McGuffey makes grade, wins with big 4th quarter
McGuffey 2
Darnell Graham/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey’s Nathan Yagle outpaces Southmoreland’s Mason Basinger for a touchdown during Friday night’s game at Russ Grimm Field.
McGuffey's Marshall Whipkey (16) heads into the end zone for a touchdown as Southmoreland's Jason Bloom (25) gives chase during Friday night's game at Russ Grimm Field.
Darnell Graham/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey’s Jared Johnson (32) finds some running room against Southmoreland.
ALVERTON – Every week, each McGuffey High School starting football player grades the opponent.
“We grade the other team,” said McGuffey coach Ed Dalton. “Typically, it’s only on one game (tape). This week, we did all three of Southmoreland’s games because of the importance. I asked the seniors, ‘What can you tell me?’ They said, ‘Coach, the (Cleveland) Browns still look like the Browns. Once they said that, I said, ‘Wow.'”
Using game-changing plays on special teams to stay with Southmoreland through the first three quarters, McGuffey dominated with 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to outlast the Scotties, 55-28, in an Class 2A Interstate Conference game Friday night at Russ Grimm Field.
The win moves McGuffey (4-0, 6-0) into first place in the conference standings. Southmoreland (4-1, 5-1), which was handed its first loss of the season, drops to third place behind Washington, which also remained unbeaten in the conference with a win over Frazier.
“I don’t want it to sound wrong,” Dalton said of the Browns comment. “Dave has done an unbelievable job, but they have to prove it at the next level.”
Southmoreland, which has never qualified for the WPIAL playoffs, proved to be every bit as tough as its unbeaten record entering the night indicated, countering many of the Highlanders’ big plays to send the game into the fourth quarter tied, 28-28.
That’s when McGuffey proved to be too much.
After a pair of penalties on the Scotties – an encroachment to move the sticks on fourth-and-five and a personal foul – Jared Johnson went in motion, took a pitch up the middle and ran 24 yards for a touchdown to give McGuffey a 35-28 lead with 9:22 left in the fourth quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, McGuffey’s Thomas Sells recovered a fumble at the Southmoreland 28-yard line. Three plays later, Johnson took the same toss play into the end zone from eight yards to give the Highlanders a 41-28 lead.
“We started well. We shot ourselves in the foot,” said Southmoreland coach Dave Keefer. “I was happy at halftime. I was happy in the third quarter. We can’t have self-inflicted mistakes. Against a good and well-coached team you can’t afford to make mistakes. There’s just no room for that.”
Johnson only needed another offensive snap to pad the Highlanders’ fourth-quarter lead. He took another toss up the middle 57 yards for a touchdown, building McGuffey’s lead.
Johnson had nine carries for 102 yards and three rushing scores. He also caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter.
“I just know the line always has me when I run up the middle,” Johnson said. “I was just trusting them. We couldn’t let up. We had to keep pounding.”
A special teams play helped McGuffey gain its first bit of momentum. Trailing 14-7 nearing the end of the first quarter, McKinley Whipkey came in unblocked after rushing around the edge to block a Southmoreland punt. After the Highlanders took over at the Scotties’ 15-yard line, Marshall Whipkey faked a handoff and went around the left side of the line for a 15-yard touchdown as time expired in the first quarter.
“Coach (Mike) Fatigante wanted the block all week,” Dalton said. “We got the guy clean off the edge. That was a big play.”
The 20 minutes McGuffey spends on special teams every practice after warming up paid dividends numerous times Friday night.
Defensively, the Highlanders held high-scoring Southmoreland to its second-lowest point total of the season. Scotties dangerous wide receiver Riley Comforti was bottled up by defensive back C.J. Cole and a merciless pass rush from McGuffey. Comforti was held to four receptions for 25 yards.
Colt Harper had 15 carries for 68 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns that gave Southmoreland an early 14-0 lead.
“We think we are pretty good,” Dalton said. “Are we as good as the last three teams on the schedule? I don’t know. We are pretty good at home and get to play two good teams at home, so we kind of like that.”