Hyita scores winning touchdown, as California outlasts Mapletown
MAPLETOWN – California handcuffed Mapletown in a battle over field position and allowed quarterback Matt Hyita to slam the door with just over two minutes left the in the game. The Trojan quarterback scored the game-winning touchdown from 14 yards out as California outlasted the Maples, 17-10, on Friday in Tri-County South action.
Hyita rushed for a game-high 102 yards on 14 carries leading a California (2-2, 3-2) offense that out-gained the Maples 283-179.
Mapletown (1-3, 2-4) had two possessions in the fourth quarter. One started at its own 6 yard line after Waugh Carter’s punt pinned the Maples deep. Mapletown went three and out and punted to midfield before Hyita orchestrated a seven-play touchdown march that included a 22-yard pass to Joel Costello and his 14-yard score with 2:22 remaining.
“Field position was unbelievable,” California coach Joe Kuhns said. “I don’t know if we had our A-game tonight but we did what we had to do win the game.”
The Maples, with the ball on their own 23 yard line on their final possession, failed to complete three passes after facing second-and-nine. The drive started with their first pass completion of the game, Jon Caldwell’s one-yard pass to Justin Yost.
“We didn’t have many breaks,” Mapletown coach George Messich said. “It’s better to be lucky than good I guess, but our kids hung in there and they were still in a position to win.”
All three of Caldwell’s passes were to open receivers downfield but were either overthrown or dropped. Two of the throws were to sophomores Yost and Ashley Menear, the other to senior Andrew Novak.
California, outplayed in the third quarter, did not resemble the team that upset Monessen a week earlier. But according to Kuhns, the downed punt inside at the Maples’ 6 yard line gave the Trojans a spark.
“That was the first time we started playing like were last week,” Kuhns said. “I wasn’t pleased (during the game). We came out flat until we pinned them deep.”
Mapletown tied the game in the third quarter when Ryan Geisel capped off a 12-play touchdown drive with his three-yard score. Geisel led the Maples with 69 yards on 14 carries.
The Maples’ only lead of the game came when John Grim booted a 25-yard field goal on their opening drive of the first quarter.
The Trojans answered midway through the second quarter on Donte Valetino’s 12-yard run.
But the key for California was Hyita, who racked up most of his yardage on a fake-dive quarterback keeper player. His longest run was a 31-yarder that set up an Ian Glumac 32-yard field goal in the third quarter giving the Trojans a 10-3 lead.
“We knew he was going to keep the ball the way he did,” Messich said. “He’s fast. He’s a quick kid and he did a nice job on his reads.”
The loss was tough for Mapletown to swallow after losing to Carmichaels a week earlier on a late touchdown bomb.
“This is one of toughest years I’ve seen this team have,” Messich added. “We are probably four or five plays away from being a 5-1 team. But I’m proud of the kids; I know they’ll be back and ready for next week.