Published Saturday, Dec. 6, 1997
BACK TO HERALD...
Sharpsville's Brad Watson (25) holds the ball aloft in the end zone moments after teammates Tom McMath and Jim Tucker caused Riverside quarterback Harry Armstrong to cough up the ball at the goal line for what would have been a go-ahead score for the Vikings with 5:29 remaining in the game. (David E. Dale/Herald)
Blue Devils 10, Vikings 7
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBAL PLAYOFFS
Devils are divine
* * *
Sharpsville wins state `A' championship
* * *
UNDERDOG DEVILS COP SCHOOL'S 1st STATE TEAM TITLE
Herald Sports Writer
ALTOONA _ If you enjoyed the movie ``Hoosiers,'' only then can you fully appreciate what it's like living in the community of Sharpsville today.
Whereas the film is a depiction of art imitating life, the Sharpsville High School football team's 10-7 PIAA Class A championship-clinching victory over Riverside Friday afternoon at Altoona's Mansion Park Stadium is life imitating art, as the overachieving underdog triumphed on the most glorious of stages.
``I told everybody a long time ago,'' Sharpsville head coach Paul Piccirilli related. ``In the playoffs, you've gotta be very good, you've gotta be very lucky, and you've gotta have help from somewhere else. And we got it today.''
Sharpsville's date with destiny arrived at approximately 4:19 p.m. With Riverside driving toward the potential go-ahead touchdown with 5:29 remaining in the final frame, quarterback Harry Armstrong _ failing to see his coaches frantically signalling from the sideline for a timeout _ optioned right on a third-and-goal play from the Blue Devils' 2-yard line. However, Armstrong fumbled at the 1 after being high-lowed by Tom McMath and Jim Tucker, and the ball was recovered in the end zone by Sharpsville's Brad Watson. The touchback stopped the drive and the Blue Devils took over at their own 20-yard line.
Ultimately, Riverside was able to regain possession at its own 28-yard line after coercing a punt. But on a second-and-10 situation from the Blue Devils' 46-yard line and only 24 seconds remaining, Brad Sarchet pilfered an Armstrong aerial, preserving the initial state team title in Sharpsville High School annals.
 Blue Devils' defender Tom McMath drops Riverside quarterback Harry Armstrong for a loss. (David E. Dale/Herald) |
Sharpsville limited Riverside _ which entered the contest averaging 351.7 yards and 39.1 points per contest _ to 251 total yards and only Armstrong's 29-yard touchdown toss to Mark Jones three seconds prior to the end of the first frame. Armstrong, a career 4,000-yard passer entering the contest, was pressured into a 16-for-31, 152-yard afternoon and was intercepted twice and sacked once by Sharpsville's bedeviling defense. And Armstrong's backfield mate, career 4,000-yard rusher Jeremy Ransom, also was shackled, gaining just 46 yards on 21 totes and fumbling once while being limited to 28 yards on a dozen second-half carries.
Riverside committed four turnovers, and its handful of second-half possessions ended, respectively, in a punt; Brad Watson's interception of Armstrong; another punt; Armstrong's goal-line fumble, and Sarchet's pickoff of Armstrong's final pass.
Despite being limited to 97 total first-half yards by Riverside, the Blue Devils rallied to within 7-3 at the intermission as placekicker Aaron VanZanten made history. A 17-play, 52-yard Sharpsville drive that consumed 4:41 ended with a fourth-and-goal situation from Riverside's 6-yard line with 51 seconds remaining in the half. Piccirilli called on VanZanten _ who launched a game-winning field goal two weeks ago in the Western Regional semifinals against Bellwood-Antis _ and he drilled a 25-yard field goal, the first in PIAA Class A championship game annals, according to state officials.
 Brian Watson sprints for the end zone with Sharpsville's lone TD after a 28-yard pass from John Napotnik./b> (David E. Dale/Herald) |
On a third-and-14 play from his own 44-yard line, Sharpsville senior signal-caller John Napotnik connected with Mark Ramsey for 16 yards and a first down at the Vikings' 28-yard line. Ramsey adjusted to the underthrown aerial and out-leaped Riverside's Ryan Oustrich. Then on the ensuing play, Napotnik drilled a pass over the middle that was narrowly missed being intercepted by John Jezorwski and gathered in by Blue Devil Brian Watson inside the 10. The senior then spun and sprinted untouched into the end zone to complete the scoring strike, and VanZanten's conversion kick with 2:03 remaining in the quarter concluded the contest's scoring.
