Central Catholic rolls over Connellsville
PITTSBURGH – Football coaches talk about never having enough speed. Connellsville had that point driven home several times in Friday night’s 46-0 loss to Pittsburgh Central Catholic as the Falcons headed into the heart of their Quad East Conference schedule.
“Their overall speed is impressive,” Connellsville football coach Dan Spanish said.” They spend quality time in the weight room, and on their conditioning. You see that work carrying over onto the field.”
The Vikings wasted little time getting to the end zone against the Falcons. After taking the opening kickoff at their 33, Central Catholic was facing a third-and-14 from their 29. Quarterback Bryan Moore dropped back and lofted a pass in the direction of Jai Wilson, who had a step on Connellsville’s Justin Marsinko.
The ball held up long enough for Marsinko to recover, tip the pass, but missed a chance to make a diving interception. During the play, Wilson pulled in the tipped ball for a first down at the Connellsville 26.
Central Catholic took six more plays to get to the end zone, scoring on a nine-yard pass from Moore to Wilson. The extra point by Adam Sciulli was no good, leaving the score at 6-0, at the 7:53 mark of the quarter.
Connellsville’s Paul Micklow took the following kickoff at his 12 and returned the ball to his 25, where he was hit by several Viking players and fumbled. Josh Trembulak picked up the loose football and returned it 22 yards for the Vikings second score within 10 seconds. The two-point conversion run by Andrew Johnson failed, leaving the score, 12-0.
“We deflected a ball, missed a chance at an interception, and they went in and scored,” Spanish said. “Then we fumbled on the kickoff, they scored again and the dam broke.”
The flood continued with two more Viking scores in the first quarter. Connellsville punted to the Vikings 12. Fullback Nick SanDoval picked up five yards to the 17. On the next play, quarterback Bob Helt ran the option to his right, decided to keep the ball and raced 83 yards to the end zone. Sciulli’s kick increased the Vikings’ lead to 19-0.
Central Catholic added one more score with 1:49 left in the quarter on a 19-yard run by Johnson, and Sciulli’s kick gave the Vikings a 26-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Central Catholic tacked on two more scores in the second quarter. Moore found Eugene Jarvis sandwiched between two Falcon defender and threw a perfect pass right on the numbers, completing a 38-yard scoring play at the 8:25 mark of the quarter.
Jesse McLean then scored on a 19-yard run with 1:23 to play in the half, and Sciulli converted both PAT’s, giving the Vikings a 40-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the “Mercy Rule” went into effect, which keeps the game clock running when a team is trailing by 35-points or more.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons made a push against the Vikings’ reserves in the fourth to try and avoid the shutout. With 4:46 to play Central’s Shane Murray intercepted Marsinko’s pass at his six, then sprinted 94 yards for the score to seal the win.
“I’m disappointed with our effort; we didn’t match their intensity. I felt we could have played better,” Spanish said. “I take a lot of pride in Connellsville football. Our young kids are going to have to learn from this and make a better commitment. If not this will be a continuing pattern.”
The path doesn’t get any easier for the Falcons as they host top-ranked Woodland Hills Friday.