Mohawk suffers tough loss to Riverside
Mohawk (26) vs. Riverside (28)
Written: Sep 11, 2010
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
If Mohawk still has any hope of becoming a playoff contender, it had better start making its move pretty quickly.
The Warriors have not made the WPIAL playoffs since 2005 and had high hopes for ending the drought this season. But they are 0-2 overall and in the Class AA Midwestern Athletic Conference after dropping a 28-26 decision to visiting Riverside last night.
Mohawk still has to play Aliquippa, Beaver and surprising Ellwood City Lincoln, all of which are 2-0 in the MAC. Freedom is the only other MAC team that is 0-2.
Last night’s contest came down to a two-point conversion attempt. Trailing 28-20, Mohawk forced a Riverside (1-1, 1-1) punt and took over on the Panthers’ 42 with 3:51 left to play.
The Warriors proceeded to drive for a touchdown with Johnny Beatty throwing a 7-yard pass to a sliding Colin Bredl in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play with 11 seconds remaining. That pulled Mohawk within two points of taking Riverside into overtime.
But on the two-point conversion attempt, Riverside defensive lineman Jake Thellman got a hand on Beatty’s pass and batted it down.
“He might have made two of the biggest plays of the whole night for us,” Riverside coach Jesse Rosenberger said.
Thellman also made a terrific one-handed catch of a 21-yard pass for a touchdown in the second quarter.
“That kid just made a nice play and batted the ball down,” Mohawk coach Jason Long said. “We had a man open — it looked like Matt Vogel coming across the middle.”
Mohawk wasn’t done, however. It went for the onside kick and recovered the football at the Riverside 49. Beatty threw an incomplete pass on first down and that left time for just one more play. He completed his next toss to Bredl, who picked up 15 yards but it wasn’t close to being enough.
“I was like, ‘What do we have to do to win this football game?’” Rosenberger said when asked what he was thinking after Mohawk recovered the onside kick.
“If we could have completed that first pass (after the onside kick), we’d have had a better chance,” Long said.
Mohawk’s defense had problems stopping Riverside running back Jared Desensi, a 5-foot-9, 198-pound senior. He carried 19 times for 124 yards, scored on a 51-yard jaunt over the right side in the first quarter and seemed to break at least two tackles every time he touched the ball. Brent Mulneix gained 64 yards on four carries for the Panthers.
“It’s no secret we want to run the football. Our success depends on it,” Rosenberger said.
Ray Crum scored on a 16-yard run off a counter play in the third quarter to put Riverside on top, 21-14. Mohawk countered when Beatty, who rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries, dashed up the middle from 16 yards out for a score with 10:11 left to play. But Cody Dean’s extra-point attempt missed and Riverside had a one-point lead.
“I think Carl Grady got a piece (of that kick) for us,” Rosenberger said.
Beatty completed 9 of 22 passes for 92 yards, but also was intercepted in the end zone. Bredl was outstanding, especially in the second half, and finished with six receptions for 65 yards and rushed 16 times for 53 yards, scoring on a 10-yard run in the third quarter.
“We were one block away from breaking plays a couple of times,” Long said. “We had a couple mental breakdowns, and they made us pay.”
RIVERSIDE MOHAWK
13 First downs 12
240 Yards Rushing 155
32 Yards Lost 21
208 Net Rushing 134
9 Passes Attempted 22
3 Passes Completed 9
0 Passes Intercepted 1
88 Yards Passing 92
296 Total Yards 226
2-2 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
3-10 Punts-Average 3-35.3
6-55 Penalties-Yards 6-40
RIVERSIDE 7 7 7 7 — 28
MOHAWK 7 0 7 12 — 26
Scoring plays
MOHAWK — Matt Vogel, 20-yard pass from Johnny Beatty (Cody Dean kick).
RIVERSIDE — Jared Desensi, 51-yard run (Tyler Bailey kick).
RIVERSIDE — Jake Thellman, 21-yard pass from Devin Kelosky (Bailey kick).
MOHAWK — Colin Bredl, 10-yard run (Dean kick).
RIVERSIDE — Ray Crum, 16-yard run (Bailey kick).
MOHAWK — Beatty, 16-yard run (kick failed).
RIVERSIDE — Brent Mulneix, 7-yard run (Bailey kick).
MOHAWK — Bredl, 7-yard pass from Beatty (pass failed).
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