Falcons edge valiant Colonials in OT, 17-14
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Connellsville players celebrate and congratulate kicker Gage Gillott (18), who booted a game-winning 20-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Falcons over Albert Gallatin, 17-14, on Friday night at Albert Gallatin.
Albert Galllatin players, including Hunter Moody (11), Torry Robinson (25) and Bruno Fabrycki (8), walk dejectedly off the field after Connellsville kicked the winning field goal in overtime to win Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Connellsville players celebrate after Blake Lancaster recovered an Albert Gallatin fumble in the end zone for a Falcons touchdown during the second quarter of Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Connellsville's Blake Lancaster (middle, on ground) pounces on an Albert Gallatin fumble in the end zone for a touchdown during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Albert Gallatin running back Torry Robinson (25) looks for on opening on a sweep against Connellsville during their game on Oct. 26, 2018. Robinson scored both of the Colonials touchdowns on a 45-yard reception and a 53-yard run in a 17-14 overtime loss to the Falcons. It was Robinson’s final game at AG before transferring to Uniontown after Christmas that year.
Connellsville quarterback Josh Maher follows the blocking of running back Gavin Conner (26) against Albert Gallatin during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Albert Gallatin's Braeden Moody (11) and Alex McMiller (right) sack Connellsville quarterback Josh Maher during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Albert Gallatin quarterback Braeden Moody (11) throws a pass against Connellsville in heavy rain during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin. Moody completed seven of 15 passes for 105 yards but the Falcons won in overtime, 17-14.
Connellsville quarterback Josh Maher scrambles forward after being pressured by Albert Gallatin during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Connellsville's Chandler DeWitt (52) and Bodee Stonebraker (35) team up to throw Albert Gallatin running back Christian Stone for a loss during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Albert Gallatin running back Christian Stone (24) takes a pitch from quarterback Braeden Moody against Connellsville during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin.
Albert Gallatin's Braeden Moody (11) blocks a field goal attempt by Connellsville's Gage Gillott on the final play of the first half during Friday night's game at Albert Gallatin. Gillott, who also missed an earlier field goal attempt wide left, wound up kicking a 20-yarder in overtime to give the Falcons a 17-14 victory.
Connellsville holder Josh Maher (16) puts the ball down on the 10-yard line for Gage Gillott (18), who kicked it through the uprights for a game-winning, 20-yard field goal in overtime to give the Falcons a 17-14 victory at Albert Gallatin on Friday night.
YORK RUN — Albert Gallatin and Connellsville battled tooth and nail in a driving rain through four quarters on Friday night but still needed overtime to decide the outcome.
That’s when Gage Gillott stepped up for the Falcons.
The talented sophomore ended the Colonials’ first possession of OT with an interception, then kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal when Connellsville got the ball to give the visitors a dramatic 17-14 victory in match-up of nearby Class 5-A Big East Conference rivals.
“”That’s a sophomore making plays right there,” Connellsville coach Marko Thomas said of Gillott. “He’s an athlete. He’s not just a one-sport kid. He’s a heck of a baseball player, too. He stepped up at a big time when we need somebody to and he made that pick and the kick.”
Gillott was happy to send off the Falcons seniors with a victory.
“I just wanted to do it for our seniors,” he said. “They mean so much to me and they’ve done so much for me from coming up last year as a freshman, taking me in. I just wanted to get them the win in their last game.”
Albert Gallatin, playing its final game in the WPIAL for at least a three-year period, put up a valiant effort in defeat. AG will begin fielding an independent team in 2018 with hopes of building up the program and eventually rejoining the WPIAL.
“I knew it was going to be something like this just because of the way we practiced all week,” Colonials coach Drew Dindl said. “They were really motivated. We told them this is the last one in the WPIAL for awhile, let’s go out with a bang.”
They almost did just that.
Albert Gallatin, coming in winless and as a heavy underdog, shut down the Falcons’ offense, limiting it to just 104 totals yards and eight first downs. The Colonials stalled Connellsville’s usually productive passing attack as quarterback Josh Maher completed just six of 22 passes for 51 yards with three of those going to Jalen Rogers for 23 yards.
“My defensive coordinator Gary Pillar called a great game and our defense played tremendous tonight,” Dindl said.
“We couldn’t move the ball,” Thomas said. “We were able to move the ball on a lot of teams this year. We could not move the ball on these guys. My hat’s off to how they played today.”
Connellsville’s defense was stout as well, allowing just 148 total yards, although it had a hard time containing Torry Robinson, who scored both of the Colonials’ touchdowns on long plays.
