Peters Township drops thriller
McMURRAY – The Peters Township football team’s season could’ve come down to one play.
Desperately needing a win to keep alive what playoff hopes remained for the Indians but trailing by seven points late in the game, senior quarterback Cory Owen’s Hail Mary attempt into the end zone fell incomplete, and Peters Township came up on the wrong end of a thrilling, but ultimately disappointing 24-17 loss to Baldwin Friday night in a WPIAL Class AAAA Southeastern Conference game.
Mathematically, the loss might not have eliminated the Indians, but regardless of Friday’s outcome and its implications, coach Rich Piccinini is determined his team isn’t going anywhere.
“We’re not quitters,” said Piccinini. “Whether we’re out of it or not, we have to play the rest of the games. We’re a playoff program four years in a row. If we don’t go this year, we’re back on the horse next year.”
The final minutes of the game proved to be a roller coaster of emotions for the Indians. After Baldwin missed a field goal that would’ve stretched its lead to 20-14, Peters Township (1-5, 2-5) marched down the field and kicked a tying field goal from 22 yards to tie the game at 17-17 with 1:23 to play.
Peters Township’s momentum lasted 11 seconds.
On the ensuing kickoff, Vince Persichetti found an opening and rumbled 67 yards. A sideline penalty on Baldwin gave the Highlanders (1-4, 2-5) the ball at the Peters Township 32-yard line.
After another costly penalty against the Indians, quarterback Doug Altavilla dropped a perfectly thrown pass into the arms of Josh Zinsmeister in the corner of the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown and what proved to be the game-winning score.
“A play before that, (Persichetti) had a little letdown, but he didn’t hang his head,” said Baldwin coach Pete Wagner. “Big-time throw from Doug.”
The Highlanders were in the same position as the Indians but entered Friday’s contest with a worse record. A win would serve as a lifesaver and suddenly make Baldwin more likely to play in the postseason. Baldwin now leapfrogs Peters Township in the conference standings and has put itself in position to potentially be the final playoff team into the Class AAAA field.
“They knew going in it was a do or die situation,” said Wagner. “It’s a much-needed win for our program.”
Self-inflicted mistakes ultimately cost Peters Township. In addition to two second-half turnovers, the Indians committed 11 penalties for 115 yards, including four personal fouls and a 15-yard face-mask on Baldwin’s winning drive.
“It always makes it harder,” said Piccinini. “We had a really good second half, but the penalties and miscues got us a little bit.”
The Indians trailed by 10 at halftime, but their defense stepped up in a big way in the second half, limiting Baldwin to 50 total yards after halftime. That allowed the offense to wear down the Highlanders on defense and eventually force the tied score.
Altavilla completed nine of 14 passes for 129 yards and was Baldwin’s leading rusher with 72 yards on 22 carries. Zinsmeister caught six passes for 97 yards.
After a slow start, Owen completed 12 of 20 passes for 164 yards, with Clayton Yeates hauling in five catches for 103 yards. T.J. Kpan gained 72 yars on 16 carries.