Carmichaels whips Monessen
MONESSEN – Before Friday’s game, Monessen’s Joe Fischer acknowledged Carmichaels was big and fast, probably moreso than any of the Greyhounds’ first six opponents. Fischer was on the money with that assertion. But in his wildest dreams, he could not have envisioned what would transpire when the two Tri-County South heavyweights finally squared off.
The Mikes proved without a doubt that not only are they big, not only are they fast, but they are indeed bad, as in to the bone.
Seniors Bobby Hathaway and Colby Giles combined for 248 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns each, as Carmichaels gave Monessen a 42-0 whipping and all but locked up the Tri-County South title.
“You never think this will happen when you come to Monessen,” said Mikes coach John Menhart.”
Oh, it happened alright. The Greyhounds tried to intimidate Carmichaels, pounding their chests and shouting pre-game expletives, only to have the Mikes shove the ball down their throats once action began.
Carmichaels did nearly everything right on its first two possessions, and with a little help from Monessen, built a 14-0 lead. Giles’ three-yard touchdown run capped the game’s opening drive, a 10-play, 71-yard march which saw the Mikes convert two crucial third-down plays. The first came when quarterback Jono Menhart scampered 27 yards on a third-and-seven, and the second happened when Monessen was called for a 15-yard personal foul penalty three plays later on third-and-five.
The Greyhounds fumbled away their first possession after five plays, and after the Mikes’ Jeff Lapkowicz recovered at the Carmichaels’ 40, Hathaway’s six-yard TD capped a nine-play drive in which Monessen was flagged twice, the first time for being offsides on a third-down-and-three, and the second for having 12 players on the field as Carmichaels was punting on fourth-and-13.
“Our game plan was to come out and pound the ball down their throats and see if they could hang with us for four quarters,” Menhart said. “They made a couple of mistakes that killed them, and we maintained our composure.”
A 24-yard punt return by Monessen’s Ernest Williams put the Greyhounds at the Carmichaels’ 36 early in the second quarter. Three running plays and a Carmichaels’ personal foul later, Monessen was sitting first-and-10 at the Mikes’ 12. But Williams was drilled after crossing the line of scrimmage and coughed the ball up, with Carmichaels’ Andrew Penich recovering at the 9.
The next play perhaps was the straw that broke the Greyhounds’ back, as Giles took a handoff, cut left, found a hole and raced 71 yards before being drug down finally at the Monessen 20. He then finished what he started three plays later, scoring his second touchdown of the game, this time from six yards out and it was 21-0.
Giles cut and slashed his way to 118 yards on 14 carries, while Hathaway bulldozed a path to 130 yards on 16 attempts. Menhart, who made it 27-0 with a 15-yard run midway through the third quarter, finished with 44 yards on six carries.
“We watched film and saw that if they stacked the line, our fullback and offensive line could make holes and we could blast through them and Colby could get out on the end,” Hathaway said. “They were talking crap before the game and we said that’s OK, we’ll do our talking on the field.”
Which they did. Carmichaels finished with 359 rushing yards, while holding Monessen to 125. The Greyhounds attempted only two passes, one of which was intercepted.
Hathaway’s second touchdown covered 53 yards, and his subsequent two-point conversion run made it 35-0, invoking the WPIAL’s “Mercy Rule” which, after a one team takes at least a 35-point lead, keeps the clock running except for change of possessions and scores.
Josh Grim capped the scoring with a 37-yard run late in the fourth quarter.
Carmichaels (7-0, 5-0) has conference games remaining with Geibel Catholic and Frazier, and hopes the convincing win over Monessen will pay dividends when the WPIAL announces its playoff seedings.
“The seniors had a lot of motivation,” Giles said. “We knew this was a big game. We were ready for the challenge. This game was key for the playoffs.”