Albert Gallatin’s defense flexed its muscles in the first quarter. Dylan Shea made two tackles for losses, including an eight-yard sack of Maher, and Braeden Moody and Alex Miller combined for a 10-yard sack.
The Colonials’ first three first downs came via penalties but they moved the sticks with a 25-yard completion by Moody to Angelo Doyle in the second quarter. Three plays later Moody avoided a heavy Falcons rush and tossed a short pass to Robinson, who made a nice catch and turned it into a weaving 45-yard touchdown to give the hosts a 7-0 lead after Nate Sutton’s extra point.
Moody completed seven of 15 tosses for 105 yards in his best passing performance of the season.
“Moody just made things happen,” Dindl said. “We ran that off of our rocket toss, it was a boot to the other side and Torry made a nice catch and run. It was beautiful.”
Gillott missed a 27-yard field goal wide left later in the quarter, but Connellsville’s defense forced a punt and the snap sailed over Sutton’s head into the end zone where he gathered the ball in but then fumbled it. Blake Lancaster pounced on the loose ball for a Falcons touchdown and Gillott’s extra point tied the game at 7-7 with 2:01 left in the half.
Connellsville got the ball back before the half ended and got close enough for Gillott to attempt a 34-yard field goal, but Moody blocked it as time ran out.
Robinson struck again early in the third quarter.
Moody completed a 10-yard pass to Doyle for a first down, and three plays later Robinson broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run, with Sutton again booting the extra point for a 14-7 AG lead.
“We put the jet in this week and Torry can run, he can really scoot,” Dindl said. “We try to get our athletes the ball and he made something happen.”
Connellsville marched deep into AG territory late in the quarter but Julious Dotson’s sack of Maher on fourth down stopped the drive at the Colonials 23.
Albert Gallatin had trouble all night punting the ball against heavy pressure from Connellsville, which came close to blocks several times, and a 15-yarder gave the Falcons the ball at the AG 27 early in the fourth quarter.
Connellsville ran a hook and lateral on the next play with Maher completing a pass to Rogers, who pitched it back to David Marchewka for 18 yards to the AG nine. Maher capped the short drive two plays later with a four-yard touchdown run and Gillott’s kick tied the game again, 14-14.
Another short punt, this one of only three yards, gave Connellsville the ball at the AG 17 with a golden opportunity to surge ahead, but a four-yard loss and a five-yard penalty pushed the ball out to the 26 and Albert Gallatin forced two Maher incompletions to halt the drive with 7:38 left.
From there the determined Colonials marched 53 yards in 13 plays to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt. Moody sparked the drive with 26 rushing yards and completions to Christian Stone, Robinson and Shea for a combined 25 yards.
Sutton’s kick was blocked by Chandler DeWitt as time expired, though, sending the game into overtime.
On AG’s first possession of OT, Gillott stepped in front of Moody’s second-down slant pass over the middle for the interception.
“I just said the play in the headset and Braeden came over and said the same exact play, so we were on the same page and knew it was there,” Dindl said. “The kid just made a heck of a play on it.”
The Colonials defense pushed Connellsville backwards on the Falcons first possession of OT, but AG jumped offsides twice to make Gillott’s game-winning try little more than an extra point. The Colonials called a timeout to try to ice the underclassmen, but to no avail. Maher put the snap down and Gillott booted it through, leading to a raucous celebration by the Falcons, who lifted Gillott onto their shoulders.
“I asked my seniors before the game how they wanted to be remembered and it was by giving me a heart attack I guess,” Thomas said with a smile. “But the kids did step up at the end when they had to.”
Thomas wasn’t surprised by the Colonials’ tremendous effort on the night.
“I knew coach Drew was going to have his guys ready to go,” Thomas said. “I told our kids, this is their chance, this is their senior night. And they gave just one heck of an effort. They gave us everything they could.”
Big East Conference (AAAAA)
Connellsville 0-7-0-7-3 — 17
Albert Gallatin 0-7-7-0-0 — 14
Second Quarter
AG: Torry Robinson 45 pass from Braeden Moody (Nate Sutton kick), 7:40
C: Blake Lancaster fumble recovery in end zone (Gage Gillott kick), 2:01
Third Quarter
Torry Robinson 53 run (Nate Sutton kick), 7:47
Fourth Quarter
C: Josh Maher 4 run (Gage Gillott kick), 10:22
Overtime
C: Gage Gillott 20 field goal
Records: Connellsville (3-7, 2-5), Albert Gallatin (0-10, 0-7).