Nov 4, 2016 4 min read

BURGETTSTOWN – Burgettstown coach Mark Druga knew a golden opportunity was there for his Blue Devils after Monday night’s WPIAL playoff pairings for Class AA, even though some did not believe it was deserved.

After 48 minutes of play, those who were in doubt had been made into believers.

The Blue Devils hosted the first home playoff game in school history as the No. 6 seed in the WPIAL Class AA playoffs Friday night against Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. Although it looked like a mismatch in size and skill, the underdog Blue Devils fought tooth and nail before falling 14-7 before a huge crowd at Hill Memorial Field.

“People in the WPIAL criticized us for having a home game,” Druga said after embracing some of his senior players. “I think North Catholic sees that we deserved it tonight.”

Playing in an electric environment, the Blue Devils matched the Trojans blow for blow along the line of scrimmage for much of the evening. It was an atmosphere that most likely impressed Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and former linebacker now outside linebackers coach Joey Porter, who were both in attendance watching their sons play for the Trojans (7-4).

Where Burgettstown (4-6) had trouble was dealing with the Trojans athleticism on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Joey Porter Jr. caught four passes for 53 yards and two scores. Mario Latronica added 75 yards on 15 carries for the visitors.

“That’s a great team we played tonight,” Druga said. “They are awfully quick on the outside and made it hard for us. My hat’s off to coach (Jason) Gildon and his staff.”

The Trojans speed in the secondary played a key factor in sealing the win. With 1:41 left and the Blue Devils on the move, William Gipson stepped in front of Ryan Lounder and intercepted a Brad McLaughlin throw, ending the contest and the season for the hosts.

Three plays earlier, it looked like the Blue Devils would pull the upset after McLaughlin found Jared John for a 43-yard gain to midfield on third-and-18. But Gipson’s heads-up play squashed that notion.

Gipson came on in the second half to replace Ryan Maziarz at quarterback. He finished with 47 yards rushing and 19 yards passing. But it was his 11-yard scoring toss to Porter midway through the third quarter that provided the winning margin.

The winning score was set up after Lounder fumbled deep in Burgettstown territory. Nikhai Hill-Green recovered for the Trojans, swinging momentum from the hosts.

McLaughlin, who finished with 160 yards passing, gave the Blue Devils life early in the second half when he found Lounder for a 56-yard scoring strike. The touchdown brought the partisan crowd to their feet as Reed Reitter’s kick knotted the score at 7-7.

Lounder reeled in three passes for 75 yards for the Blue Devils.

“I can’t say enough about Brad,” Druga said. “He was the heart and soul for us this year.”

Both teams showed their defensive mettle in the first half of the contest. Bryan Krynak and Josh Noce notched sacks of Trojans starting quarterback Maziarz, while the Trojans thwarted the Blue Devils’ ground game.

“Our defensive fought its tail off,” Druga said. “Every time we got in a hole, they dug out.”

Porter’s first touchdown reception, courtesy of an 11-yard pass from Maziarz, gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead at the end first quarter. It would stand as the only score of the half.

Even with the outcome decidedly not what he wanted, Druga understood what a game meant to his program and the community at large.

“I think you saw that football is back here in a big way,” Druga said. “This was a community wide effort and event. I cannot be more proud than I am now.”