Raiders beat Frazier, end conference losing streak
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Frazier’s Keyshaun Thompson (7) and Brayden Baccino (60) try to bring down Waynesburg Central’s Braydon Woods during Friday night’s game in Waynesburg. Woods rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 27-7 victory.
Waynesburg Central quarterback Jacob Stephenson runs for a big gain against Frazier during Friday night’s game in Waynesburg. Stephenson ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 27-7 win. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Frazier’s Dom Taranto (22) navigates his way through the Waynesburg Central defense during Friday night’s game in Waynesburg. Taranto rushed for 82 yards and had six receptions for 61 yards in the Commodores’ 27-7 loss.
Frazier's Brayden Boggs fires a pass during Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central. Boggs completed 13 of 24 passes for 101 yards but the Raiders won, 27-7.
Waynesburg Central coach Aaron Giorgi (middle) talks to his player during a timeout in Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
Frazier's Dom Taranto heads up field after taking a handoff from quarterback Brayden Boggs during Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central.
Frazier's Brayden Boggs prepares to throw a pass during Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central.
Frazier's Isaac Thomas (3) attempts to tackle Waynesburg Central's Braydon Woods (2) during Friday night's game in Waynesburg.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Waynesburg Central’s Braydon Woods (2) breaks into the Frazier secondary on a 55-yard touchdown run during Friday night’s game in Waynesburg.
Waynesburg Central's Braydon Woods (2) outraces Frazier's Isaac Thomas during a 55-yard touchdown run in Friday night's game in Waynesburg.
Frazier quarterback Brayden Boggs scrambles for a 12-yard gain on fourth and 10 during the first quarter of Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central.
Waynesburg Central quarterback Jacob Stephenson (6) gets blocking from Owen Farrier (65) as he looks for a receiver during Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Frazier coach Greg Boggs relays the play call to his son, quarterback Brayden Boggs, during a game at Waynesburg Central on Oct. 1. Boggs has stepped down after three years as head coach of the Commodores.
Frazier's Dom Taranto (22) catches a pass during Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central.
Waynesburg Central's football team takes the field before the start of Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
Waynesburg Central's Braydon Woods leaps in front of a Frazier receiver to intercept a pass during the third quarter of Friday night's game in Waynesburg.
Frazier's football team takes the field before the start of Friday night's game at Waynesburg Central.
WAYNESBURG — Waynesburg Central had gone 22 games spanning four years without a conference football win heading into Friday’s game against Frazier.
Thanks to the two-headed rushing attack of sophomore running back Braydon Woods and freshman quarterback Jacob Stephenson, along with a strong defensive effort, the Raiders snapped that long drought with a 27-7 win at Raider Field of Pride stadium.
“I’m just happy for these kids,” said Waynesburg coach Aaron Giorgi whose team improved to 1-2 in the Century Conference and 2-4 overall. “It’s been a long time coming, getting a conference win. Tonight was a team win from top to bottom on that roster. We had a great week of practice.”
It was the Raiders’ first victory in conference play since defeating visiting Southmoreland, 36-14, on Sept. 29, 2017.
Waynesburg was coming off a disappointing 28-7 loss at Charleroi.
“We’ve been talking about getting over that hump and playing a four-quarter game and tonight we did,” Giorgi said. “We felt like we left one at Charleroi. Everybody had a bitter taste in their mouth coming in on Monday. Everyone was focused during practice and that was evident tonight.”
Woods had 24 carries for 177 yards, including touchdown runs of 55 and 5 yards, and Stephenson ran 14 times for 96 yards and also scored twice.
It was the Commodores (0-2, 0-6) who took the early lead during a first quarter that saw three straight possessions end with fumbles.
Frazier’s Nicolas Vitale recovered a Raiders fumble at the Waynesburg 40 but the Commodores lost a fumble two plays later, only to have the Raiders fumble it back on their own 20.
Frazier looked like it would come up empty despite the good field position as it faced a fourth and 10 but quarter Brayden Woods scrambled ahead for a 12-yard gain to pick up the first down and scored three plays later on a 1-yard plunge. Tristan Scott’s extra point made it 7-0.
