CCHS Football Game Results

Friday, October 22, 2010

New Cumberland (WV) Oak Glen 28, Steubenville Catholic Central 6

WRAP-UP from steubenvillecentralcrusaders.com, published 10/27/2010

Crusaders Look to Play Spoiler Against Oak Glen

Written by Mario Saggio

Steubenville Catholic Central will make the trek across the Ohio River Friday night to take on the 5-3 Oak Glen Golden Bears. While the Crusaders will be playing for pride, the Golden Bears are battling for a playoff spot.

Oak Glen currently stands at 17th, just outside the playoff qualifiers, in the WVSSAC Class AA standings. The Golden Bears will try to rebound from a 32-12 loss at Ohio playoff contender East Liverpool last Friday. Oak Glen led the Potters 12-6 at the half before the Potters’ second-half outburst secured the victory.

Hoping for a return trip to the West Virginia state playoffs, Tony Filberto is in his third year at the helm of the Golden Bear program. He has compiled a 16-13 record, including the Golden Bears’ first playoff berth since 1993 last season.

This is Filberto’s second go-around as head coach in Newell, having led the Golden Bears from 1977 to 1982.

Oak Glen returned 14 starters from last year’s 6-5 squad, including eight on offense.

Headlining those returnees on offense is 2009 All-Stater Chance Rowland. A 6-0, 205-pound senior tailback, Rowland has rushed for over 1,000 yards and 21 touchdowns, to go with his 20 receptions.

Versatile Shane Koper, a 5-8, 165-pound senior, can play various positions, including quarterback, flanker and running back. Last week, he tallied 81 yards and a score on 13 carries, while also catching two passes for 50 yards.

Sophomore Justin Stivason (6-0, 215), the Golden Bears’ other signal-caller, completed four of 10 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown last week.

6-2, 203-pound junior split end Lucas McDowell was on the receiving end of that scoring pass against the Potters. He, along with flanker Mike DeFelice (5-7, 160) and tight end Phil Poling (5-10, 193), both seniors, are the main targets when Oak Glen does put the ball in the air.

Zack Staley, a 6-0, 213-pound sophomore, provides depth at tight end.

5-10, 173-pound sophomore Tyler Steed and 6-1, 223-pound junior Dylan Davis have both seen time at fullback.

A pair of seniors, 6-3, 235-pound Cory Evans and 6-1, 226-pound Matt Valenti, spearhead the Golden Bears’ offensive front from their tackle spots. 5-10, 186-pound senior Vince Walker provides depth.

Another senior, 5-9, 220-pound Dalton Davis, along with 5-10, 207-pound sophomore Nathan Wright, line up at guard. 5-10, 175-pound junior Dylan Powell centers the Oak Glen line.

Defensively, Powell and Dalton Davis are the ends in the Golden Bears’ four-man front, along with Walker and 5-10, 187-pound junior Ethan Deletka who, along with Powell, had fumble recoveries for touchdowns against Weir High in week six.

Evans and 6-0, 240-pound sophomore Preston Murray hold down the interior line.

Davis and Rowland are the Golden Bears’ inside linebackers, with help from Poling, while McDowell and Stead roam the outside.

In the secondary, Koper and DeFelice are the corners, with Clayton Flowers, a 5-6, 135-pound sophomore, spelling Rowland at the safety spot.

Catholic Central, meanwhile, is coming off a heartbreaking 14-12 Homecoming loss to previously winless Weir High last Saturday at Harding Stadium. The defeat dropped the Crusaders to 1-7.

The Crusaders scored with 3:39 left in the game, but a two-point conversion pass to tie was batted down in the end zone. An ensuing onside kick attempt was recovered by Weir High and a last-gasp pass attempt by the Crusaders was intercepted as time expired.

Despite the loss, quarterback Brenton Colabella threw for a season and career high 249 yards on 16 of 31 passing. The 6-0, 165-pound freshman has thrown for over 750 yards and three touchdowns through eight games.

Included in last week’s total were a 10-yard scoring pass to Brannt Pieniazek. The 5-11, 175-pound junior has snagged all three of Colabella’s scoring passes this season, while totaling over 300 yards receiving.

Against Weir, Colabella connected again with his favorite target for a 52-yard gain that set up junior tailback Jon Emmerling’s one-yard touchdown run in those final minutes.

Pieniazek ended the night with five receptions for 93 yards, while Emmerling totaled 45 yards on 22 carries. Emmerling has rushed for 330 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Crusader rushing attack through eight games.

Colabella spread the wealth on Saturday, completing passes to five different teammates besides Pieniazek and Emmerling, who caught four passes for 63 yards.

Senior fullback Cody Lynskey (5-10, 180) and sophomore wideout Zach Herrington (6-1, 160) had two receptions each. Tight ends Collin Valero, a 5-10, 165-pound senior, and Jimmy Panella, a 5-10, 180-pound junior, caught one pass apiece, as did 5-10, 155-pound sophomore wideout Michael Carapellotti.

