Rangers use special teams, defense to get win
McDONALD – The most meaningful practice of the week for Fort Cherry came when it didn’t have any film or an idea as to who it might host at Jim Garry Stadium four days later.
Head coach Jim Shiel worked on nothing but special teams for all 60 minutes the Rangers were out on the field.
As senior Nick Rogers put Fort Cherry in good field position all night and turned the momentum more in host’s favor with a 75-yard shanked field goal return for a touchdown, it was evident that Monday’s practice paid off.
The Rangers used special teams and a stellar defensive performance to shut down Big Seven opponent Sto-Rox, 28-14, in a WPIAL Class A first-round playoff game Friday night.
“The guys thought we were punishing them during Monday’s practice,” Fort Cherry head coach Jim Shiel said. “We worked on all phases of special teams. It’s a third of the game and you can’t express how important that is.”
The Rangers (6-1, 9-1) excellent starting field position, initiated by a special teams plan and assisted by costly Sto-Rox penalties, allowed them to turn three possessions that began in Sto-Rox territory into 14 points.
Fort Cherry junior quarterback Ryhan Culberson’s 11-yard touchdown run began the scoring with 2:43 remaining in the first, after the Rangers turned the ball over on their first two possessions.
Culberson then found Rogers in the flat more than a quarter to give Fort Cherry a 14-0 lead.
The first half success wasn’t matched by Sto-Rox (5-3, 6-5), whose offense struggled after amassing only 17 yards in the first 23 minutes while picking up one first down.
“We did add a lot of new things this week so we knew there was a chance for mishaps,” Shiel said. “Sto-Rox is a good football team and can score some points. We just needed to play together and stay the course.”
The struggles continued for Sto-Rox in the third quarter. The Vikings ended up with as many personal foul penalties as first downs.
Culberson, the South Fayette transfer, piled onto the lead with a 68-yard touchdown down the Sto-Rox sidelines immediately following the halftime break.
He finished with 161 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, and he completed 8 of 17 passes for 62 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“Everybody just needed to do their job tonight,” Culberson said. “It was a team effort. We just need to line up and play ball.”
The Tri-County South runner-up will look to continue its playoff push as it will play top-seeded Clairton next Friday at a time and site to be determined.
“We have got to eliminate the mistakes and finish drives,” Shiel said. “I know our team is pretty excited and I want the opportunity too. It’s a big opportunity for us. No one is going to expect us to win but I think we can. We have talent on this football team. We are going to have to play a near perfect game but I believe in this team.”