Vikings continue road dominance over Scotties
ALVERTON — Russ Grimm was Southmoreland’s quarterback the last time the Scotties defeated Mount Pleasant on the field that now bears Grimm’s name. Since then, the only SHS victories over the Vikings have taken place at Mount Pleasant.
On Friday, the visiting Vikings extended that streak from 1976 with a 35-17 Interstate Conference win over the Scotties in a game that was closer than the final score indicated.
After five lead changes and one tie in the first half, Mount Pleasant (6-2, 6-3) broke from a 21-17 lead on fourth quarter touchdown runs of 15 yards by Tyler Mellors and 17 yards by Kevin Yanok.
Mellors rushed for 182 yards, while Yanok ran for 87 yards and Taylor Allison gained 75 yards on the ground.
Southmoreland (3-5, 3-6) scored first on the game’s third series by driving 78 yards in nine plays with Dakota Datz scoring on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead. Datz would put up 360 yards of total offense in the game.
The Vikings answered with a seven play drive over 49 yards, capped by Allison’s 5 yard run and Mark Snyder’s conversion kick.
The Scotties retook the lead at 10-7 when Grambow’s 27-yard field goal capped a six play drive.
Mount Pleasant took its first lead on a 46-yard pass-and-run play from Ryan Gumbita to Yanok to go ahead 14-10.
The Scotties answered with Datz’s 5-yard run after a 76-yard drive to lead 17-14.
Mount Pleasant went ahead for good at 21-17 when Allison ran 16 yards to score with 4:40 left in the half.
Mount Pleasant drove to the Scottie 5-yard line after the second half kickoff before the hosts held on downs.
After the teams traded fumbles, Southmoreland drove 77 yards to the Mount Pleasant 20-yard line before the visitors stopped Connor McKlveen just short on a fourth down carry in which Scottie coach Dominic Pecora later questioned the spot.
Mount Pleasant responded with the touchdown runs by Mellors and Yanok to secure the win going into next week’s first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
The Scotties’ Asa Costelnock caught 10 passes for 126 yards, while McKlveen caught nine passes for 88 yards.
Pecora called the third down yard spot “awful,” but added, “we needed that first down and we needed to get stops. (Mount Pleasant) made the plays and that’s a credit to them. They’re big up front, they wear you down, and they run their offense well.”
Mount Pleasant coach Bo Ruffner said of his running backs’ 344 combined rushing yards, “One thing we do is spread the ball around and take what the defense gives us. We expect all our guys on the team to make plays.”
He added, “We wanted to keep our momentum. It’s a rivalry game and the kids enjoy playing it.”
Interstate Conference
Mount Pleasant 35, Southmoreland 17
At Southmoreland
First Quarter
S: Dakota Datz, 1 run (Yannick Grambow kick), 4:05 (0-7)
M: Taylor Allison, 5 run (Mark Snyder kick), 1:03 (7-7)
Second Quarter
S: Grambow, 27 field goal, 11:51 (7-10)
M: Kevin Yanok, 46 pass from Ryan Gumbita (Snyder, kick), 9:53 (14-10)
S: Datz, 5 run, (Grambow kick), 5:50, (14-17)
M: Allison, 16 run, (Snyder kick), (21-17)
Fourth Quarter
M: Tyler Mellors, 15 run (Snyder kick), (27-17)
M: Yanok, 17 run (Snyder kick), (35-17)