Sto-Rox knocks Shenango from playoff chase
Shenango (31) vs. Sto-Rox (38)
Written: Oct 23, 2010
 By JOE SAGER
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
McKEES ROCKS — Out of time and out of the playoffs.
That sums up Shenango’s night after the dust settled on the Wildcats’ wild 38-31 loss at Sto-Rox in WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference action.
Shenango (2-4 conference, 3-5 overall) needed a win to stay in contention for one of the conference’s four postseason berths. The Wildcats almost achieved it, too, as they rallied for 31 points in the second half, but couldn’t overcome the Vikings (4-2, 6-2).
“We have a lot of mixed emotions going on,” Shenango coach Ryan Mayo said. “On one hand, we probably let a playoff chance slip away, but, at the same time, the effort we got from our kids — we talk about leaving no doubt. They left no doubt. They left every ounce they had on that field and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Sto-Rox, which can secure second place and a home playoff game with a win next week at Cornell, had to overcome some adversity of its own. The Vikings were without 17 of their players, including three two-way starters, because of Sto-Rox’s new stringent academic policy. Nevertheless, the remaining eligible players were able to survive for the win.
“I think it was 15 guys total. That figure changed every day, though. That included three starters on both sides of the ball, so, really that’s like being without six starters,” Vikings coach Ron Butschle said. “The guys who came in did a good job. The expectations don’t change for the guys on the field and they know that. I think we showed the heart that Sto-Rox has. I am super proud of them.
“I cannot be prouder of these kids, the program and the school right now. It’s really been two or three weeks since all the controversy and things have been going on. For our kids, to be honest with you, it’s been tough to focus on football,” he continued. “Thursday at practice, I told them I’d be able to tell by their eyes whether or not they were ready to come here and take care of business. We walked in (Friday) and I saw it in their eyes. I knew when we were warming up that we were going to play hard. Shenango did a great job coming back. I lost a couple years on my life. But, I am just really proud of my guys.”
Sto-Rox didn’t appear to show any signs of weakness early in the game. The Vikings’ Dontez Ford took the opening kickoff and raced 91 yards for the paydirt scamper to give the hosts a 7-0 lead just 12 ticks into the fray.
The Vikings got another break on their next drive. Shenango blocked Sto-Rox’s punt, but the Vikings’ Fontaine Bennett scooped up the leather and dashed 55 yards to the Wildcats’ 20. Nine plays later, the hosts found the end zone and held a 13-0 lead.
Butschle’s troops continued to add to their lead in the first half. At the final horn, Sto-Rox carried a 25-0 lead into the locker room.
The Vikings pushed the game near the brink of the 35-point mercy rule early in the third quarter when Josh Beverly’s 10-yard six-point dash boosted the buffer to 32-0.
“The whole time I kept thinking we were just as good as those guys,” Mayo said. “But, the hole kept getting a little bigger and bigger. Our kids just started chipping away.”
Butschle knew Shenango was primed for a charge. He was right as the Wildcats, who normally prowl on the ground, took to the air. Shenango opened up its passing attack and threw the ball 20 times in the second half. It was effective as pass plays went for big yardage and the rushers found more room to navigate on the soil.
“The lead we had at halftime — I knew that team wasn’t going to lay down,” Butschle said. “The things that they did are not the things they normally do. So, I give them credit for coming out and doing those things. They had some big plays and some freaky plays. This is a fun football game. I am just glad we ended up with the win.”
Tynen Greer got the Wildcats on the scoreboard late in the third when he scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. He figured in on the next two Shenango scores as he found Eric Moscipan for a 28-yard TD strike and lofted a screen pass to Anthony Kosciuszko, who turned the play into a 79-yard mad dash to the end zone and barely beat a Vikings defender across the goal line. That spree cut the Wildcats’ deficit to 32-24 with 6:30 remaining in the game.
“We have both (the passing and running attack) in our arsenal,” Mayo said. “Whatever the defense is giving us, we have to take. We had to go to more of that. We still ran the ball, too. But, the passes were just there in the second half.”
Shenango tried an onside kick, but Sto-Rox fielded the ball. Six plays later, including a crucial 30-yard third-down pass, the hosts added to their lead as Beverly waltzed into the end zone for a 15-yard TD and a 38-24 edge.
Running out of time and real estate on their next possession, the Wildcats were faced with a fourth-and-42 from their own 40. Shenango went into its bag of tricks for a hook-and-lateral play. Greer connected with Ronnie Grymes on a short pass. Grymes was able to lateral the ball to Kosciuszko, who raced 48 yards to the Sto-Rox 4. Two plays later, Greer crashed in from the 2 to make it a 38-31 contest.
“We were at that point in the game where it was desperation and we tried some things on the fly,” said Mayo of the hook-and-lateral play. “We practice that once a week. But, it’s not something we practice every day.”
Once again, the Wildcats tried an onside kick, but the attempt failed. Shenango recovered the bouncing ball, but not before it had reached the necessary 10 yards. So, Sto-Rox was awarded the ball and knelt out the clock to secure the triumph.
The Wildcats close out their season one week from today at home against Neshannock.
SHENANGO STO-ROX
17 First downs 16
248 Yards Rushing 238
51 Yards Lost 27
197 Net Rushing 211
22 Passes Attempted 18
12 Passes Completed 5
1 Passes Intercepted 0
265 Yards Passing 105
462 Total Yards 316
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
3-15.3 Punts-Average 3-33.3
6-65 Penalties-Yards 10-53
SHENANGO 0 0 8 23 — 31
STO-ROX 19 6 7 6 — 38
Scoring plays
STO-ROX – Dontez Ford, 91-yard kickoff return (Jason Rippole kick).
STO-ROX – Josh Beverly, 5-yard run (kick failed).
STO-ROX – Lenny Williams, 34-yard run (run failed).
STO-ROX – Beverly, 15-yard run (pass failed).
STO-ROX – Beverly, 10-yard run (Rippole kick).
SHENANGO – Tynen Greer, 1-yard run (Aaron Grymes run).
SHENANGO – Eric Moscipan, 28-yard pass from Greer (Anthony Kosciuszko run).
SHENANGO – Kosciuszko, 79-yard pass Greer (Grymes pass from Greer).
STO-ROX – Beverly, 15-yard run (pass failed).
SHENANGO – Greer, 2-yard run (Ronald Davis kick).
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