Canevin 7

Fox Chapel 43, Ringgold 0

Franklin 24, Meadville 21 OT

Freedom 13, Center 7

Freeport 20, Apollo-Ridge 14

Gateway 55, Indiana 26

Geibel 27, Frazier 24

General Mclane 21, Ft. Leboeuf 18 OT

Girard 20, Fairview 7

Glendale 9, Juniata Valley 6

Greenville 21, Reynolds 8

Harbor Creek 32, Corry 0

Hopewell 6, Blackhawk 0

Huntindgon 50, Bald Eagle 19

Indian Valley 15, Bellefonte 14

Jeannette 13, Waynesburg 7 OT

Karns City 48, Allegheny-Clarion Valley 0

Keystone 53, East Juniata 14

Keystone Oaks 40, Greensburg C.C. 7

Kittanning 14, Highlands 7

Knoch 14, Hampton 7

Latrobe 20, Franklin Regional 18

Laurel Highlands 14, Derry 7

Liberty Center, Ohio 55, Sharpsville 35

Ligonier Valley 13, Homer-Center 7

Maplewood 25, Conneaut Lake 0

Mcdowell 37, Bishop Timon 16

McKeesport 38, Kiski Area 0

Mohawk 33, Cornell 0

Monaca 29, South Side Beaver 13

Monessen 34, West Greene 7

Montour 26, Ambridge 15

Moon 21, Yough 0

N Bedford 14, S Huntingdon 9

N Cambria 6, Saltsburg 0

New Castle 31, West Allegheny 8

North Catholic 13, Deer Lakes 6

North Hills 12, Butler 0

Northern Cambria 6, Saltsburg 0

Northgate 12, Carlynton 0

Northwestern 49, Iroquois 32

Penn Cambria 33, Cambria Heights 8

Penn-Trafford 28, Plum 14

Peters Township 23, McGuffey 0

Pine-Richland 33, Valley 0

Quaker Valley 6, Ellwood City 0

Redbank Valley 33, Moniteau 20

Ridgeway 48, Youngsville 13

Riverside 34, Union 12

Rochester 32, Avonworth 7

Saegertown 19, Union City 6

Seneca 20, Northeast 8

Seneca Valley 29, Mt. Lebanon 8

Seton-LaSalle 28, South Fayette 0

Sharon 6, Hickory 3

Shenango 29, Laurel 0

Slippery Rock 7, Grove City 0

South Park 40, South Allegheny 0

State College 32, Hollidaysburg 21

Sto-Rox 41, Bentworth 21

Thomas Jefferson 48, Chartiers Valley 0

Titusville 26, Oil City 8

Uniontown 28, Mount Pleasant 14

Upper St. Clair 35, Trinity 0

W Middlesex 22, Cambria Springs 14

Warren 32, Erie East 0

Washington 39, Brownsville 18

West Middlesex 22, Cambridge Springs 14

West Mifflin 13, Elizabeth Forward 10

West Shamokin 8, Clarion 6

Westinghouse 14, Allderdice 7

Wilkinsburg 34, Springdale 18

Wilmington 32, Mercer 8

Windber 42, North Star 8

Woodland Hills 54, Connellsville 3

EASTERN REGION

Allentown Dieruff 23, Allentown Central Catholic 7

Altoona 34, Central Mountain 7

Archbishop Carroll 45, Cardinal Dougherty 6

Big Spring 47, Waynesboro 6

Biglerville 50, James Buchanan 8

Bishop Hoban 26, Northwest Area 12

Blue Mountain 28, Pleasant Valley 14

Boyertown 48, Spring-Ford 7

Camp Hill 28, Boiling Springs 19

Carbondale 56, Bishop O’Hara 14

Cedar Cliff 10, Chambersburg 9

Cedar Crest 54, Manheim Township 20

Central 41, Olney 0

Central Bucks West 14, Pennsbury 7

Central Columbia 35, Wilkes-Barre GAR 0

Central Dauphin 23, Bishop McDevitt 21

Central York 14, Red Lion 13, OT

Cumberland Valley 45, Carlisle 14

Dallastown 25, William Penn 22, OT

