Published Saturday, Nov. 23, 1996
Trojans 27
Bobcats 14
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Trojans pick the Lock
* * *
Greenville capitalizes on turnovers
* * *
STONE SURPASSES MENTOR SNYDER IN COACHING WINS
By Ed Farrell
Herald Sports Writer
ALTOONA, Pa. _ ``This program was built on Ed Snyder's philosophy, and he developed the football tradition here at Greenville, so I kind of look at it as I'm the caretaker of his program.''
Humble to a fault, Greenville High School head football coach Bob Stone refused to accept any credit for the Trojans' 27-14 PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal-round victory over Lock Haven Friday night at Mansion Park.
Stone surpassed his mentor, the legendary Snyder, for third- place in Mercer County annals among scholastic gridiron coaches, improving his 19-year mark to 153-39-6. Snyder amassed a 152- 56-10 record during a Trojan tenure that spanned three stints.
``I think the most important thing is that we won a playoff game and are going to continue,'' Stone said. ``We preach all along to the kids the team aspect and that (153 wins) is an individual statistic, which by the way, in a lot of ways is kind of a stupid statistic; I mean it's not like I did that. We've had a tremendous coaching staff over the years and tremendous kids.
``So,'' Stone said, a grin creasing his face, ``I guess really all it means is I've been around a helluva long time.''
In a figurative sense, Stone probably aged some during the third period, when his club fumbled the ball twice in Trojan territory while clinging to a precarious 14-6 lead.
But Greenville (13-0) responded by registering three plays to thwart any Lock Haven attempt at capitalizing. Ben Miller sacked Bobcats' quarterback Matt Heintz for an 8-yard loss immediately following the second Trojan turnover.
Three plays later Lock Haven's Trevor Reeder bobbled a pitch on a crucial 4th-down play, turning over the ball on downs to Greenville.
Then with the Bobcats situated at Greenville's 19 after Heintz completions of 12 and 10 yards to Joe Hanna Jr. and Robert Rudolph, respectively, and a pass interference penalty assessed against Joe Korcinsky, strong safety John Isacco picked off Heintz's 3rd-and-6 pass, preserving the tenuous 8-point edge with 2:46 left in the third frame.
``The third quarter, the defense played tremendously. I can't say enough about the defense,'' Stone praised. ``We gave them the football in good field position the entire third quarter and they came away with nothing, and I think that's a great tribute to the defense.''
At the outset of the final frame, a 4th-and-11 Heintz pass from Greenville's 21-yard line, which fell incomplete, set the stage for a 6-play, 79- yard Greenville scoring drive, highlighted by quarterback Andy Mason's improvisation. On a 3rd-and-7 play from Lock Haven's 40, the Trojans were in a flood-right formation, with Korcinsky the intended receiver, who was well-covered as he cut underneath.
But Mason, who has been intercepted only once this season in 90 passing attempts, rolled to his right out of the pocket and connected with a wide-open Nate Williams at the Bobcats' 25.
Williams, after hauling in the pass, did the rest, and the 60-yard pitch-and- catch and Isacco subsequent conversion provided Greenville with a 21-6 cushion.
Two plays following the ensuing kickoff, Williams recovered a Reeder fumble on a 2nd-and-5 play at Lock Haven's 37-yard line.
On the first play following the turnover, Korcinsky culminated a 38-carry, 175-yard evening by sweeping left, cutting back twice behind downfield blocks supplied by Tim Strausser, and sprinting the distance for the clincher with 6:41 remaining as Greenville increased its margin to 27-6.
``When you reach this point in the season, I don't know, but it always seems if you're going to win, you have to make a big play once in awhile,'' Stone said. ``And I guess we did that.''
Lock Haven 13-year coach Mike Packer agreed.
®MDNM’``I thought Greenville played a very good fourth quarter and they did what they had to to win,'' Packer said. ``They're a good football team, and size- wise they were just too big for us. And the backs just hid behind those big linemen and came up through there.''
