Jones helps Falcons clinch playoff berth
CONNELLSVILLE – There’s not much chance for this guy named Jones to have much anonymity in Connellsville. Or in Penn-Trafford, for that matter.
It has been literary tradition that anybody wanting to remain anonymous in public might use the name Jones, or just say they are one of the Jones boys. But after last night, it will be difficult for Scott Jones to be very anonymous around Connellsville.
Jones had a real workhorse Friday night, carrying the ball 33 times and grinding out 260 yards and one touchdown, in leading a double-barrelled offensive attack by Connellsville that left Penn-Trafford in a 41-20 wake, and assured the Falcons a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.
The Falcons rolled up 498 net yards of offense, 343 overland, plus QB Clay Hurley adding 155 more in the air, as they evened their season record at 4-4, including 2-2 in the Quad A East Conference. The losing Warriors dropped to 2-6 and 1-5 respectively.
The Falcons were masterful overland in the first half, controlling the ball almost the entire two quarters. In all, P-T ran four plays in the first, and 17 in the second.
“It didn’t matter what we tried to do to stop them they got around it,” PT Coach Art Tragesser said.
“They did a great job, they beat us at every phase of the game. We knew coming in they would be a big challenge, for they knew that they had to win this one to make the playoffs. No matter what we tried defensively, it just didn’t work.”
Connellsville Coach Tommy Dolde was pleased, not only with the way his Falcons came through in their last home appearance, but the manner in which they did it.
Dolde noted “We found if we hit the line fast and square, without making more than one cut, we could move the ball. We got the fine blocking that we needed up front, and we were able to make the offense move.”
Reflecting on the effort by Jones, the Falcon coach called it “great, outstanding in the first half. “We haven’t had a running back get 200 for us since Marcus Furman.”
The first scoring march by the Falcons was a masterpiece of ball control, one which would have evoked big smiles from Chuck Noll and Vince Lombardi, who were partisan to great ground offenses.
PT won the pre-game toss and deferred their choice, giving the Falcons the opening kickoff. Starting at their 24, the Falcons then marched 76 yards to score in 15 plays, converting three third down moves in the process, and controlling the ball eight minutes. Only three passes were thrown in the march, one complete to Terrence McCrae for six yards. Everything else was on the ground. Andy Schleihauf got 34 in two tries, thelast one to the PT 18.
Jones went ahead 13, then lost a yard left, a pass fell incomplete, and on third down McCrae rammed straight ahead, and with a good second effort, scored with exactly four minutes left. Joe Miller kicked the 7-0 lead.
PT ran five plays, moved the sticks once, and punted. The Falcons started at their 45, and doubled their lead in six plays, Jones getting the last 17 straight ahead, with one second left in the quarter. Miller made it 14-0.
PT ran eight plays to start the second quarter, got three first downs, and stalled on the C-29, when McCrae picked off a pass at the four. Ten plays later, with Schleihauf and Jones leading the march, the Falcons were at the PT-31, from where Hurley passed to McCrae in the corner of the endzone. Miller’s kick was blocked, but CAHS led 20-0.