Published Sunday, Dec. 1, 1996
Steelers 14
Knights 10
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
REMATCH!
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FARRELL GOING BACK TO STATE TITLE CONTEST
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So. Columbia next for Steelers for 2nd straight year
By Brad Isles
Herald Sports Writer
WEXFORD, Pa. -- Late in the the game it seemed as though neither Farrell nor Moshannon Valley wanted the opportunity to meet Southern Columbia next Friday for the PIAA Class A championship.
On the wet turf at North Allegheny High School's Carl A. Newman Stadium, Farrell and the Knights traded turnovers the final four minutes of the game until the Steelers managed to convert a fourth-and-1 situation at their own 45-yard line, enabling them to run out the clock and get out of town with a 14-10 victory.
"This is crazy," Farrell coach Lou Falconi said. "(We) can't get points. The longer we don't score and donÕt get up on a team, the better the other team plays. We canÕt win big anymore."
No matter. At this state all the Steelers have to do is simply win.
For Farrell (13-1), it will be a rematch of last year's state title game. The Steelers beat Southern Columbia 6-0 at AltoonaÕs Mansion Park to capture the school's first state football championship.
The Tigers are advancing to their third-consecutive title game by virtue of a 19-12 win over Shenandoah Valley Friday night. Southern Columbia won the Class A championship in 1994.
Once again it was Jason Kennedy leading the way offensively for Farrell, notching his fourth 100-yard game in his last five outings with 199 years on 21 carries.
His 27-yard run at the 4:11 mark of the third quarter proved to be the game-winning score as he capped off a 9-play, 75-yard drive in which he carried the ball seven times.
After running for five yards on the first play of the drive, he went to the sideline after apparently injuring his shoulder. He missed two plays while the team trainers worked on him. He re-entered the game and carried the ball the next six plays for 55 yards and the score.
"I was ready to cry then," Falconi said of his reaction after Kennedy went to the sideline. "I was going to turn around the say, 'it's over, guys.' "
Since replacing the injured Carlos Daniels as FarrellÕs No. 1 running back five games ago, Kennedy has rushed for 638 yards on 103 carries and has scored five times.
Daniels, playing in his second game after recovering from a broken ankle, managed just four yards on seven carries.
Going into the game with nearly everybody healthy for the first time in recent memory, the Steelers paid a price for the win. Several players re-aggravated nagging injuries.
Derrick Newell didn't play in the second half after injuring his ankle while being tackled on a 65-yard pass reception. Willie Evans also got banged up and was nursing a bad shoulder and ankle. Daniels didn't carry the ball at all in the second half and played just defense. And Keygen Bryant also hurt his ankle.
Moshannon Valley (13-1) came out on its first possession immediately exploiting what may be Farrell's lone weakness on the field _ it's pass defense.
A predominately running team throughout the season, averaging 244 yards on the ground per contest, the Knights came out passing. Quarterback J.R. Baughman completed his first three passes _ a 10-yarder to Chris Tekely, a 42-yarder to Mike Keith and a 7-yarder to Tekely _ to give Mo Valley a first down at the Steelers' 13.
Keith, the Knight's leading rusher on the year with 1,882 yards entering the game, then managed just one yard on his first carry of the game. Farrell's secondary recovered from the shock of the first three plays to knock down Baughman's next two attempts and force a field goal attempt.
With the spot at the 17-yard line, kicker Adam Walstrom kicked his ninth field goal of the year to put the Knights up 3-0.
``We intended to do that,'' said coach Howie Camberg of his team's early passing attack. ``We wanted to get their defense taking a step backwards so they weren't attacking our run quite so much.''
Farrell took over for its second possession, but once again couldn't sustain a drive and was forced to punt.
Mo Valley got the ball at its own 48 and Baughman went to the air, but threw two incompletions around a Keith 3-yard run on second down. The Steelers' stingy defense forced a Tekely punt, but Chico Pinkins couldn't control the ball on the reception and Lee Krause recovered for the Knights at the Farrell 10.
On first down, Daniels sacked Baughman for a loss of 14 yards. Unfazed, Baughman hit a diving Tekely on the 4 for a 20-yard gain. On third down, Baughman rolled right on a bootleg and scored. Walstrom added the extra point and before Farrell even ran its 10th offensive play of the game, it trailed 10- 0.
