Bishop Canevin’s big plays stop Bucs
Chartiers-Houston’s A.J.Myers finds a hole Friday against Bishop Canevin.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Bishop Canevin’s Nate Jancosko,througs to pass as Chartiers-Houston’s Spencer Terling tries to run him down at Chartiers-Houston on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.
Chartiers-Houston’s Tyrone Wormsley runs for a touchdown Friday against Bishop Canevin.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Chartiers-Houston’s head coachTerry Fetskc, talks to players Ethan Shober ,left,and Tyrone Wormsley during a game against Bishop Canevin at Chartiers-Houston on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Chartiers-Houston’s T.J Johnston passes to Spencer Terling, during a game against Bishop Canevin at Chartiers-Houston on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015.
HOUSTON – The calendar just flipped to October, but based on the Chartiers-Houston vs. Bishop Canevin football game, it could’ve been Friday the 13th.
For starters, a drone flown by Bishop Canevin staff members crashed into the end zone early in the second quarter. No players were around at the time.
Later, a Crusaders punt traveled negative-1 yard. Not counting a return. The ball traveled roughly 10 yards through the air then took a huge bounce backwards before Canevin players downed the ball.
There were multiple plays of more than 30 yards, but few drives with multiple first downs. It was big play or bust.
In the end, it was Bishop Canevin who made the most big plays, some painful, and earned an important 26-17 victory in the Black Hills Conference Friday night, knocking off a Chartiers-Houston team that hoped to build momentum following two straight wins.
“I told the kids before we came out on the field this was a playoff game,” said Crusaders head coach Darren Schoppe. “It was a must-win.”
One of the key plays came early in the fourth quarter, with the Bucs (1-3, 2-3) clinging to a 17-12 lead. A bad sequence for C-H – a block in the back penalty nullifying a huge gain, a sack, and 18-yard punt – gave the Crusaders possession at the C-H 24-yard line.
On third-and-6, Austin Scott fired a pass over the middle to Donovan Leckie, who somehow managed to hang on to the ball despite being drilled by Cody Scears. Leckie was down for several moments, but his touchdown and the subsequent two-point conversion put Canevin (2-1, 3-2) ahead 20-17.
It was Leckie’s only catch of the game, but the junior made it count.
“He takes shots in practice and he catches them then, too, so I’m not surprised he made the catch,” said Schoppe.
The Crusaders’ momentum was short-lived. On the ensuing kickoff, Tyrone Wormsley, who scored on a 41-yard jet sweep to open the scoring, found a seam and went 64 yards to set up Char-Houston at the Canevin 19. A pass interference penalty on third down extended the Bucs’ drive, which went to the 3 before a post-play personal foul penalty backed them right back up to the 18 on fourth down.
That kind of distance isn’t a problem for Bucs kicker Mike Cushma, but his field goal try of 36 yards had no chance against the big rush of Bishop Canevin, which blocked the kick to preserve the 3-point lead.
“We had some bad execution in some plays that are routine for us and we had some untimely penalties,” said C-H coach Terry Fetsko. “We did some things that are uncharacteristic for us.”
Following the block, the Crusaders gained one first down before punting back to the Bucs, but two straight incompletions led to a turnover on downs. Bishop Canevin proceeded to drive down the field for a touchdown that sealed the victory on Scott’s second 1-yard touchdown run of the game.
“It’s difficult, especially because we played well enough to win,” Fetsko said. “It’s not the end of the season. We have to play out the rest of the season and play as well as we can, and the playoffs will take care of itself.”
Scott accounted for four touchdowns for the Crusaders, rushing for two and throwing for two. Sean Fitzgerald caught four passes for 101 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Amaan Bridgett rushed for 89 yards on 18 carries, though 36 came on one play.
Spencer Terling never found running room for the Bucs, gaining only 38 yards on 20 attempts.