``It was awesome! Just catching the ball and running into the end zone was great!'' Watson said of his game-winning TD reception. ``It was a `Skinny post,' with the wide-out doing an `out' (pattern). ... I knew I was gonna get the ball! I was ready. I was waiting for it. I knew I had to make a play!'' Watson excitedly recalled from Sharpsville's jublilant locker room. ``I just went for the ball and snagged it away.''
Perhaps no one better typified the Blue Devils' status as undersized underdogs than the pair of ``Mighty Mites'' _ seniors McMath and Mike Germano _ each of whom has already experienced success on the wrestling mat but basked in the glow of sharing in a team title.
``We've been working at it since June ... I mean, last year after we lost District 10 (in overtime to Cambridge Springs), we knew we were gonna have something,'' McMath began. ``We don't have one unathletic senior on this team, and that helps us out tremendously.
``You've just gotta go out with your heart and play your hardest,'' the 150-pound McMath, who overcame a damaged medial collateral knee ligament sustained a few weeks ago, continued, ``You don't have to be big. If you're quick, you've just gotta suck it up, lift weights and stay strong and healthy, and you'll be all right.''
``This feels awesome!'' Germano echoed. ``The great thing is, this is my last game I'll ever play football, and I'm a state champion in football. That's the best thing about it: Last game you're ever gonna play and you're a state champ.''
 Devils quarterback John Naptonik looks for running room. (David E. Dale/Herald) |
``You know what's amazing?'' Piccirilli rhetorically asked. ``The linebackers go 5-6, 145 to 150 pounds, and they come up and they have an uncanny ability to just smack you. I can't explain it. That comes from within them; you don't teach that. We're very blessed with a lot of good athletes.''
 Coach Paul Piccirilli talks with the media after the victory. (David E. Dale/Herald) |
``Like nothing else I've ever felt _ unbelievable! Really unbelievable!'' Piccirilli responded to a question, later adding,
``This season's gonna continue until next year, just for the after-effects. I'm bushed, my staff's bushed. The players _ we cried this week 'cause we knew this was our last practice _ but what a way to end up on.
``I told (the seniors) I loved them very much; they mean everything to me. We're a football family,'' Piccirilli continued. ``If they every need anything in their life, because of the work they did for me, I will bend over backwards to do anything they'll ever need.''
PIAA Class A Championship
SHARPSVILLE 0 3 0 7 10
RIVERSIDE 7 0 0 0 7
Scoring plays
R _ M. Jones, 29 pass from Armstrong (McNulty kick)
S _ VanZanten 25 field goal
S _ Bri. Watson, 28 pass from Jo. Napotnik (VanZanten kick)
Attendance _ 3,409
Team stats
SHARPSVILLE RIVERSIDE
11.......First downs.......15
113.......Rushing yards.......99
104.......Passing yards.......152
20-7-0.......Att-comp-int.......31-16-2
1-3.......Sacks-yards lost.......1-4
217.......Total yards.......251
1-1.......Fumbles-lost.......4-2
9-84.......Penalties-yards lost.......8-51
Individual stats
Rushing:
RIVERSIDE _ Ransom 21-46, Armstrong 6-30, Gronksi 3-15, M. Jones 1-8;
SHARPSVILLE _ Ju. Napotnik 19-62, Jo. Napotnik 9-41, Lucas 2-7,
Brian Watson 3-3.
Passing:
RIVERSIDE _ Armstrong 31-16-2-152;
SHARPSVILLE _ Jo. Napotnik 20-7-0-104.
Receiving:
RIVERSIDE _ Gallagher 6-62, B. Jones 3-24, Ransom 3-4,
M. Jones 2-41, Oustrich 2-21;
SHARPSVILLE _ Ramsey 4-69, Brian Watson 2-30, Ju. Napotnik 1-5.