It took Waynesburg just one play to answer the Commodores’ score after taking over at its own 45.
Woods broke through a hole in Frazier’s line and angled down the left sideline for his long touchdown run and Chase Henkins’ extra point tied it at 7-7.
On the ensuing kickoff a line-drive boot ricocheted off one of Frazier’s up men and Jordan Galloway pounced on the ball for the Raiders.
Waynesburg took advantage of the fortuitous bounce by going on a six-play, 50-yard drive highlighted by Woods’ 31-yard jaunt and capped by Stephenson’s 5-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 advantage.
Waynesburg extended its lead with an eight-play, 65-yard drive that included a 25-yard run by Stephenson and ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Woods to make it 21-7 with 7:17 left in the second quarter.
The Commodores put together an 11-play drive late in the half but came up empty.
On its first possession of the second half, Frazier, sparked by a 17-yard run by Dom Taranto and a 31-yard pass by Boggs to Taranto, moved from its own 18 to the Waynesburg 35 but the drive was snuffed out on an interception by Woods.
“That kid is tremendous,” Giorgi said of Woods, who had an earlier interception nullified by a penalty. “He’s tough as nails. He’s as fast with pads as he is without.
“What really sticks out to me was his ability to take all those hits and play both ways. He never wants to come out of the game. We had to take him out once tonight and that was just because he had a cramp.”
Midway through the fourth quarter Waynesburg’s Trent Zupper intercepted a tipped third-down pass by freshman quarterback Dailan McManus, who had to sub in when Boggs was shaken up on the previous play.
The Raiders took over at the Commodores 37 and went on a seven-play touchdown drive capped by Stephenson’s 3-yard run with 4:40 remaining to put the game away.
“Our running game was working and that’s what we stuck with,” Giorgi said. “Jacob made some nice pulls on some of those reads. That’s something we worked on this week. Jacob is taking command of this offense. The team voted him a captain as a freshman. That’s a huge honor.”
Stephenson did just enough in the passing game to keep Frazier’s defense honest, completing 6 of 13 throws for 35 yards. Zupper made three catches for 25 yards and Devon Cowell had three receptions for 10 yards.
“Waynesburg played well,” Frazier coach Greg Boggs said. “They made plays today. They beat us. That’s a young team with a freshman quarterback who played outstanding. They play like they’re supposed to. They fly around, they’re energetic. Hat’s off to them. We’re the more experienced team but we didn’t look like the experienced team today.”
Boggs was disappointed in seeing his team draw 13 penalties for 100 yards.
“We’re making the same mistakes over and over again,” Boggs said. “We’re taking too long to get lined up, we’re lining up wrong, getting into illegal formations. We’ve absolutely have got to cut down on the penalties. We’re hurting ourselves.
“We lost to Bentworth because the last play of the game we threw a touchdown pass that was called back because we lined up wrong in trips. Today we go to that same formation and again we line up wrong in trips. It’s frustrating. We’ve got to fix that.”
The Commodores have been hurt by injuries and suffered a few more on Friday.
“We’ve got some kids down,” Boggs said. “Other guys have to step up. You talk about the next-man-up mentality, you have to be ready, you have to know your job, what you’re supposed to do.
“Brayden I think is OK. Dom Dorcon got a knee injury tonight early in the game, Tony Muccioli was out for awhile. Both of them are key players on offense and defense. I’ll talk with the trainer to see where we’re at with them.”
Brayden Boggs completed 13 of 24 passes for 101 yards and an interception for the Commodores. Taranto played a strong game, gaining 82 yards on 16 carries and adding 61 yards on six receptions.
Keyshaun Thompson had three catches for 28 yards and Isaac Thomas added three receptions for 16 yards for Frazier.
“Dom Taranto stood out today,” coach Boggs said. “I thought he had a good game. But it’s not enough, you need everybody else out there giving that same type of effort.”