Schoonmaker helps Washington advance
Washington’s Isaiah Schoonmaker carries the ball against South Side Beaver Friday night..
Washington’s Lyle Webb carries the ball Friday night against South Side Beaver.
Washington’s Isaiah Schoonmaker tries to break the tackle of South Side Beaver’s Logan Jones Friday night during a WPIAL Class AA first-round playoff game at Wash High Stadium.
Isaiah Schoonmaker picked a good time to have his best football game.
The 6-2 junior from Washington High School rushed for 136 yards on just nine carries and scored a touchdown to help Washington High School roll past South Side Beaver, 35-13, in the first round of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs Friday night as Wash High Stadium.
Wash High, searching for its seventh WPIAL title and first since 2001, advances to play Brentwood Friday at a site and time to be determined.
The win was the 104th in the career of Washington head coach Mike Bosnic, who was recognized with a ceremony before the game for reaching 100 career victories in a Week 6 win over Bentworth. Bosnic passed Dave Johnston (101-45) two weeks ago. The career leader is Guy Montecalvo’s 216-97-2 at Wash High and Canon-McMillan. South Side Beaver, making its third straight playoff appearance and eighth in 16 years, finished the season with a 4-6 record. The Rams were the fifth-place finisher in the Midwestern Conference.
Schoonmaker never had a game in which he rushed for more than 100 yards, but he got 55 of them on a jet sweep down the left sideline that gave the Prexies a touchdown and 28-7 lead.
“This was one of the best games I’ve ever had,” said Schoonmaker said. “That score felt good. I almost stepped out of bounds. Our offense put us up (in this game).”
Isaiah Robinson caught two touchdowns passes from quarterback Connor Bedillion, one from 13 yards out to make it 21-7 and an 18-yarder for Wash High’s final score. His second TD was a jump ball in the corner of the end zone that he came down with.
“Connor put the ball where it was supposed to be,” said Robinson, who had four receptions for 74 yards and an interception. “I had confidence I would come down with it. Every play in this game was important.”
The Prexies defense bottled up SSB halfback Anthony Crider for much of the game. The 6-2, 215-pound senior came in with 1,221 yards. He finished with 92 on 18, but 47 came on a fourth-quarter TD run when the game was already decided.
“I thought our defense overall was pretty solid,” said Bosnic. “We had some big plays but we also have things to work on.”
South Side Beaver lost starting quarterback Robert Heberle in the first quarter with a knee injury. Interestingly, it came while Heberle was defending a pass from his safety position. He was on crutches for the second half and freshman Trenton Seik replaced him. SSB did not complete a pass.
“It was a jump ball and he landed weird,” said SSB head coach Luke Travelpiece. “It changed the game. He runs the option well for us.”
Washington had as many turnovers as touchdowns in the first half, but still managed to shake out a 21-7 lead. The Prexies turned an interception by Robinson into a seven-play drive capped by Bedillion hitting Jake Swartz with a neat six-yard TD pass over the Rams defensive front. Swartz made a nice one-handed catch.
Washington made it 14-0 on its next possession, going 49 yards on four plays after stopping the Rams on fourth down. This time, Nick Welsh scored on a 12-yard run, keeping his balance after being hit going through the line.
After Heberle left, the Rams drove 56 yards with Anthony Crider scoring from one-yard out to make it 14-7.
Wash High came back and made it 21-7 when Bedillion hit Robinson with a 13-yard scoring pass on third down to cap a 68-yard drive.