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Fort Cherry clinches playoff spot
A blocked extra point helped keep Chartiers-Houston out.
Backed up to their own three-yard line, the Bucs faced a third-and-10 trailing 15-9 midway through the fourth quarter. They traveled 97 yards in two plays, tying the score when Danial Lis threw a perfect pass to Seth Bell down the middle of the field. Bell beat two defenders to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown, and an extra point would've given Chartiers-Houston the lead.
The Bucs hadn't missed an extra point all season.
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The game went to overtime and Fort Cherry came away the victor when Alex Daniels kicked a 31-yard field goal in the second overtime for an 18-15 win.
"What a game," said Fort Cherry coach Tim Garry. "We're banged up. I'm so happy to get out of here with a win. The kids battled. Chartiers-Houston got so much better as the year went on. They would have been a nice representative from the Black Hills Conference. This is a tremendous win."
The victory, coupled with Serra Catholic's 39-7 loss to Clairton, clinched second place in the Black Hills Conference for Fort Cherry (5-2, 7-2). Chartiers-Houston (3-4, 5-4) could have made the playoffs if Burgettstown lost to Avella, but the Blue Devils earned a 21-13 victory to finish in fourth place.
"The kids gave everything they had," said Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko. "They left it on the field. Tonight was a total effort. I'm proud of the kids."
Both teams fumbled in the overtime session, and both came just before the runner was about to cross the goal line. The Bucs' proved costlier. Chartiers-Houston missed a potential game-winning field goal in the first overtime. Then, in the second overtime, Lis fumbled just shy of scoring to give Fort Cherry the ball and a chance to win.
The Rangers gained just one yard on two plays and Garry elected to attempt a field goal on third down. An illegal procedure penalty pushed the kick back five yards, but Daniels still drilled the 31-yard kick.
Fort Cherry had a golden opportunity to win the game late in regulation, forcing a bad punt when Chartiers-Houston was backed up to its own nine-yard line. Penalties prevented that as a holding penalty and two illegal procedures pushed Fort Cherry from the Chartiers-Houston 25 to the 47, and time expired.
"The kids are talented enough to make plays, but at the same time, their youth can get them into trouble sometimes," Garry said. "I think that was evident tonight. We made some mistakes."
While Garry has a week to correct his team's mistakes, Fetsko has to say goodbye to the seniors and look to next season.
"I told the kids this is a life lesson tonight to prove you can get through anything," said Fetsko. "Sometimes it doesn't turn out the way you want it to turn out, but you continue to fight and believe you can get through anything."
Lis is one of the reasons Fetsko can look ahead and smile. The sophomore quarterback completed 7-of-11 passes for 174 yards and rushed for another 79 yards on 19 attempts. His 23-yard touchdown run, a shifty scramble on the Bucs' first drive, tied the score at 7-7.
Gary Kiefer had put the Rangers in front just two plays into the game when he broke a 53-yard touchdown run. He finished with 148 yards on 26 carries and also had a two-yard touchdown.
One negative for Fort Cherry is the loss of Jordan Crowley, who, along with Mike Silla and Richards, opened plenty of running room for Kiefer. Crowley injured his knee late in the second quarter and Garry is not sure if Crowley will be available next week.
Crowley is one of just four seniors on Fort Cherry's roster.
"We have a young, young group, and to take second place, we have to be pleased with that," Garry said.
