Nov 2, 2018 3 min read

HOOKSTOWN – The yells from South Side Beaver fans, especially as the game progressed, was to tackle Christian Clutter.

After Clutter torched South Side for 92 yards in the first quarter, 182 yards in the first half and scored on a 66-yard run to open the third quarter, everybody cheering for the Rams was about sick of seeing No. 23 in the end zone.

The problem for McGuffey was its fans, and more important its defense and coaches, didn’t know what to expect when South Side had the football.

A balanced offense for the run-heavy, ninth-seeded Rams was enough to keep McGuffey guessing on defense as South Side defeated the Highlanders, 36-27, in a WPIAL Class AA first-round game at Richard J. Ashcroft Athletic Complex Friday night.

“We didn’t have any answers,” said McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton. “That guy (South Side coach Luke Travelpiece) is a great Wing-T playcaller. All the credit goes to them.”

The loss extends the Highlanders’ drought without a playoff victory to 24 years. Their last playoff victory earned them the 1994 WPIAL championship.

The win advances South Side (8-3) to a quarterfinal game with top-seeded Shady Side Academy, which survived a 22-20 scare from 16th-seeded Serra Catholic.

Clutter gave McGuffey (8-3) its first lead of the game, 30-27, when he took a jet sweep down the sidelines on the opening play from scrimmage for the Highlanders to begin the second half.

The back-and-forth scoring then shifted points for only South Side for the remainder of the game.

Rams’ quarterback Trenton Seik leaped over the offensive line and held the ball out for a one-yard quarterback sneak to retake the lead in the middle of the third quarter. Then, Derek Franchek made it a two-score game, 36-27, when he went untouched just under three minutes into the fourth quarter from 17 yards.

“The game plan was to attack the flanks and then adjust accordingly,” said Travelpiece.

Not known for throwing – entering playoffs with 84 percent of its offensive play calls being runs – South Side’s Seik whipped the ball all over the field. He finished 11 of 17 with 161 yards.

“That might be a (passing) record in a win for us,” Travelpiece said. “(McGuffey) was stacked to take the run away, and we’ve had a good number of teams that have tried to do that against us this year. They did a good job with it; hats off to them. But we have other great threats.”

One of those threats was Franchek, who had 14 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Devin Ross made a 25-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the second quarter sent South Side to the locker room with a 23-20 lead at halftime.

Outside of Clutter, who finished with 24 carries for 266 yards and four touchdowns, the Highlanders only produced 60 additional rushing yards. Marshall Whipkey completed five passes for 67 yards, including three for 33 yards and a touchdown to Clutter.

Clutter, the senior wingback, finished with 42 total touchdowns this season.

“Obviously, we came in here expecting to win like we do every week,” Dalton said. “South Side is pretty good. They throw in crucial situations, are able to do something for two plays then run another play off of it. But the field was horrible. I don’t know what else to say.”