Mohawk unable to keep step with Tigers
Mohawk (3) vs. Beaver Falls (47)
Written: Sep 07, 2013
By Greg Huston
New Castle News
BEAVER FALLS — The Mohawk High football team ran into a buzzsaw last night.
The Warriors proved to be no match for Beaver Falls in a 47-3 WPIAL Class AA Midwestern Athletic Conference loss at Geneva College’s Reeves Field.
The Tigers are now 2-0, both in the conference and overall, while Mohawk is 1-1, 1-1.
Beaver Falls opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior workhorse Damian Rawl. The Tigers would not light up the scoreboard again in the first quarter as the Warriors defense stiffened, led by senior defensive back Shane McFarland. It was McFarland’s interception of an errant Dan Stratton pass that electrified a rowdy Mohawk student section that made the trip down Route 18 on several buses.
The Mohawk offense did not capitalize on McFarland’s interception and punted twice in the first quarter.
Beaver Falls did what good teams do and opened the second quarter with a touchdown that pushed the lead to 14-0 on Rawl’s 10-yard run. Mohawk caught a break on the ensuing kickoff as McFarland received the ball at his own 5-yard line and darted up the left sideline to the Beaver Falls 4, where he was brought down from behind.
That proved to be as close to the end zone as the Warriors would get all night and after losing three yards on three plays, Mohawk settled for a 25-yard field goal from senior kicker Brock Barber.
The Warriors seemed to get new life on the kickoff as Beaver Falls fumbled and Mohawk was somehow able to recover below the pile. The Warriors turned the ball over on downs, but three plays later, McFarland made an incredible diving, one-handed interception to once again give Mohawk hope of turning the game around.
“Shane’s a special kid and he was a bright spot for us tonight,” Warriors coach Joe Lamenza said. “It’s 14-3 and we’re hanging in there, but give Beaver Falls credit, they’re a great team.”
After a Mohawk punt, Beaver Falls set up its third touchdown of the game on a 49-yard catch and run by senior running back Sage Curry. Marcus Cleckly punched it in from 3 yards out with 2:18 left in the second quarter, and from there, the rout was on.
“Our defense has been playing really well, and even though we gave up some big plays, our first-team guys made some great stops and great goal-line stands,” Beaver Falls coach Ryan Matsook said. “We’re a work in progress on offense and the penalties and stupid stuff has got to stop, and it will stop, but our defense is our major focus.”
After halftime, Rawl once again opened the scoring as he scampered in from 13 yards to push the Beaver Falls lead to 28-3.
“He runs hard,” Matsook said. “But watch the kid play, he’s also a great blocker.”
Rawl finished the game with 12 rushes for 98 yards, scoring three touchdowns and a successful two-point conversion.
McFarland did his best to answer the onslaught and ran hard in the third quarter. He racked up 63 of his 99 yards rushing in the period as Mohawk threatened to score one last time. McFarland’s 38-yard run set up the Warriors at the Beaver Falls 7, but Peter Lyons picked off a quarterback Gio Menichino goal-line pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-3.
By the fourth quarter, a running clock was instituted via the mercy rule, and both teams brought in their reserves. Beaver Falls scored twice in the final frame on runs of 20 and 35 yards by Cordell Cummings and Neshaud Akins, respectively.
(Email: ncsports@ncnewsonline.com)
MOHAWK B. FALLS
7 First downs 15
120 Yards Rushing 300
23 Yards Lost 0
97 Net Rushing 300
16 Passes Attempted 10
4 Passes Completed 5
1 Passes Intercepted 2
2 Yards Passing 77
99 Total Yards 377
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
7-31 Punts-Average 0-0
5-35 Penalties-Yards 6-55
MOHAWK 0 3 0 0 —3
BEAVER FALLS 7 13 14 13 — 47
Scoring plays
BEAVER FALLS — Damian Rawl, 27-yard run (Mason Carothers kick).
BEAVER FALLS — Rawl, 10-yard run (Carothers kick).
MOHAWK — Brock Barber, 25-yard Field Goal.
BEAVER FALLS — Marcus Cleckly, 3-yard run (kick failed).
BEAVER FALLS — Rawl, 13-yard run (Rawl 2 point conversion run good).
BEAVER FALLS — Peter Lyons, 100-yard Interception Return (kick failed).
BEAVER FALLS — Cordell Cummings, 20-yard run (kick failed).
BEAVER FALLS — Neshaud Akins, 35-yard run (Carothers kick).
|