Mistakes break PT in loss to Norwin
McMURRAY – Fresh off a big victory in Week 4, Peters Township was hoping to build on that momentum as the Indians marched toward a potential playoff spot out of the Class 6-A Southeastern Conference.
But doomed Peters Township to a 38-7 defeat at the hands of Norwin Friday night to drop the Indians to 1-3 in the conference.
“I have to sleep on it to see where we went wrong and in how many ways,” said Peters Township coach T.J. Plack. “I think it was a culmination of things, and the penalties took us out of whatever rhythm we were in.”
The score line isn’t indicative of how the game began as Peters Township (2-4 overall) got a quick defensive stop and took over at its own one-yard line following a great punt.
The Indians then went on a methodical 15-play drive that chewed up almost seven minutes off the clock. The problem was, two penalties killed the drive before it could get deep into Norwin territory. Offsetting penalties wiped out a long pass play, then a dead-ball personal foul turned a second-and-8 into third-and-19.
“I think the penalties took some of the air and momentum away from our kids,” said Plack.
That drive ended in a punt. The Indians’ next possession ended in a similar fashion. This time a holding penalty nullified a 31-yard touchdown pass, and a punt ensued two plays later.
Then Norwin (3-1, 4-2) wrested control of the game away from the home side, starting with the passing combination of Brock Dieter and Anthony DellaFemine, who connected on a 59-yard pass play, with DellaFemine getting behind the defense to coast into the end zone.
Another Peters Township mistake led to Norwin’s next score. This time it was in the form of an interception at midfield by Jayvon Thrift, who returned it 37 yards to the Indians’ 13. It only took the Knights one play to score, Aaron Carr running right up the middle untouched to the end zone.
“I was proud of the way the defense played and how we finished the second half,” said Norwin coach Dave Brozeski, a W&J grad. “That sequence helped turn the momentum around. It helped us out tremendously.”
That marked 14 points in less than two minutes for Norwin, which increased the lead five minutes later on a third-and-12 play. Dieter connected with DellaFemine again on a slant pattern and the receiver was able to elude the secondary for his second touchdown.
“He’s long-legged and quick, and that’s a bad combination for the opposing team,” said Plack. “He’s phenomenal.”
The penalties continued to pile up for Peters Township. The Indians totaled seven penalties for 76 yards in the first half, with a personal foul and pass interference keeping alive Norwin’s final drive of the half, which ended in a field goal.
Peters Township didn’t have an answer for DellaFemine. After the Indians scored to cut the deficit to 24-7, DellaFemine caught a short pass and then weaved his way all over the field for a 39-yard gain on third down. Two plays later, Kyle Turkovski scored from three yards out to return the lead to 24 points.
From there, the Indians ran out of time and ideas to come back.
“I’m going to bed, and we’ll watch film early in the morning,” said Plack. “We’ll try to go 1-0 against Pine-Richland next week. That’s the only place we can go from here. This coaching staff and these captains won’t let the team go in the gutter.”