Fake punt key to PT victory over Upper St. Clair
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township’s Breylen Carrington drags Robbie Hendricks of Upper St. Clair for a couple extra yards Thursday night in a Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference game.
Luke Petrarca
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township linebacker Luke Petraca (14) curtails Upper St. Clair quarterback Ethan Dahlem’s progress during the first half Thursday night.
Quarterback Logan Pfeuffer (8) eludes Joseph Houch and picks up important yardage during Peters Township's conference battle Thursday night against Upper St. Clair.
Donovan McMillon (3) weaves around Upper St. Clair defenders during second-quarter action Thursday night in a Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference clash.
Peters Township's Jacob Macosko (22) attempts to pick up additional yardage after making a pass reception in the first half Thursday night against Upper St. Clair.
MCMURRAY – The message was plain and simple from the Peters Township offense.
We can win games, too.
Peters Township did not have a turnover on a rainy night and knocked off Allegheny 6 Conference rival Upper St. Clair, 28-21, Thursday evening at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township moved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference. Upper St. Clair fell to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
A fake punt by Corban Handru on fourth-and-two at the PT 30-yard line gave the Indians the first down they desperately needed to run out the clock and win the game.
“It’s always a good play when you get the first down,” said Peters Township head coach TJ Plack. “We noticed on the punt before that one that they were coming hard from the wide side so we told Corban that if it’s there, take it.”
Peters Township, which has looked sluggish on offense in it’s first two games, wins over South Fayette and Penn-Trafford, opened a 28-14 lead in the second half thanks to a one-yard run by Michael Peyton and a 15-yard gallop by Logan Pfeuffer early in the quarter.
But a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ethan Dahlmen to Aidan Besselman made it a one-score game.
“We were a little behind our defense and special teams,” said Plack of the offense. “We started clicking today and I thought we played well in all parts of the game.”
A muffed punt by USC allowed a 34-yard field goal by Massucci and gave Peters Township a 15-14 lead at halftime.
The punt was muffed by Mateo Cepullio and Donovan McMillon recovered. One play later, Massucci put Peters Township ahead again by one point.
“The muffed punt was huge,” said Plack. “It gave us points on the board and we were getting the ball in the second half. That was a huge momentum swing.”
Upper St. Clair had just driven 14 plays for 73 yards and it was capped by a second touchdown run by quarterback Ethan Dahlem, who ran it in from the two-yard line.
Dahlem gave Upper St. Clair a 7-0 lead on the third play of the game. Dahlem set up his touchdown with a 52-yard run on the first play of the game.
But Peters Township rallied with a safety and a touchdown. The safety was set up by a punt to the USC one by Hondru. On USC’s first play, Dahlem was knocked out of bounds in the end zone for a safety that made it 7-2.
Peters Township took a 9-7 lead after the ensuing free kick, when Vince Sirianni took an inside handoff and broke left for an eight-yard score and Massucci’s extra-point attempt was good.
Massucci nearly gave Peters Township a 12-7 lead when his booming 40-yard field-goal attempt hit midway up the right upright and bounced back.