Tide turns: USC handles Peters Township
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Upper St. Clair’s Tyson Swigart tries to muscle Jacob Macosko of Peters Township to the ground for a tackle after he makes a big reception.
Peters Township quarterback Sam Miller gets protection and unleashes a pass during conference action against Upper. St. Clair.
Despite blanket coverage by Peters Township defensive back Marcos Recker, Mateo Cepullio makes the touchdown grab to give Upper St. Clair a `7-3 lead at halftime
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township running back Rich Woods attempts to avoid Upper St. Clair linebacker Ethan Hiester on a rushing play.
UPPER ST. CLAIR – After a few years of Peters Township dominance, it was safe to assume the Indians had Upper St. Clair’s full attention headed into the Allegheny Six Conference opener Friday night.
Although the Panthers came in with a less-than-inspiring 2-3 record, they appeared to be the more battle-tested outfit as they rolled to an impressive 31-3 home win over Peters Township.
After a slow start, the Panthers got their ground game rolling to the tune of 186 yards rushing while limiting the Indians (0-1, 4-2) to 26 yards on the ground. Upper St. Clair outgained Peters Township 284-157 in total offense.
Ethan Hiester led the Panthers with 88 yards on 17 carries.
Peters Township quarterback Sam Miller was pressured all night. He completed nine of 23 passes for 131 yards with two interceptions and was sacked three times.
Jacob Macosko was the lone bright spot offensively for the Indians as he finished with seven receptions for 106 yards.
Andrew Massucci broke the ice for Peters Township midway through the first quarter with a 37-yard field goal, but the Panthers responded with a 22-yard field goal of their own, knotting the score at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Upper St. Clair (1-1, 3-3) landed the game’s opening haymaker when Aidan Besselman zipped a throw to a wide open Hiester, who rambled home for a 56-yard score. Hiester enjoyed monastic solitude as the Peters Township defense bit on a hard play fake from Besselman. The point after attempt was good, giving the Panthers a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Momentum seemed to switch over to Upper St. Clair on Peters Township’s previous offensive possession when Sam Miller barely missed a streaking Carter Shanafelt along the sideline on 3rd-and-1 from their own 44. Peters Township then punted, giving the ball back to the Panthers and in the process, setting the table for the hosts to score shortly thereafter.
“We just didn’t make enough plays,” Indians coach TJ Plack said. “It was early in the game, but that clearly gave them some wind and they took advantage of it. Was the story of the night, we didn’t make enough plays and they made more than enough of them.”
The Panthers extended their lead to 17-3 with 4:51 left in the half when Brady Erdos came off the bench on 4th-and-11 and found Mateo Cepullio for a 29-yard touchdown connection. The Panthers would take their two score lead into the halftime locker room.
Peters Township was working to get back into the contest midway through the third quarter. Facing 3rd-and-4 from the Upper St. Clair 44, Miller threw what would have been a first-down completion to Macosko, who dropped the pass. Macosko made matters worse when he shoved the Panthers defender after the play, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, forcing the Indians to punt and ending the drive.
Upper St. Clair made it a three score game on their ensuing drive when Hiester took a direct snap, found a hole and galloped home for a 22-yard touchdown run late in the third.
Peters Township’s last gasp early in the fourth quarter went for naught when Miller’s fourth and 8 pass intended for Shanafelt was knocked away by Panther defensive back Jacob Hufnagel near midfield.
Miller led a last ditch effort for the Indians midway through the final frame. A series of completions to Macosko put the Indians near midfield. The senior quarterback attempted a short throw to Macosko that was intercepted by Tyson Swigart, who appeared to be home free for an interception return for a score. Macosko tracked him down and forced a fumble that was recovered in the end zone by Peters Township for a touchback.
Cepullio however got the ball back for Upper St. Clair when he intercepted a flushed Miller on the very next play on the Indians 38.
“We just could not get any momentum whatsoever,” Plack added. “Once they got it, they got their run game going and it was tough.”
Nick Chimento recovered a Rich Woods fumble on the Indians 14 late in the fourth, setting up Hiester’s five yard touchdown run and a 31-3 advantage with 1:39 left in the game that would turn out to be the game’s final score.