’Cats top Lancers in season finale
Neshannock (9) vs. Shenango (21)
Written: Nov 01, 2010
By DAN IRWIN
d_irwin@ncnewsonline.com
One started with a standout running back and lost him early.
The other lost its backfield star at the outset, then reclaimed him late.
The results for Neshannock and Shenango, though, were the same. Both teams missed the playoffs, and after closing out their seasons Saturday night — when the Wildcats posted a 21-9 Big Seven Conference win at home — each was left to ponder one thought.
What if?
For the Lancers (2-5 conference, 4-5 overall) injuries were a season-long bugaboo. Among the most critical was the loss of senior Asa Davies, who rushed for 143 yards on 20 carries and scored six touchdowns before being forced to the sidelines.
“Injuries still hurt us,” Neshannock coach Pat Cuba said. “We lost (tight end/linebacker Bryan) Scheidemantle just last week. But that’s what you deal with in Class A.
“These other kids have stepped up, though, and I think they’ve earned some respect. They’ve come out and hit hard. Shenango came out and did some hard hitting too. It’s like Ryan (Mayo, Shenango head coach) said: hopefully next year, we’ll meet under different circumstances and we’ll be playing for a place in the playoffs.”
As for Shenango (3-4, 4-5), it got another stellar performance from Anthony Kosciuszko — the kind it had planned on all year. The senior rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.
Kosciuszko, who suffered torn ligaments in his right hand prior to the Wildcats’ first scrimmage, played just the final five games of the year, and carried the ball in only the last three. He made the most of the abbreviated playing time, averaging 143 yards per contest.
“I think it will always be a team of what ifs,” Mayo said. “What if we were healthier early in the year? I really think we could have won a couple more games, and we’re 6-3 and waiting for the pairings meeting.
“Unfortunately, fate didn’t have that in our cards. We were banged up at different points of the season, but nonetheless our kids persevered and they played all the way through.”
Shenango also lacked a veteran quarterback early on, but groomed one over the latter part of the season in freshman Tynen Greer. Greer completed 8 of 13 passes for 106 yards against the Lancers, including a 41-yard touchdown strike to Joe Seaburn.
Greer got his first taste of the job while Aaron Grymes was nursing an ankle injury, then claimed it for good when additional running back injuries forced Grymes to line up at that position. In the season’s final two games, Greer was 20 of 35 for 371 yards and three touchdowns.
“We’re losing some good people,” Mayo noted. “But actually, we’ll have more starters coming back next year than we did this year. So we’ll have some experience. And we’ll have an experienced quarterback who will only be a sophomore.”
Neshannock took its only lead of the game on its opening drive, when Leo Pasquarello went in from 2 yards out. A pass for the two-point conversion failed.
Shenango responded on its next possession with the Greer-to-Seaburn connection and went ahead to stay on Ronald Davis’ ensuing PAT.
Kosciuszko added a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter and a 47-yarder in the third.
The Lancers drove as far as the Shenango 15 and 14 yard lines in the second period, but came away only with a 30-yard Jonathan Fennick field goal just before halftime. An earlier 32-yard Fennick try went wide right.
All in all, it left Cuba with one final “what if.”
“We gave up a big play where we just had guys lined up wrong,” he said. “They hit us right when we were lined up wrong, and Kosciuszko, he can go.
“And if we finish off those drives instead of the field goals, it might have been different.”
*****
NESHANNOCK SHENANGO
12 First downs 15
126 Yards Rushing 179
22 Yards Lost 5
104 Net Rushing 174
16 Passes Attempted 13
8 Passes Completed 8
1 Passes Intercepted 1
59 Yards Passing 106
163 Total Yards 280
2-0 Fumbles-Lost 0-0
1-27 Punts-Average 3-26.7
6-56 Penalties-Yards 8-75
NESHANNOCK 6 3 0 0 — 9
SHENANGO 7 7 7 0 — 21
Scoring plays
NESHANNOCK — Leo Pasquarello, 2-yard run (pass failed).
SHENANGO — Joe Seaburn, 41-yard pass from Tynen Greer (Ronald Davis kick).
SHENANGO — Anthony Kosciuszko, 1-yard run (Davis kick).
NESHANNOCK — Jonathan Fennick, 30-yard field goal.
SHENANGO — Kosciuszko, 47-yard run (Davis kick).
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