Baughman was 12-of-24 for 143 yards on the day. He also had three interceptions which proved big late in the game. Tekely led all receivers with seven catches for 71 yards. On the ground, Keith could only manage 43 yards on 14 carries.
Following the score, the Steelers' next posession wasn't much different from the first. They went three-and- out.
``People haven't been able to run on us all year,'' Camberg said. ``We play so many people up on the line, we try to get them to run sideways instead of north and south. We executed our run defense very, very well.''
The Knights' third drive started the same way their first two had, with a pass, but this time they weren't so lucky. Newell, dropping back into coverage from his end position, stepped in front of the Baughman offering for the interception.
That defensive spark was all the Steelers' offense needed to get going.
Previously unable to get into the ``power game'' that led to the WPIAL championship a week ago against Riverview, the Steelers put together a 12- play drive, comprised entirely of runs, that Rennie Gash completed 42 yards later with a 6-yard scramble.
On the drive, the Steelers converted each of their four third-down attempts and ate off nearly seven minutes of the game clock. Gash made the extra point to pull Farrell to 10-7.
From there, Farrell's defense regained its composure, playing the defense that's enabled them to win so many close games of late. And the big plays came from an unlikely source _ it's secondary that was abused early in the game.
``That's a big plus,'' Falconi said. ``I tell the kids the toughest position on the field to play is defensive back. Because if you screw up one step, you're beat and the whole world wants to shoot you. It's a tough position to play.''
The Steelers' defense held the Knights to 48 yards passing and 76 yards rushing in the second half while thwarting three scoring attempts they had within Farrell's 25-yard line.
The first came with nine minutes left in the third quarter as a Baughman pass to Tekely on fourth-and-3 at the 25 fell incomplete. Kennedy's game winning score came on Farrell's ensuing possession.
The second, on fourth-and-19 from the 21, Baughman pitched to Keith in the backfield and he threw on an option- pass to Tekely, but Pinkins stepped in front of the receiver and picked it off with seven minutes left in the game.
The third, however, was the biggest as Gash intercepted a Baughman pass with 3 1/2 minutes to go on third-and- goal at the 10.
``We had the opportunities,'' Camberg said. ``We tried to do some different things, but Farrell's defense was up to the task. I thought we had a play for a touchdown but it ended up an interception. (Pinkins) came out of nowhere to make a great defensive play.''
Kennedy followed Gash's pick with a fumble to give the Knights the ball at the Farrell 32. Just as quickly, Keith fumbled on the next play after being hit by Daniels and Sim Harrison recovered, enabling Farrell to run out the clock.
``The kids just did a super job today,'' Camberg said. ``I'm just very, very proud of them. They worked so hard, and played with so much intensity. I just wish we wouldn't have turned the ball over so much in the second half.''
Notes: This will be Farrell's third trip to the state championship game. The Steelers lost a 21-13 decision to Marian Catholic in 1991. ... Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Friday. ... Looking ahead to his rematch with Southern Columbia, Falconi said: ``They're pretty big up front. They run the ball very well. I don't know if they're a passing team, but maybe they'll come out throwing.''
PIAA Class A Semifinal
MO VALLEY 10 0 0 0 10
FARRELL 0 7 7 0 14
Scoring plays
MV _ Walstrom 27 field goal MV _ Baugham 4 run (Walstrom kick) FA _ Gash 6 run (Gash kick) FA _ Kennedy 27 run (Gash kick)
Team stats
MO VALLEY FARRELL
11 First downs 11
95 Rushing yards 155
143 Passing yards 84
25-12-3 Att-comp-int 9-2-1
3-35 Sacks-yards lost 3-29
203 Total yards 210
2-1 Fumbles-lost 3-2
0-00 Penalties-yards lost 4-35
Individual stats
Rushing: MO VALLEY _ Keith 14-43, Baughman 5-30, Yarger 3-9, Tekely 2-13; FARRELL _ Kennedy 21-119, Bryant 6-19, Gash 8-17, Daniels 7-4, Wilder 1-3, Pinkins 1- (-7).
Passing: MO VALLEY _ Baughman 24- 12-2-143, Keith 1-0-1-0; FARRELL _ Gash 9- 2-1-84. Receiving: MO VALLEY _ Tekely 7-71, Alleman 4-30, Keith 1-42; FARRELL _ Newell 1-65, Pinkins 1-19.
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Updated Dec. 3, 1996.