Connellsville ends season with loss at Fox Chapel
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Connellsville’s fourth-quarter rally fell just short as the Falcons fell in their season finale, 24-21, in a Class 5A Big East Conference football battle at Fox Chapel on Thursday night.
The Foxes (1-5, 2-8) took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Falcons (1-5, 4-6) stormed back on a 12-yard touchdown run by Linkon Keller and a 32-yard TD pass by Cooper Wilson to Jeremy Jenkins with 2:09 left.
Fox Chapel was able to get a key first down to run out the clock and preserve the win.
The Falcons were trying to end their first season back into the WPIAL with a .500 record after defeating Franklin Regional last week.
“To come up short after a great comeback is always a tough way to lose,” Connellsville coach Jace McClean said. “I give the kids all the credit in the world. They didn’t lay down and give up.
“I told the kids after the game that I take the blame for this one. We were playing on a quick turnaround after a very physical game last week against Franklin Regional. We came into this game a little beat up and it showed at the beginning of the game. We dug ourselves into a hole and couldn’t get enough steam to climb out.”
The Foxes took a 7-0 lead on Gianni Fusaro’s 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter but Keller tied it with a 2-yard TD run in the second.
Fox Chapel surged to a 21-7 halftime advantage thanks to a 16-yard interception return by Charles Portis and a 30-yard scoring run by Fusaro, who rushed for 148 yards.
The Foxes’ Alex Rosenmeier added a 19-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 24-7 and those turned out to be the winning points.
Wilson entered the game in the second half, playing for the first time since being injured in the season opener, to give the Falcons a spark. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 189 yards, including five to Rocco Farrell for 84 yards and four to Keller for 32 yards.
Tucker Beaman was three for three on extra-point kicks for Connellsville.
“It all comes back to basic fundamentals of limiting both the turnovers and missed tackles,” McClean said. “We did have some bright spots with the typical crew of Rocco, Jenkins and Linkon.
“But one that sticks out was Cooper Wilson. When he came in he gave the team a little spark. After sitting out the past eight weeks with a broken arm, he came out and showed off his athletic ability by extending plays and finding some open receivers down field.
“We had them on their heels in the end, but just not enough time on the clock to capitalize.”
McClean lauded his squad for its effort in 2026.
“Overall, I am extremely proud of what this team did each and every week throughout the season,” McClean said. “A couple times we were a little outmanned, but they fought and never gave up.
“They should be proud of themselves, too.”