Big plays spell doom for New Castle
New Castle (25) vs. Central Valley (48)
Written: Sep 17, 2011
By Ron Poniewasz Jr.
New Castle News
Just as big plays can make one football team, they can break another.
New Castle High learned that the hard way last night at Taggart Stadium.
Central Valley scored four of its seven touchdowns from 62 yards or longer in a 48-25 Parkway Conference victory.
The Warriors, ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL in Class AAA by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and No. 2 in the state poll, built a commanding 41-0 lead late in the first half.
New Castle (1-1 Parkway, 1-2 overall) had the ball first and marched 56 yards in 11 plays before turning it over on downs. Central Valley wasted little time getting on the board.
Aaron Law took a reverse 64 yards for a score to put the Warriors (2-0, 3-0) up 6-0. Central Valley tacked on another score with 1:06 to go in the opening period on a Justin Shaw two-yard run followed by a Curtis Lewis two-point rush.
“They weren’t in awe at all. We had a nice drive on the first drive and got stopped,” ’Canes coach Frank Bongivengo Jr. said. “They score on the first play. Then it’s 14-0 a little bit later and we just got frozen in our tracks.”
The second scoring drive lasted six plays and Central Valley needed just 13 total offensive plays the entire first half to build a 41-point buffer.
“We couldn’t weather the storm and boom they got up real big on us at that point,” Bongivengo said. “I don’t think our kids were in awe. I just think the emotion just caught up with them so quick that we didn’t react back.”
Included in that flurry of Central Valley scores was a 62-yard punt return by Robert Foster and a 95-yard interception return by Jordan Whitehead. Foster and Whitehead both coasted in untouched.
“I always thought we had enough skill to do something like that,” Warriors coach Mark Lyons said of his team’s strong start. “We haven’t hit on all cylinders yet. Every coach is in search of that perfect game and we’re trying to strive to get there.
“I really liked our week of preparation. We took it up a notch. We had to understand that our first two performances were a little subpar. You would have thought that the first couple of days of practice this week was like the first couple of days of camp the way we got after it.”
The ’Canes battled late in the opening half to avoid the mercy rule. Johnny Matarazzo connected on a four-yard scoring pass to Marcus Carter and Darrian Rice snared a 10-yard aerial to make it 41-12 at the break.
“We knew that they had that capability,” Lyons said. “When you’ve got that kind of talent, they’re never going to quit because they can go the distance at any time.
“I was real impressed with how Matarazzo kept his composure and the way they kept plugging away. That’s a tribute to their seniors; that’s leadership.”
Central Valley got the second-half kickoff, but had to punt. The snap sailed high over Foster’s head, who was back to punt. Foster was thrown for a 32-yard loss and the ’Canes took over first and goal at the Warriors’ 9.
Three plays later, Matarazzo was flushed from the pocket and a crunching blow forced a fumble. Shaw scooped up the loose ball and rumbled untouched 91 yards for a 48-12 lead, initiating the mercy rule.
“We both have a lot of good athletes,” Bongivengo said. “When you have two teams with good athletes, big plays are going to be made. That’s things you can’t do against a good team.”
Matarazzo was 17 of 27 for 156 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
“When you have to play that way, catch-up, it’s hard on the line. It’s hard on the receivers. It’s hard on the quarterback because the guys are pinning their ears back and coming,” Bongivengo said. “I thought we fought through that pretty good though.”
(Email: rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com)
BOX SCORES
CENTRAL VALLEY NEWCASTLE
7 First downs 20
153 Yards Rushing 250
34 Yards Lost 40
119 Net Rushing 210
3 Passes Attempted 27
3 Passes Completed 17
0 Passes Intercepted 1
64 Yards Passing 156
183 Total Yards 366
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 3-1
0-0 Punts-Average 3-16.0
4-30 Penalties-Yards 5-50
CENTRAL VALLEY 14 27 7 0 — 48
NEW CASTLE 0 12 6 7 — 25
Scoring plays
CENTRAL VALLEY — Aaron Law, 64-yard run (kick failed).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Justin Shaw, 2-yard run (Curtis Lewis run).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Chad Phillis, 20-yard pass from Matt Bradford (Elliot Taylor kick).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Robert Foster, 62-yard punt return (kick blocked).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Jordan Whitehead, 95-yard interception return (Taylor kick).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Shaw, 6-yard run (Taylor kick).
NEW CASTLE — Marcus Carter, 4-yard pass from Johnny Matarazzo (kick failed).
NEW CASTLE — Darrian Rice, 10-yard pass from Matarazzo (run failed).
CENTRAL VALLEY — Shaw, 91-yard fumble return (Taylor kick).
NEW CASTLE — Carter, 6-yard pass from Matarazzo (pass failed).
NEW CASTLE — Drew Allen, 10-yard run (Kahlil Huddleston kick).
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