Defensively, Emmerling and Valero both had fumble recoveries, while Panella and junior defensive end Jordan Piergallini (6-1, 205) also produced strong efforts for the Crusader stop troops.

The return of 5-10, 195-pound junior Stephen Callaway from an injury bolstered the efforts of the Crusader defensive front.

Lynskey continued to anchor the Central linebacking corps while Pieniazek had a key pass breakup on a fourth-down pass attempt, as well as a touchdown-saving tackle from behind on a long run by Weir High fullback Andy Marshall.

Friday night’s game in Newell will mark the first-ever meeting between the Crusaders and Golden Bears. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Oak Glen Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive With Win Over Central

Written by Mario Saggio

The Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders traveled to Newell Friday night looking to spoil Oak Glen’s late-season bid for a berth in the WVSSAC Class AA playoffs. The Golden Bears had other plans, though, jumping out to a 22-0 lead and cruising to a 28-6 win that not only kept their playoff hopes alive but put their destiny in their own hands.

In handing the Crusaders their eighth loss in nine games, Tony Filberto’s squad improved to 6-3 and moved from 17th to 14th in the West Virginia AA playoff race. A win in their regular-season finale against Magnolia would put them into the postseason.

Tailback Chance Rowland led a potent running attack that staked the Bears to an early lead that they never relinquished. Oak Glen took the opening kickoff and mounted an eight-play, 53-yard drive that quarterback Shane Koper capped off with a seven-yard run, as well as toting in the two-point conversion.

The Bears then forced a three-and-out on Central’s first possession and took over on their own 36 after a Crusader punt. Twelve plays later, all on the ground, Rowland notched his first touchdown of the night on a six-yard jaunt. The 6-0, 205-pound senior added the conversion run to make the score 16-0 with one second left in the opening quarter.

The Crusaders took over on their own 32 after the ensuing Oak Glen kickoff and, behind the passing of freshman quarterback Brenton Colabella, moved to the Oak Glen eight-yard line. The drive stalled, though, after a false start penalty and a bad snap led to a fourth-and-long pass attempt that fell incomplete.

Taking over at their own 29, Oak Glen went on a 13-play drive, all but two of them on the ground, that resulted in Rowland’s second touchdown run of the night, this time from three yards out. The Bears’ two-point conversion attempt failed, keeping their lead at 22-0 with 4:43 remaining in the first half.

Central came right back with a six-play, 66-yard scoring drive of their own, bolstered by senior fullback Cody Lynskey’s 23-yard run off a direct snap. Colabella would then find junior wideout Brannt Pieniazek in the back of the end zone on a 14-yard scoring pass with 2:21 left in the half. Pieniazek was stopped short of the goal line after taking an end around on the two-point conversion attempt.

Gregg Bahen’s squad then attempted an onside kick but the Golden Bears were able to cover the kick on their own 45-yard line. The hosts then moved deep into Crusader territory and took several shots at the end zone but the Central secondary was up to the task and turned Oak Glen away as the half ended.

Seemingly with momentum on their side, the visiting Crusaders took possession on their own 30 after the second-half kickoff. Looking to catch the Golden Bears off guard, Central looked to throw a halfback pass but the Oak Glen defense got to Jordan Piergallini before he could throw and forced a fumble that was recovered by Jordan Murray at the Crusader 20-yard line.

Rowland burst off the right side for 16 yards on first down and reached paydirt on the next play, increasing Oak Glen’s lead to 28-6 just 55 seconds into the third quarter. Koper’s pass on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.

Although neither team would score again, the home-standing Bears would drive deep into Central territory twice more. However, Pieniazek batted down a fourth-down end zone pass to stop the first threat, and sophomore Harley Ehrman recovered a fumble to end the other.

The Golden Bears racked up 305 yards on 64 rushes, despite being penalized 14 times for 130 yards. Rowland finished the night with 170 yards on 30 carries, while Koper added 76 yards on 16 carries, and Dylan Davis 38 yards on nine carries.

Koper completed three of eight passes for 58 yards, while Justin Stivason added 25 yards on two of seven passing.

Rowland caught two passes for 37 yards, while Koper, Davis and Lucas McDowell each added receptions.

For the Crusaders, Colabella completed 14 of 26 passes for 101 yards, connecting three times each with Lynskey and junior tailback Jon Emmerling.

Pieniazek, senior Collin Valero and sophomore Michael Carapellotti had two receptions apiece, while junior Stephen Mihalyo and sophomore Zach Herrington both added receptions.

The Crusader ground game was only able to manage 44 yards on 15 rushes. Lynskey and Emmerling carried four times each, for 30 and 29 yards, respectively.

Oak Glen will host Magnolia, who is 8-0 and currently ranked second in the WVSSAC Class AA standings, Friday night at 7:30.

The Crusaders will close out the season Saturday night at 7:30, hosting Leavittsburg LaBrae at Harding Stadium. The Vikings enter the game at 4-5, coming off a 28-21 win over Girard.