Centurions rally past Falcons
REPUBLIC – Like a boxer hit by a solid combination in the first round, Greensburg Central Catholic stood staggered, trailing 12-0, during the early minutes of its Interstate Conference clash with Brownsville. The Centurions shook off those early blows, however, and went on to record a 21-12 decision over the Falcons at Redstone Field on Friday night.
The outcome lifted Greensburg Central (3-4, 3-1) into a three-way tie for second place with Waynesburg Central and Washington, and eliminated Brownsville (2-5, 1-4) from playoff contention.
“They’re a good team and they deserved to win this game,” Brownsville coach Don Bartolomucci said.
“We told our kids this was a ‘program’ game for us in that a win here could establish ourselves at this level,” GCC coach Muzzy Colosimo said. “We moved up from (Class) A, and no one thinks we can win at Double-A. We were a bit upset that a lot of people said it was a fluke that we beat Washington two weeks ago.”
The Centurions’ character was tested in the first quarter.
After a fireworks display was set off in honor of senior night, the Falcons put together two big explosions of their own in the first 1:43 of play.
Brian Gates dropped back to pass on Brownsville’s first play from scrimmage and lofted a long pass down the left sideline that Mike Piccolomini caught in stride for a 70-yard gain to the GCC 5. Ryan Cole made the touchdown-saving tackle, but Dougie Patterson covered the final five yards one play later to give the hosts a 6-0 lead.
The Falcons’ defense then held the Centurions to a three-and-out. Patterson gathered in the resulting punt near midfield, glided to his right, then cut up field and broke free for a 53-yard touchdown to put Brownsville up 12-0 with 10:17 left in the first quarter.
There was no panic on the Greensburg Central sidelines, though.
“When you looked up at the clock at that point you knew there was still a long way to go,” Colosimo said. “You figure the game is still in tact. We just had to keep doing our jobs and doing what we do best.”
What the Centurions do best is run the football and they began establishing their ground game on their next possession, which began at the Brownsville 48 thanks to a 41-yard kickoff return by Cole. Greensburg Central moved the ball to the 14 where the drive stalled, and Adam Waller missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.
Undeterred, the Centurions marched 39 yards in five plays the next time they got the ball with Cole’s 17-yard run capping the drive. Waller’s extra-point kick made it 12-7.
Greensburg Central forced a second straight three-and-out from Brownsville when it stuffed Carson Thomas for a one-yard loss on third and one, then marched 59 yards in nine plays with Jordan Hohn scoring from five yards out with 9:31 left in the second quarter. Waller again converted the extra-point kick to put GCC in front to stay, 14-12. The key play in the drive was Jon Stem’s 15-yard completion to Mike Baker on third and nine when a Brownsville defender fell down.
The teams traded turnovers on the next three possessions with GCC’s Greg Mroz being in the right place at the right time twice.
Mroz intercepted a tipped pass at the Brownsville 44, but Mike Stanley recovered a fumble for the Falcons five plays later after a wild scramble.
Brownsville then began a 10-play drive that ended when Mark Battaglini caught an 11-yard pass from Gates for a first down, then fumbled forward. Mroz recovered at the Falcon 11 with 46 seconds left in the half.
Brownsville was still in the game, but for the second week in a row a big second-half kickoff return dealt the Falcons a devastating blow.
Cole took the kick 78 yards to the Brownsville 12 to set up Cory Walker’s one-yard touchdown plunge six plays later and Greensburg Central was up 21-12.
The Centurions defense did the job from there, stopping the Falcons on downs on their last four possessions with drives ending at the GCC 35, 9, 12 and 2.
The first of those threats ended when Gates scrambled out of trouble on a fourth-and-12 play from the Centurion 35 and floated a pass to a wide open Steve Pazzabon, only to have the tight end slip and fall to the wet turf at the 10-yard line as the ball landed harmlessly behind him.
Brownsville moved to a first and 10 from the GCC 11 on its next possession, but could get no closer than the four-yard line. Gates’ fourth-down pass to Piccolomini was caught out of the end zone.
Thomas made a diving interception off a deflected pass at the Centurion 20 to set up the third threat. Brownsville wound up with a third and two at the 12, but failed to move the sticks in two plays.
The Falcons had the ball first and goal from the 5 on their final possession and again were turned away.
“We’re down there three times knocking on the door and we can’t get two or three yards,” Bartolomucci said. “If you can’t get that much, you don’t deserve to win.”
Brownsville led in first downs, 12-11, and total yards, 245-158.
Patterson rushed for 62 yards on 17 carries. Battaglini added 52 yards in 11 attempts and made two receptions for 20 yards. Gates completed four of 14 passes for 101 yards.
Hohn led all runners with a hard-earned 87 yards on 26 carries.