Sharon outlasts Wilmington in battle for playoff spot
Wilmington (21) vs. Sharon (35)
Written: Oct 19, 2013
By Lynn Saternow
CNHI News Service
SHARON — It was a meeting of two teams that have met plenty of times with big stakes on the line.
After all, since Wilmington joined District 10 in 1994, the Greyhounds and Tigers have clashed four times in the D-10 Class AA championship game and two other times in the district playoffs.
But last night’s meeting was much different, although still quite significant. Both teams are just trying to earn a spot in the playoffs at the end of the year.
Both came in with 3-2 records in the Region 3-AA standings. While Sharon moved to 4-2 and a step closer to a spot in postseason play, the playoff hopes of the ’Hounds got much tougher in the extremely competitive league where only four teams are expected to get the call for D-10 duty.
And while the Sharon-Wilmington rivalry has produced some real thrills, so did this battle, which was much closer than the final score indicated. In fact, it was a big, gutsy fourth-down call by Tigers coach Jim Wildman that went a long way to deciding the final 35-21 outcome in favor of his team.
With the game tied at 21 and just over four minutes remaining in the contest, Sharon had a fourth-down-and-one situation at its own 16-yard-line. Quarterback Andrew Tomko picked up the first down on a 3-yard keeper.
“You can call it gutsy and smart now,” Wildman said. “But if we didn?t make it ...”
From there, Sharon drove to the Wilmington 38 with just over four minutes to go. And then Wildman handed the ball to Carnell Hawkins and his senior ace did the rest, sweeping left end and racing down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown.
Then the clincher came a short time later, when Tigers defender Jeff Price picked off a Cody Llewellyn pass and raced 58 yards for a tally. Evan Gill added his fifth PAT kick of the contest for the final score.
“The kids really needed this,” said Wildman, who had watched his team let a 21-7 halftime lead slip away. “Not only for the league, but for their own psyche. It was a key win because these kids are starting to believe that the glass is half full.”
Wilmington opened the scoring after taking the opening kickoff and marching 53 yards in six plays. Dwight Scott went 37 yards and Kyler Lum booted the point-after.
But Sharon roared back and dominated the remainder of the half. The Tigers rolled to three touchdowns on a Tomko pass to Dan Vanderslice of 15 yards, a 22-yard sprint by Hawkins and a 24-yard pass from Tomko to Hawkins.
While Sharon led 21-7 at intermission, the momentum shifted to Wilmington in the third period. Scott scored on a 3-yard run (PAT kick by James Gardner) and with 10:20 remaining in the game, Josiah Bloise plowed into the end zone on a 6-yard run. Lum’s kicked tied the contest at 21.
Sharon never even notched a first down in the entire second half until that call by Wildman on fourth down deep in Sharon territory that turned around the game and just maybe the season as the Tigers seek a playoff berth.
“I’m really proud of the way our kids played,” veteran Wilmington mentor Terry Verrelli said. “Our backs were to the wall (at halftime) and the kids turned it around.
“I’m proud of the way the kids played all year. We’re young, but they want to win, they want to make the playoffs. They’ve played hard all season.”
Wildman gave credit to the ’Hounds (5-3 overall) as well.
Sharon was sparked by Hawkins, who rushed for 207 yards on 31 carries behind the blocking of Greg and Craig Osmon, Tucker Winner, Alan Porreca, Gill and A’Royal Ali.
The Tigers lost Hawkins’ running mate Anthony Johnson early in the game with an apparent broken ankle and Hawkins had to carry the load.
Sharon (5-3 overall) faces another key region game at Grove City on Friday, the Tigers’ final league contest. Wilmington must travel to undefeated Greenville and pull a major upset for any hopes at all of a playoff bid.
(Email: ncsports@ncnewsonline.com)
WILMINGTON SHARON
13 First downs 16
130 Net Rushing 216
19 Passes Attempted 10
9 Passes Completed 7
1 Passes Intercepted 0
105 Yards Passing 81
235 Total Yards 297
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
2-20 Penalties-Yards 7-35
WILMINGTON 7 0 7 7 — 21
SHARON 0 21 0 14 — 35
Scoring plays
WILMINGTON — Dwight Scott, 37-yard run (Kyler Lum kick).
SHARON — Vanderslice, 15-yard pass from Andrew Tomko (Gill kick).
SHARON — Carnell Hawkins, 22-yard run (Gill kick).
SHARON — Hawkins, 24-yard pass from Tomko (Gill kick).
WILMINGTON — Scott, 3-yard run (Gardner kick).
WILMINGTON — Josiah Bloise, 6-yard run (Lum kick).
SHARON — Hawkins, 38-yard run (Gill kick).
SHARON — Price, 58-yard interception return (Gill kick).
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