Local Scores - SCA & MCA

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SCA beats LM for district title, 42-12
MCA wins Eastern Conference Class AA against Hanover Area, 14-7

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Tornadoes claim EC title
by dan burda (sports writer dan_b@newsitem.com)
Published: November 21, 2009

Friday, November 20, 2009

1 2 3 4 - Final
Hanover Area 7 0 0 0 - 7
Mount Carmel 7 7 0 0 - 14


MOUNT CARMEL - There was 90 seconds of flash.

But it takes more than flash to win any championship, and Mount Carmel followed a hectic beginning of the game with 46 minutes of domination along the lines to win its sixth Eastern Conference championship by a 14-7 margin over Hanover Area on Friday.

Playing without leading offensive threat Justin Pellowski, Mount Carmel was still able to run the ball, with Eddy Stewart scoring twice from 37 and eight yards out.

On the first possession of the game, Mount Carmel showed exactly what it was going to do. There were no tricks from head coach Bob Chesney, just running straight ahead.

First with Meyrick Lamb, who finished with 23 yards, then with Tyler Hodge, who finished with 69 yards and finally with Eddy Stewart who took the third play from scrimmage for his first touchdown and wound up with 96 yards rushing before suffering an injury on a punt in the third quarter and never returning.

Cody Shustack, the Tornadoes' fullback also added 28 yards on the ground, and another 26 receiving.

"We obviously had some adversity to get over," Chesney said to start his post-game remarks. "All you guys were wondering where 21 (Pellowski) was. We had a little situation that was an infraction of a team rule, and I'm the type of guy, you can tell by the haircut and tie, that will enforce team rules. It's the most important thing that we have in order to build a team.

"The young guys picked up the slack and made things happen. The offensive lineman gave our little guys a lot of room in order to make some big plays."

The first drive, according to Chesney was completely scripted, but what wasn't in the notes was what happened when the Tornadoes kicked off.

Hanover Area's Tomas Cabrera, his team's leading receiver and all-around threat, fielded the kick at his own 10-yard line, broke a tackle or two and outraced several Tornadoes for a 90-yard score to tie the game at the 10:31 mark of the first quarter.

"That first drive, we had it all charted," Chesney said. "I told Jose (Gonzalo, the team's statistician) that we were going to have 50 yards after the first three plays. He looked at me going up to play No. 3 and said, 'It looks like you're going to need about 30 or so,' and then Eddy took it in all the way and that was perfect.

"And then they get that kickoff return... and jiminy crickets."

For the remainder of the game, Mount Carmel moved the ball steadily, including an 8-minute, 16-play drive that covered 83 yards and resulted in what was ultimately the game-winning score by Stewart.

From there on out Mount Carmel's defense shined. Besides earning a 60-yard run by Cabrera on the first play of the second half, the Hawkeyes couldn't manufacture much offense and only managed three first downs in the second half.

"The boys didn't fold, they didn't give up and that kickoff is the only points they got. That's a testament to our defense," Chesney said.

"We've been in the situation where we've been worn down at times, but our kids had too much pride tonight."

Hanover's leading rusher Mike Redick managed only 21 yards on the ground as his line couldn't open rushing lanes against the Tornadoes' defense.

"Their front line dominated our line," Hanover Area head coach Rob Hummer said. "Whether it was that our guys were tired, we had a couple guys hurt. Give them credit, they concerned me all week and it showed in the game."

The Tornadoes' offense held the ball for over 13 minutes again in the second half to cap an up-and-down season that most definitely ends up for Mount Carmel.

"We congratulate the seniors for picking up the slack for the 25 that graduated last year," Chesney said. "People didn't give us a chance to do anything. I don't know what they thought we would win...Our kids responded and ended up with seven victories and that's marvellous."

And for the juniors, sophomores and freshmen on Mount Carmel, preparing for next season has already begun.

"Tomorrow," Hodge said. "We're going to get in the weight room tomorrow to get ready for the first day of doubles."

