Published Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997
BACK TO HERALD...
Steelers, 28, Bucs,3
Reborn Steelers continue to roll
By Ed Farrell
Herald Sports Writer
HOUSTON, Pa. _ Resiliency in the face of devastation characterizes many small western Pennsylvania ``boom towns'' of the once-prosperous steel industry that now remain only as mere remnants of a better time.
The type of resolve is personified in many communities' images, perhaps none moreso than Farrell, where the 2-time defending state champion high school football team remains untarnished.
Left for dead at midseason like so many steel-mill towns, the Steelers secured their seventh successive victory Friday night, a 28-3 WPIAL quarterfinal-round domination of previously undefeated Chartiers-Houston.
``Thank God we got a second chance,'' veteran Farrell head coach Lou Falconi admitted regarding his rejuvenated club's comeback bid from back-to- back midseason losses.
``I kind of blamed myself early in the year _ we were out of whack offensively; we were doing things we shouldn't have been doing,'' Falconi admitted.
``But I think now, they got the smell on their noses, you know?'' Falconi rhetorically asked. ``They can smell what's down the road, and I don't know if anybody's gonna stop us. I really ’feel confident about these kids, 'cause they're playing with heart, they're playing the way the last two teams played the last two years, and that's a great sign ... ''
Paced by the 21-carry, 238-yard, 2- touchdown performance of senior running back Jason Kennedy, Farrell (9-2), after spotting Chartiers-Houston a 3-0 first-quarter lead, dominated the contest's final 2 1/2 quarters.
After Sean Clayton's 20-yard, line- drive field goal provided the host Bucs (9-1) with the early edge, Farrell responded immediately with a 10- play, 79-yard drive that consumed 5:01.
Highlighting the march was a fourth-and-5 alley-oop pass play from quarterback Rennie Gash to tight end Melvin Gregory, who outleaped Chartiers-Houston's Mark Fazzolari and Cory Shaw to complete a 31-yard scoring strike.
Farrell maintained that 6-3 margin at intermission, then overcame a fumbled second half-opening kickoff by Lamar Claiborne when Gash intercepted Ed Malinowski's second-and- 13 pass less than a full minute into the third period.
On the Steelers' second play from scrimmage, Kennedy _ on what appeared to be a harmless dive play _ bounced outside, then sprinted down the far sideline, stepping through Malinowski's ill-fated tackle to complete an 87-yard scoring sprint. Marino Harris' 2-point conversion run afforded Farrell a 14-3 advantage.
Malinowski's nightmarish second half _ 1-for-11 passing, including three interceptions, while being sacked once by Demetreus Darden _ continued when Claiborne redeemed himself with a pickoff to preserve the Steelers' 11-point margin through three periods.
Less then five minutes into the final frame following a Buccaneers' punt, Kennedy provided all the insurance the Steelers would need when he again bounced outside an off-tackle play, this time sprinting 65 yards to paydirt. Gash's 2-point conversion run enabled Farrell to assume an insurmountable 22-3 bulge.
In the waning seconds following another Gash interception of Malinowski, Keygen Bryant, personifying Farrell's resiliency as he completes a comeback from a knee injury, burst in for a 2-yard score.
``The praise, I think, has gotta go to Jason Kennedy and the offensive line,'' Falconi offered from the postgame quagmire at midfield. ``This kind of a field condition, when you run the ball as hard as Jason does, straight ahead, he ain't gonna get it every time, 'cause of the conditions, but he did it enough.
``I can't say enough about Jason; I think he's the best back there is.''
``This is all about experience, fellas,'' Falconi said. ``I think the fact that we had seven or eight kids that played last year, and three of them started as sophomores, they know what it's all about to be in a big game.
`` ... But these kids played their hearts out and I can't be any prouder of 'em,'' Falconi emphasized.
``We've always talked about senior pride,'' Falconi (157-48-5) continued. ``This senior class _ we start 10 seniors one way, 9 the other way _ there's no secret, this has to be their year if they want to win a state championship. Next year is gonna be a total rebuilding year, but they know they have to do it this year.
``They want it for themselves,'' Falconi said, concluding, ``The other two teams that won the state championship, we said it was their senior class; now we gotta make it our senior class.''
Note: Farrell will meet Fort Cherry, a 15-0 victor over Clairton on Friday night, next weekend at a site and time to be announced.
