It's Polka time
Ellwood City (7) vs. Laurel (0)
Written: Oct 15, 2011
By Joe Sager
New Castle Sports
Julian Cox just wanted Nick Polka to get away.
He listened — and kept going.
Polka, a senior, hauled in Cox’s pass and scampered 77 yards for the only touchdown as Ellwood City Lincoln High logged a 7-0 triumph at Laurel in a muddy Midwestern Athletic Conference football clash.
The triumph was an important one for the Wolverines (4-2 conference, 5-2 overall), who are in the driver’s seat for one of the conference’s four WPIAL Class AA playoff berths.
“We needed this to get ready for playoffs,” Polka said. “They’re a good team and we knew we were better, but we just had to prove it.”
The setback darkens the Spartans’ playoff hopes. Laurel (3-3, 3-4) needs to win out and hope for help to make the postseason.
“The players are extremely disappointed. They’ll have to regroup,” Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser said. “We’ll get them ready for next week. They know that’ll be an even bigger game.”
Both teams prepared well for last night’s fray. However, the week’s rainy conditions left the Spartan Stadium playing surface a mess, with plenty of bare spots as well as a few large puddles.
So, the squads took one step on the field and knew their plans had to change.
“The kids found a way. We had a couple things up our sleeves that we thought we could do. Field conditions dictated it wasn’t going to happen that way,” Ellwood coach Don Phillips said. “With this kind of a night, the ball bounces either way.”
Added Polka, “We didn’t think the field was going to be this bad. We’ve practiced in it all week because our field is just as bad. It was terrible. I didn’t know one play would be the difference.”
It certainly was for the Wolverines. Early in the fourth quarter on a third-and-9 at the Ellwood 23, quarterback Julian Cox rolled out to his right. He motioned and yelled for Polka, his receiver, to move downfield.
Near the sideline, he lofted a pass. Polka jumped and snared the ball.
“When I rolled out, I knew he wasn’t past the (first-down) marker. So I was screaming at him to go,” Cox said. “He ran and made the catch.”
Once he came down with the ball, Polka juked and, as two Spartans slipped in the mud, took off down the sideline for the 77-yard touchdown.
“Everything went out the window once he rolled out. He just threw it up and I caught it,” Polka said. “It was hard running on the field. It was like running in quicksand. When I cut back, everyone just slipped and I had the whole sideline. I was surprised, but it was a great feeling (getting in the end zone).
“I knew all we had to do was stop them and our defense was playing great.”
The Ellwood defense held at the end of the game, but its biggest stop came in the second quarter. A high snap thwarted a Wolverines punt and the Spartans took over at the Ellwood 21. The hosts drove to the 5 and, on fourth down, set up for a 22-yard field goal. However, a Wolverines penalty moved the ball to the 2 and Laurel elected to go for it. Ellwood’s defense stopped Dylan Jones at the 1 with 8:44 left in the half.
“It was awesome,” Phillips said. “That was a great stand.”
That sequence was the Spartans’ best chance to score all night.
“The conditions weren’t ideal for kicking. We knew that. We had two yards to go and we thought we could do it. That’s a credit to Ellwood, though. They brought some extra people at the point of attack and we couldn’t get the ball in the end zone,” Holzhauser said. “Field conditions were bad for both teams. We did move the ball at times. It’s a credit to Ellwood’s defense. They brought a lot of people and that was a smart move on their part. I wish I would have done some things differently. That’s a coaching loss. I hate to put it on the kids. Ultimately, I should have done more.”
Despite the win, the Wolverines need to remain focused to keep pace in the conference.
“This win puts us a leg up on Laurel. We just have to take care of our business,” Phillips said. “We’ll focus on the next one. This is a big step forward that these kids were able to find a way to win in these conditions. Laurel is a quality team.”
Laurel travels to Beaver at 7 p.m. Friday and Ellwood City hosts Beaver Falls at 7:30 p.m. Both games are conference matchups.
(E-mail: ncsports@ncnewsonline.com)
ELLWOOD LAUREL
7 First downs 5
104 Yards Rushing 79
54 Yards Lost 11
50 Net Rushing 68
4 Passes Attempted 5
2 Passes Completed 2
0 Passes Intercepted 0
77 Yards Passing 19
127 Total Yards 87
5-0 Fumbles-Lost 5-0
5-33.7 Punts-Average 5-30.6
3-18 Penalties-Yards 5-35
ELLWOOD 0 0 0 7 — 7
LAUREL 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring plays
ELLWOOD CITY — Nick Polka, 77-yard yard pass from Julian Cox (Scott Lewis kick).
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