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SCA earns 18th District 4 crown with 42-12 rout of Line Mountain
by chuck souders (sports writer chuck_s@newsitem.com)
Published: November 21, 2009





Friday, November 20, 2009
1 2 3 4 Final
Southern Columbia 7 7 14 14 - 42
Line Mountain 0 0 6 6 - 12


MANDATA - At Southern Columbia, district championships haven't always been something to get excited about. When you've won 18 of them in 19 years, and followed a bunch of them with trips to the state championships, that's understandable.

But lately, winning a district title has become more of an accomplishment, because the rest of the district has been fighting back. And when the Tigers started this season 3-4 and were in danger of not even making the field, well, let's just say Southern's players were a little more excited than usual with their 42-12 win over Line Mountain Friday for the District 4 Class A title.

Junior quarterback Jake Townsend completed 8-of-10 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns and had a 28-yard run to set up another score, and fullback Jake Morton carried 17 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers (8-4) won their fifth straight game and earned a date with District 2 champion Northwest Area next Friday at Kemp Memorial Stadium in Shamokin. Northwest downed Riverside, 40-30.

"I told the team before we came out of the locker room tonight to think about what this game means to them in relation to where we were at one point," Southern coach Jim Roth said. "There were people doubting what we could do.

"We've had some stretches where winning this game was kind of an afterthought. But we had to battle in both games this year, and it's been that way for a few years now."

Don't let the final score make you doubt how much the Tigers had to battle, too. From the kickoff, they and the Eagles (8-4) went at each other with real intensity. Southern led 14-0 at halftime, and got one score with help from a fourth-and-1 decision by Line Mountain at its own 36 which the Tigers stopped.

After that stop, Townsend had a 28-yard run to the one, from where Morton scored the second of his three touchdowns. He scored earlier on a one-yard run to cap a 53-yard drive.

"I took it real slow and deliberate, and I saw my fullback leading, and he made a block that sent me," said Townsend of his run.

"I probably put us in bad position when we didn't make that first down," said Line Mountain coach Mike Carson. "That was my fault. There was some hesitation about it on the sideline. But we felt like if we couldn't make a foot, we probably didn't deserve it."

Line Mountain made a defensive stand late in the half, forcing a 37-yard field goal attempt by Brian Snyder which was short, and it was still a 14-0 game.

"Had we given up another score, it probably would have been a little different atmosphere in the locker room at halftime," Carson said.

Southern made it 21-0 on its first possession of the second half on a beautiful 44-yard touchdown pass from Townsend to David Shoop. But Line Mountain finally got the spark it needed. Tyler Klinger returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to Southern's 48, and the Eagles, led by freshman quarterback Cole Rickert, who was playing for starter Marty Beninsky, who tried to play with a dislocated shoulder, drove for its first score. Rickert had several key runs and a 14-yard pass to Mike Marciniak (six catches, 70 yards) to set up a three-yard touchdown by Joey Hukill.

Southern came back with six-play, 73-yard scoring drive. The big plays were a 40-yard run by Tim Benner and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Townsend to Cody Rosenberger.

"Our receivers did a great job tonight," said Roth. "Rosenberger came back on an underthrown ball, and David Shoop changed his route on his touchdown when they took the post route away, and Jake picked up on it."

"They played well," said Carson. "Their quarterback did a great job and their receivers did a great job. I give them a ton of credit."

Another good kick return, by Jordan Welker, put Line Mountain in position to score again. Rickert completed three passes for 45 yards, including a fourth-down conversion to Marciniak, and a 23-yard touchdown to Marciniak.

But Southern answered again. Taking possession at the Eagles' 45 after a bad onside kick, Townsend completed a 19-yard pass to David Shoop on fourth-and-10, and Tyrell Thomas scored on an 11-yard run.

Morton finished the scoring with a 34-yard run. moments after he had a 17-yard run in which he broke several tackles against the tiring Line Mountain defense.

"We've had trouble with the 4-3 (defense) this year, and their linebacker (Chris Moore) really gave us some problems early," said Roth. "But with the exception of a few breakdowns upfront, we played pretty well, and defensively, I thought we played well for the most part."