Hickory’s defense makes right calls
The details of last year’s PIAA Class AA semifinal game at Slippery Rock University’s Mihalik-Thompson Stadium haunted Hickory head coach Bill Brest since the Hornets lost to South Fayette, 23-20.
Hickory tried everything to stop the Lions’ offense. The Hornets dropped as many as 10 players in pass coverage and Brest even admitted to stealing South Fayette’s play-call signals.
His coaching staff knew every play the Lions were running and it showed. South Fayette senior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh completed 22 of 36 passes for 179 yards and no touchdowns. Hickory built a 14-9 lead at halftime, but to combat the Hornets’ strategy, the Lions used draw plays with running back Grant Fetchet, who scored the game-winning touchdown.
As Brest prepares to face South Fayette in the semifinals at Slippery Rock for the second consecutive year, how often has he watched the video from last year’s loss?
“I’ve probably watched that film 365 times,” Brest said bluntly. “There’s what, 365 days in a year, right? They won the football game. They were the better team. They deserved to be state champs, but there were some things we did – shame on us – and it’s not the fault of anybody. We left six points on the field. Who knows what would have happened? I’ve asked myself that.”
South Fayette scored a safety in the second quarter when defensive lineman Ben Berkovitz forced a fumble, Hickory quarterback Matt Voytik picked it up in his own end zone and Anthony Davidson tackled him.
The Hornets also missed a field goal and an extra point in the fourth quarter.
When it faces South Fayette (14-0) today at 1 p.m., Hickory (11-2) will need to avoid mistakes to end the Lions’ 30-game winning streak and earn the program’s first trip to the state championship game.
The Hornets figured out how to limit South Fayette’s offense last year. The Lions’ 23 points are their lowest output during the winning streak. The Hickory game also is the last time Brumbaugh did not throw a touchdown pass.
South Fayette senior tight end Logan Sharp remembers the feeling of Hickory anticipating his every move. When Sharp ran a short route, he was jammed at the line of scrimmage by a defensive lineman dropping back into pass coverage.
The Lions are ready for the inevitable. They anticipate Hickory to attempt the same gimmicks with a few changes, but finding room underneath coverage and trusting Brumbaugh to find the open receiver is all they can do.
Having junior running back Hunter Hayes also helps. Hayes has rushed for almost 1,600 yards with 29 touchdowns in his first year as the starting tailback.
“They knew our plays, but teams have known our plays this season and they still can’t stop us,” Sharp said. “The way we run our routes and the way Brumbaugh throws the ball, there’s no way another team can stop us. We don’t mind it as much now, but last year it was frustrating knowing they were looking at the sideline and knowing every play.”
Stopping Brumbaugh is one of many concerns for Brest. Brumbaugh is 105 yards away from being the state’s all-time leading passer and the Duquesne University commit has thrown 39 touchdowns this season. Though Brest’s defense was able to frustrate Brumbaugh last year, he believes Hickory will face an improved passer today. Brest said Brumbaugh’s mechanics have improved, he’s throwing with more velocity and has adopted a quicker release.
Though scheming against the pass is paramount, Hayes is a major concern for Hickory.
“The thing that makes South Fayette go offensively is their run game,” Brest said. “Everyone wants to talk about their passing game, but their run game really impresses us. When you have a quarterback with over 10,000 career passing yards and they throw a run game like that at you, then it’s very difficult.”
The formula for stopping both starts with junior safety Andrew Pryts, who holds scholarship offers from several major Division I programs, including Penn State, West Virginia and Pitt. He leads the Hornets in tackles and has three interceptions.
“They are one of the strongest defenses we’ll face all year. I feel like their main concern is probably stopping our passing game, so we’ll be able to step up in the run with Hunter,” sophomore wide receiver Dan Trimbur said.
South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi said he and his coaching staff got a good look at Hickory in the PIAA quarterfinals last Saturday. After the Lions’ win over Karns City Friday night, Rossi and most of his assistant coaches stayed overnight in DuBois to watch the Hornets’ game against Tyrone.
They left DuBois impressed by Hickory’s offense and defense, which did not lose many starters from last season.
“They definitely have some talent. They have a lot of kids back from last year,” Rossi said. “That’s why they’re at where they are right now. We matched the film up and there’s not much of a difference. They’re a strong football team. It’s going to be a great game.”