Listless Maples offense springs alive in second half to sting Mikes
MAPLETOWN – Mapletown was on life support Friday night against Carmichaels. The Maples ran just 11 offensive plays in the first half, accumulating a scant eight yards.
The Mikes stacked the line and loaded the box with the defenders keying on Maples star running back Ryan Geisel.
The Maples were all but finished-they were down by 12 points and facing a third down-and-24 on the last play of the third quarter.
Then just like that Mapletown struck twice for 16 points in 18 seconds resuscitating itself from an impending loss to shock Carmichaels, 22-12, for a Tri-County South win.
The play that started it all was a hook-and-pitch trick play on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter. Justin Yost hauled in a Jon Caldwell pass at the Mikes 27-yard line then lateraled the ball to Brandon Geisel who took it down the 5-yard line. The entire play covered 33 yards.
“That’s the way this team is,” said Mapletown coach George Messich. “We always find someone to win the game for us.”
The ole get-’em-with-the-star-player’s-younger-brother play worked, as Messich thought Carmichaels, like it did the entire game, would key on Ryan Geisel.
“That was a big play,” said Carmichaels coach Mike Bosnic. “We had a lot of pressure on the quarterback and he kinda just threw the ball up.”
Caldwell scored from 2 yards out on a quarterback keep two plays later. The Maples squib kicked and Robby Roupe recovered the ensuing kickoff.
The never next play Ryan Geisel zigzagged 42 yards for a score. He finished with 96 yards on 17 carries, but only had 30 yards on 11 totes leading up to that point.
“I thought the kids did a good job at containing Geisel,” Bosnic said. “He made a great play on the run.
“Take away one or two big plays and this is a different ball game.”
Ryan Geisel added an insurance score, rushing from 12 yards out, to seal the win.
Carmichaels (3-2, 1-2) seemingly dominated the first three quarters. The Mikes ate up the clock thanks to full-house backfield of Cody Andrews (21 carries, 104 yards), fullback Paul Martin (4-53) and Logan Phillips (13-41).
Quarterback Bobby Virgili, who did not complete a pass the entire game on five attempts, provided both of the Mikes touchdowns in the second and third quarters on a pair of 2-yard quarterback sneaks.
Messich didn’t care how the Maples (4-1, 3-0) won the game; he just reveled in the fact that his players showed no signs of quit.
“The only thing that matters is we are 3-0,” Messich said. “We told the players to believe in themselves and they kept plugging away. We don’t have a quitter on this team.
“This was a very big win.”