Greenville's lead at the intermission was a product of rallying from an early 6-0 deficit, which the Trojans also did a week before against Westinghouse.
Heintz connected with the 6-3, 215- pound Hanna twice, the second for 48 yards in the end zone over an outstretched Williams, capping a terse 5- play, 80-yard, 2:13 sequence after the Bobcats (9-4) went 3-and-out on their game-opening series.
However, the Trojans responded with a 17-play, 53-yard drive that consumed 6:42, capped by Korcinsky's 1- yard dive on 3rd-and-goal and Isacco's conversion kick with 2:56 remaining in the second stanza to make it 7-6.
A Pat Turpack interception of a Heintz pass on the second play of the Bobcats' ensuing series set up a 20- yard Mason-to-Korcinsky touchdown connection on a 3rd-and-9 pass play in which the latter cut underneath the coverage diagonally across the field, extending Greenville's lead to 14-6 with 1:47 left.
Greenville actually had the opportunity to extend its lead when Scott Kaltenbaugh recovered a Mike Rendos fumble at the Lock Haven 35. Mason and Korcinsky then collaborated for 30 yards on first down. However, with Greenville having expired its quota of timeouts, Lock Haven was able to keep the Trojans out of the end zone of four consecutive goal-to-go plays from the five as the half ended.
Heintz, who completed 13-of-27 passes for 186 yards, but was intercepted twice and sacked once, tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rudolph with 3:05 left in the game and the duo also collaborated on the 2-point conversion.
The score was moot when Lock Haven's ensuing onside kick failed to cover the requisite 10 yards.
``I'm real proud of our kids,'' said Packer, whose squad's 8-game winning streak was snapped. ``They hung in there and fought well. But the third quarter we're down inside their 30-yard line four times and we didn't get any points. It's not for lack of trying, it was just that Greenville made the plays when they had to and tonight we did not.
``... but good luck to Greenville. I hope they go all the way.''
Which would be fine with Stone, who is eagerly anticipating a Thanksgiving Day practice for only the second time in his career, as he readies the Trojans for the Western Regional championship game next weekend against the winner of today's WPIAL championship game between undefeated Belle Vernon and Blackhawk.
``We get to practice on Thanksgiving; I love to practice on Thanksgiving,'' Stone concluded with a laugh.
Notes: Korcinsky upped his season rushing mark to 2,203 yards, third-best in county annals. The junior stalwart moved past Sharon's J.D. Harden (2,042), Hickory's Andre Coleman (2,173) and Reynolds' Ron Park (2,174) Friday night. He trails only Sharon's Mike Archie (2,334) and Marko Jackson (2,380). Korcinsky's three scores put him at 40 for the year, leaving him behind only Ex-Trojan Andy Blatt's 44 in county annals. ... Mason finished 4- of-10 for 132 yards. ... Lock Haven dropped to 1-3 against Mercer County teams in the state playoffs. Greenville has defeated them twice, while Sharon split with the Bobcats.
PIAA Class AAA Quarterfinals
GREENVILLE 0 14 0 13 27
LOCK HAVEN 6 0 0 8 14
SCORING PLAYS
LH -- Hanna 48 pass from Heintz (kick failed)
GR -- Korcinsky 1 run (Isacco kick)
GR -- Korcinsky 20 pass from Mason (Isacco kick)
GH -- Williams 60 pass from Mason (Isacco kick)
LH -- Rudolph 4 pass from Heintz (Rudolph pass from Heintz)
TEAM STATS
GREENVILLE LOCK HAVEN
13..........First downs..........11
197.......Rushing yards..........76
132.......rushing yards..........76
10-4-0.....Att-comp-int.....27-13-2
0-0.....Sacks-yards lost........1-6
329.......Total yards...........254
4-2.......Fumbles-lost..........3-2
5-45.....Penalties-yards lost..4-40
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Updated Nov. 23, 1996.