South Side runs past Shenango
Shenango (0) vs. South Side Beaver (41)
Written: Oct 13, 2008
By JOHN D’ABRUZZO
j’dabruzzo@ncnewsonline.com
HOOKSTOWN — The woes continued Saturday afternoon for the Shenango High football team.
The Wildcats struggled offensively and were unsuccessful in containing South Side Beaver’s running game en route to losing a 41-0 WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference matchup at the Richard J. Ashcroft Athletic Complex.
The shutout was the second Shenango suffered in four weeks amid a five-game losing streak.
“I knew they were a good football team,” second-year Wildcats coach Ryan Mayo said. “But I also thought we could come in and get out of here with a win. Obviously, that didn’t happen. We just didn’t do things right.”
The Rams (3-2 conference, 5-2 overall) jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter.
Junior running back Colin Checkan scored on a 1-yard run midway through the first. Two minutes later, junior fullback Jordan Potts scored on a 4-yard run.
Checkan was South Side Beaver’s catalyst the remainder of the game. He accumulated 176 yards on 21 carries to lead all rushers.
“Colin had a great game,” South Side Beaver coach Rich Schneider said. “He filled in well. (Luke Shaffer) our other running back was out for this game. He’ll be back next week, but Colin stepped in and did well.”
Shenango had a pair of chances to score in the first half.
Following Checkan’s touchdown, the Wildcats drove down field but remained scoreless after a 28-yard missed field goal attempt. After Potts’ score, Shenango went down the field again but came up empty handed when it turned over the ball on downs on the Rams’ 4-yard line.
“We struggled the first two quarters,” Schneider said. “Shenango did a great job today. They had a good game plan. They came in and did some stuff, they were strong and we got lucky in the third quarter. Some things happened for us that didn’t happen for them.”
The Rams scored 22 points in the third to invoke the mercy rule with 2 minutes remaining in the quarter.
Michael Shaffer scored on a 3-yard run to cap South Side Beaver’s opening drive. Five plays into Shenango’s next drive, Rams’ linebacker William Shiel blocked and then recovered a punt attempt that led to Potts’ second touchdown of the game. Shiel blocked another punt in the fourth quarter.
“South Side is loaded with tough kids and that's the way they play,” Mayo said. “If you don’t match their intensity for four quarters, they’re going to beat you and we saw that today.”
Potts scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard run at 8:30. He had 41 yards on seven carries.
“That drive to start the second half was the momentum swing,” Mayo said. “They exerted their will and we weren't able to stop them, so after that it was tough going.”
Freshman running back Jonathan Beal added another touchdown for South Side Beaver on a 2-yard run before junior running back Nicholas BonAnno closed out the afternoon with a 41-yard scamper.
“I was disappointed with the effort in the second half,” Mayo said.
“We played a solid first half. We made a few mistakes and I thought we could correct a few of those mistakes and come out and try to take this game, but more things went wrong. Part of it, for whatever reason, our kids got down and never recovered.”
Another blow to the Wildcats was the loss of junior quarterback Joe Colavecchia. He left the game with a knee injury with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Colavecchia, who completed 4 of 7 passes for 79 yards, did not return, but he did walk off the field and appeared fine after the game.
Mayo did not know the extent of the injury.
“Like most Single-A teams, there’s a drop off from our starters to our backups,” Mayo said. “So it definitely didn’t help matters.”
Shenango managed a mere 183 yards of total offense compared to South Side Beaver’s 371.
Sophomore running back Anthony Kosciuszko led the Wildcats’ offense with 27 yards on 17 carries. Junior running back Ricky Mathews gathered 26 yards on eight carries and gained another 79 yards on four receptions.
“It’s been a consistent theme,” Mayo said. “We haven’t ran the ball well all year, and even in our two wins we didn’t sustain drives.
“Obviously, we haven’t progressed to where we can run the ball consistently. It’s going to be hard to win when we can’t do that.”
SHENANGO SS BEAVER
9 First downs 16
114 Yards Rushing 371
10 Yards Lost 0
104 Net Rushing 371
8 Passes Attempted 1
4 Passes Completed 0
1 Passes Intercepted 0
79 Yards Passing 0
183 Total Yards 371
1-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
3-14.7 Punts-Average 1-33
8-40 Penalties-Yards 10-81
SHENANGO 0 0 0 0 — 0
S.S. BEAVER 13 0 22 6 — 41
Scoring plays
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Colin Checkan, 1-yard run (Michael Slaney kick).
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Jordan Potts, 4-yard run (kick failed).
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Michael Shaffer, 3-yard run (Slaney kick).
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Potts, 3-yard run (Slaney kick).
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Jonathan Beal, 2-yard run (Ricco Policastro pass from Shaffer).
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Nicholas BonAnno, 41-yard run (kick failed).
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