Delone Catholic 35, Eastern York 3

Dobbins 20, Frankford 13

Downingtown 42, Salesianum, Del., 21

Dunmore 34, Old Forge 6

East Pennsboro 36, Greencastle-Antrim 6

East Stroudsburg South 48, Pocono Mountain West 0

Easton 42, Freedom 21

Edison 32, University City 12

Germantown 30, Lincoln 0

Hamburg 26, Exeter 21

Harriton 27, Oxford 20

Hatboro-Horsham 17, Souderton 12

Hazleton Area 35, Wilkes-Barre Coughlin 0

Honesdale 29, Delaware Valley 22

Indian Valley 15, Bellefont 14

Interboro 35, St. Elizabeth, Del., 12

Jenkintown 35, Morrisville 14

Jersey Shore 6, Shikellamy 3, OT

Jim Thorpe 28, Minersville 0

Juniata 19, Tri-Valley 12

Keystone 53, East Juniata 14

Lackawanna Trail 35, Western Wayne 13

Lakeland 40, Susquehanna 0

Lampeter-Strasburg 21, Cocalico 7

Lancaster McCaskey 43, Penn Manor 0

Lehighton 21, Stroudsburg 14

Liberty 34, Northampton 6

Lower Dauphin 33, Palmyra 7

Loyalsock 56, Troy 13

Manheim Central 40, Garden Spot 20

Martin Luther King 9, West Philadelphia 8

Mastbaum 31, Southern 0

Millersburg 47, Lourdes Regional 21

Montoursville 31, Danville 6

Montrose 26, Mid Valley 13

Mount Carmel 19, Marian Catholic 6

Neshaminy 26, Central Bucks East 0

New Oxford 42, Susquehannock 14

North Penn 35, Glen Mills 21

North Penn-Blossburg 35, Canton 18

Northeast 20, Roxborough 8

Northern Lehigh 17, Salisbury 0

Northwestern 33, Wilson 9

Owen J. Roberts 40, Phoenixville 6

Panther Valley 20, Mahanoy Area 0

Parkland 56, Whitehall 14

Pen Argyl 50, Southern Lehigh 6

Penncrest 21, Radnor 14

Pennridge 21, Bensalem 6

Pittston 28, Tunkhannock 10

Pottstown 47, Pottsgrove 0

Pottsville 21, Berwick 12

Quakertown 21, Norristown 12

Reading Central Catholic 34, Twin Valley 0

Reading High 47, Governor Mifflin 7

Reading Holy Name 42, Fleetwood 20

Red Land 27, Central Dauphin East 20

Ridley 23, Conestoga 7

Saucon Valley 17, Bangor 0

Schuylkill Haven 35, Shenandoah Valley 21

Schuylkill Valley 47, Conrad Weiser 16

Scranton 50, Wallenpaupack 21

Scranton Prep 34, Riverside 0

Selinsgrove 49, Middletown 14

Shamokin 20, Milton 0

South Williamsport 22, Muncy 15

Southern Columbia 45, Hughesville 14

Spring Grove 29, South Western 10

Springfield Montco 20, Chestnut Hill 0

Strath Haven 42, Haverford High 0

Sun Valley 35, Great Valley 0

Tamaqua 34, North Schuylkill 7

Towanda 28, Bloomsburg 6

Trinity 35, Milton Hershey 11

Truman 20, William Tennent 5

Upper Dublin 38, Upper Moreland 21

Upper Merion 42, Council Rock 21

Upper Perkiomen 34, Perkiomen Valley 12

Warrior Run 20, Lewisburg 3

Warwick 19, Lebanon 15

Washington 35, Gratz 19

Wellsboro 20, Montgomery 0

West Perry 28, Shippensburg 7

West Scranton 42, Nroth Pocono 0

West York 21, Hanover 19

Wilkes-Barre Meyers 45, Bishop O’Reilly 6

Williams Valley 15, Upper Dauphin 14

Williamsport 26, Wyoming Valley West 20

Wyoming Area 49, Nanticoke 14

Wyomissing 42, Kutztown 0