Derry outruns McGuffey, ends Highlanders’ playoff hopes
DERRY – After leading by two points at halftime, McGuffey was outscored 22-0 in the second half by host Derry and lost 48-28.
With the loss, McGuffey (4-3, 6-4) is eliminated from WPIAL Class AAA playoff contention while Derry (6-1, 9-1) clinched a playoff berth out of the Interstate Conference.
For McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton, losing a game that could have given McGuffey a spot in the playoffs is tough, especially when it’s to a team he sees as beatable.
“We don’t really think they’re that good,” Dalton said. “We don’t think they’re that physical. They beat us on the edge, so give them credit, but we watched their film. We didn’t grade them that high. We thought we could win here. I mean they’re OK, but I don’t think they’re anything like they were last year. They’re a C-plus (team).”
On defense, the Highlanders weren’t able to contain the speedy rushing attack of Derry, who was also missing its top running back, Colton Nemcheck.
Shawn Broadway ran for 116 yards and two scores, while also catching a screen pass and running 30 yards for a receiving score, to lead the Trojans offense. Three other Trojans also added rushing touchdowns, as Justin Flack ran for two touchdowns, Onreey Stewart ran for one and quarterback Ryan Polinsky rushed for one and threw for a score.
“We just didn’t play well. We didn’t set the edge. I don’t know if it was (their) speed as it was we just didn’t do our jobs,” Dalton said. “I’ve got to give them credit, I guess, but I just don’t think we played with a lot of discipline.”
Taking away McGuffey’s last four plays of the game in garbage time, the Highlander offense had negative yards of offense in the second half, turning the ball over once and sophomore quarterback Marshall Whipkey being sacked four times for a total of negative 35 yards.
“You can’t take sacks,” Dalton said. “He had some early heat and sometimes the young guys will have their eyes down instead of where they need to be.”
While the Highlanders offense struggled in the second half, they were hindered by several penalties against them, three of which came on first down plays.
The one that hurt the most, Dalton said, was a 56-yard run from running back Christian Clutter when the Highlanders were down by two scores late in the third quarter. The run put McGuffey in the red zone and could have given them a chance to pull within one score, if not for the holding penalty on the play.
“All of the calls from their sideline,” Dalton said. “Sometimes that’s a little suspicious when the same guy on the other team’s sideline always makes the call. I just don’t like that.”
To make matters worse, the long run would have given Clutter 1,000 yards on the season. Clutter, who finished the game with 56 rushing yards and three touchdowns, ended the season with 968 yards rushing.
The first half was a back-and-forth, offensive showing, with only two possessions not ending in touchdowns.
Outside of Clutter’s three first half scores, Whipkey also ran in a 1-yard QB sneak.
Broadway also scored three first half touchdowns for the Trojans. The first two were rushing plays of 4 and 25 yards, respectively, and the third was a 30-yard screen pass and catch from Polinsky.
Trailing 28-26 to start the second half, a long kickoff return by Broadway set up a 4-yard touchdown run from Flack, his second of the game, to give his team the lead.
Dom DeLuca then intercepted a Whipkey screen pass in McGuffey territory to set up a 1-yard plunge from Stewart, who ran for 64 yards on 19 carries. Polinsky followed by capping the game’s scoring with a 1-yard QB sneak.
While it’s the end of the season for Dalton and McGuffey, it’s also the end of many football careers, as the Highlanders graduate 25 players this year.
“It’s a great group. They’re great kids, and they’re very unselfish,” Dalton said. “They were great to be around. They’re going to be great fathers, husbands, doctors, lawyers and all that kind of stuff.”