Nov 1, 2019 3 min read

BURGETTSTOWN – The Burgettstown Blue Devils couldn’t have gotten off to a better start Friday night in their WPIAL Class 2A first-round playoff game against Riverside.

Two scores inside the first six minutes put Burgettstown ahead 14-0, and it looked like the game might get out of hand quickly. No one, probably not even the most faithful of Riverside supporters, could have predicted how the game would finish.

Despite being down by two scores three different times, including a 15-point second-half deficit, the Panthers roared back to stun the host Blue Devils, 42-35 in overtime, pulling off the upset of the first round.

“We kept fighting, but unfortunately tonight, Riverside played better,” Burgettstown coach Mark Druga said. “We started strong, and Riverside made some nice adjustments, and they executed better than we did. This is gonna sting, but we’ll get back at it in January and work harder.”

The game essentially came down to two yards, as Cyle Conley was stuffed for a loss on fourth-and-goal in overtime after Riverside (7-3) had gone ahead on Nate Sciarro’s fourth touchdown of the game, an 11-yarder from Ben Hughes, when it looked like Burgettstown (9-1) might force a field-goal attempt.

Sciarro entered the game with 985 receiving yards in just eight games, having missed one, and added 107 more to on seven catches, three going for touchdowns. He also ran for a 2-yard score and threw a 12-yard touchdown to Hughes (242 yards passing) in the third quarter to cut the gap to 35-27.

Hughes would later tie the game with a 7-yard run and 2-point conversion run with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter, setting up Sciarro’s overtime heroics.

“It’s pretty much the way he’s played all year,” said Riverside coach Ron Sciarro, Nate’s grandfather.

“We came in stressing all week we had to stop (No.) 24,” added Druga. “We did at times, but at other times he made some nice plays. We did not neutralize him enough.”

Burgettstown had only three possessions in the second half as the Panthers racked up 17 first downs after halftime. Hunter Nulph was a large part of that, rushing for 107 yards on 29 carries.

“I thought we started wearing them down,” said Ron Sciarro.

The loss will sting, as the Blue Devils posted some strong offensive numbers, such as Jake Lounder throwing for 191 yards and three touchdowns, and Conley accumulating 142 total yards of offense and two scores, both receiving.

Lounder, who moved past older brother Ryan for second all-time in Burgettstown history for touchdowns scored with 27, will rue the interception he threw with less than two minutes remaining in regulation when the Blue Devils were driving for a potential go-ahead score.

Still, Lounder finishes his career 19-3 as a starting quarterback, tied for the most wins in Burgettstown history.

“I can’t say enough about that senior class,” said Druga. “What they’ve been a part of and how we’ve changed Burgettstown football culture, we haven’t done that in 40 years.”