Frazier fends off Carmichaels
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Frazier’s Joshua Cox (10) breaks away from Carmichaels’ Nick Mundell (10) and dashes down the sideline to score on a 28-yard pass play during Friday’s Tri-County South Conference game at Carmichaels.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Carmichaels’ Robert Meadows (57), zeroing in on Frazier quarterback Chris Pierce (1) for a nine-yard sack, returns for his third season as a starter along the Mikes’ defensive line. He was named a player to watch by MSA.
After driving through the center of the line, Frazier's Lucas Klorczyk (2) breaks the plane of the goal line to score Frazier's first touchdown despite the effort of Carmichaels' Evan Burnett (74) during Friday's Tri-County South Conference game at Carmichaels.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Frazier’s Hunter Patterson (12) is tripped up by Carmichaels’ Coby Brown (14) during a Tri-Counrty South Conference game at Carmichaels.
As Carmichaels' Jacob Lowry (7) found out, no one could run on Frazier's stout defense in 2015, not even mighty Clairton. The Commodores are the Herald-Standard Football Small School Team of the Year.
Frazier's Lucas Klorczyk (2) gains four yards before he is tackled by Carmichaels' Cody Brown during Friday's Tri-County South Conference game at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels' Coty Allen (5) gains ground for the Mikes before he is tackled by Frazier's Cameron Roebuck (24) during Tri-County South Conference action Friday at Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS — Frazier has built a reputation as a big-play team that can score from anywhere on the field this football season.
The unbeaten Commodores showed they don’t always need fireworks to win, though, in their 49-21 victory at Carmichaels on Friday night.
Frazier put together six sustained drives, five of which included four first downs, as it maintained its spot atop the Tri-County South standings and clinched a WPIAL playoff berth.
Caleb Cox pulled in three touchdowns among his seven receptions for 112 yards, Chris Pierce completed 12 of 19 passes for 186 yards and three scores and Hunter Patterson rushed for 80 yards and completed all three of his passes for 54 yards, including a TD, as the Commodores improved to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the TCS.
Lucas Klorczyk added 75 rushing yards and two TDs.
The Mikes’ defense forced the Commodores to be more patient on offense and they passed that test with flying colors.
“They’re well coached. They always are,” Frazier coach Mike Steeber said of Carmichaels (3-4, 3-3). “They try to keep things in front, prevent the big play, which, for the most part, they did. We had to put together long drives, which is not typical of us, and we did it numerous times tonight.
“I’m very proud of our offense that we were able to do that.”
Carmichaels coach Ryan Krull felt Frazier, although not as explosive as usual, made the big play at key times to keep drives going.
“We got ourselves into situations where we would win on first or second down and it was double sticks for a first down and then we’d let them convert,” Krull said. “We had what I felt were a lot of positive plays but then you’ve got to get off the field defensively.”
The Commodores, who were coming off an emotional 21-0 win at Beth-Center last week and had only given up 10 points the entire season, had their mettle tested early.
The Mikes’ Shawn Dulaney blocked Cox’s first-quarter punt and Hunter Morgan then stunned Frazier with a beautiful fourth-down pass to Coty Allen for a 20-yard touchdown. Dulaney’s two-point conversion run made it 8-0.
“The biggest fear as a coach is to come into a game like this and have a letdown after a big win,” Steeber said. “This game is no less important than last week’s game. That was the emphasis all week.”
Undaunted, the Commodores responded with an eight-play, 53-yard drive capped by Klorczyk’s two-yard TD run to make it 8-6.
Frazier went in front to stay midway through the second quarter when it went 75 yards during a seven-play march capped by a 28-yard TD pass from Pierce to Joshua Cox, who made a spectacular move near the sideline to escape a tackle attempt before sprinting into the end zone. Pierce’s two-point conversion run made it 14-8
Frazier went 70 yards in seven plays right before halftime with Pierce’s 17-yard TD pass to Caleb Cox making it 21-8.
The Commodores kept the pressure on in the third quarter. Klorczyk’s 13-yard touchdown run, Patterson’s 34-yard scoring pass to Caleb Cox and Pierce’s 26-yard TD pass to Cox pushed the lead up to 42-8.
Carmichaels fought back in the fourth quarter as Dulaney caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Morgan and also scored on a three-yard run to make it 42-21.
Frazier put the game away, however, with its longest drive of the night, a 10-play, 67-yard march capped by Brennan Raygor’s 11-yard TD run.
The Commodores featured a balanced attack with 230 yards through the air and 235 on the ground for 465 total yards, to 181 by Carmichaels.
Frazier’s overall speed caught Krull by surprise.
“I knew 12 (Patterson) was quick,” said Krull, “but 14 (Damon Lovis), 5 (Caleb Cox), 10 (Joshua Cox) … we knew the other kids were good players but I did not expect them to be that fast. They have some kids who can flat-out run.”
Krull commended Dulaney, who he said suffered a knee injury just before the season began, missed four games and still isn’t at 100 percent.
“Everything good that happens to that kid he absolutely, positively deserves,” Krull said of the senior who set up one TD and scored two as well as a two-point conversion. “He does everything the right way.”
Morgan completed 10 of 22 passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Cody Brown had three receptions for 30 yards.
The Mikes still control their own destiny. A victory over Avella next week would set up a showdown at Jefferson-Morgan for the fourth and final TCS playoff berth.
Krull wouldn’t broach the subject of the Rockets, however.
“That’s not even in our discussion,” he said. “That makes it too complicated. The easiest thing to do is say, ‘What’s the next step?’ We take it one step, one day at a time. That’s the way it’s been and the way it will always be here.”
Tri-County South Conference
Frazier 6-15-21-7 — 49
Carmichaels 8-0-0-13 — 21
First Quarter
C: Coty Allen 20 pass from David Morgan (Shawn Dulaney run), 5:57
F: Lucas Klorczyk 2 run (pass failed), 2:25
Second Quarter
F: Joshua Cox 28 pass from Chris Pierce (Chris Pierce run), 5:31
F: Caleb Cox 17 pass from Chris Pierce (Joshua Cox kick), 0:35.5
Third Quarter
F: Lucas Klorczyk 13 run (Joshua Cox kick), 9:09
F: Caleb Cox 34 pass from Hunter Patterson (Joshua Cox kick), 6:43
F: Caleb Cox 26 pass from Chris Pierce (Joshua Cox kick), 3:05
Fourth Quarter
C: Shawn Dulaney 5 pass from David Morgan (Nathan Broadwater kick), 11:16
C: Shawn Dulaney 3 run (kick blocked), 6:42
F: Brennan Raygot 11 run (Joshua Cox kick), 2:41
Record: Frazier (7-0, 6-0), Carmichaels (3-4, 3-3).