Fuse ignites Wash High with 4 scores
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington’s Davoun Fuse sprints past Clairton’s Kellen Holly, the last defender between Fuse and the goal line, as the quarterback scores for the Prexies.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Davoun Fuse (4) and Tayshawn Levy (8) celebrate Fuse's touchdown run in the first quarter Friday night against Clairton.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Davoun Fuse (4) and Tayshawn Levy (8) celebrate Fuse's touchdown run in the second quarter Friday against Clairton at Wash High Stadium.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington's Tayshawn Levy breaks off a big run that gets the Prexies to the 12-yard line Friday night.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Washington’s Ruben Gordon (5) snatches a pass intended for Clairton’s Martin Lawrence in the first quarter of thePrexies’ home game Friday night.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Carlos Harper of Washington takes off after hauling in a pass delivered under pressure by Washington’s Davoun Fuse in the first half Friday night.
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Clairton’s Lawrence Short stops Washington’s Tayshawn Levy at the two-yard line,delaying a Prexies touchdown that happened moments later.
After outscoring their first two opponents 102-7, it appeared the Washington Prexies were stepping up in weight class against a traditional power Friday night at Wash High Stadium.
Appearances on paper can be a bit deceiving as the Prexies took advantage of a short-handed Clairton Bears outfit and defeated the visitors, 43-19.
Clairton (0-2), a perennial power in Class A, came into Friday night’sgame short eight starters that were out due to undisclosed illnesses and injuries. The Bears had only 20 available players.
Meanwhile the relatively healthy Class AA Prexies (3-0) fielded a full squad and flexed their muscles early and often. Clairton fought back to make the contest somewhat respectable in the second.
“If you look at our sidelines, we have 11, 12, maybe 13 kids in jerseys,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “We’ve been beset by injuries, ineligibility and kids being sick. Once we get some guys back and get into conference play, we should be OK.”
Tayshawn Levy had a monster night for Washington with 214 yards on 20 carries. The Prexies rushed for 315 yards.
Washington treated its fans to a 51-yard scoring march on its first possession after stuffing the Bears on defensem thanks to a Ruben Gordon interception of Clairton quarterback Capone Jones. Davoun Fuse capped the drive with a 12-yard scramble to the end zone and a 7-0 lead.
Levy set the Prexies up with a 28-yard punt return to the Clairton 44. Following his massive offensive line, Fuse plowed in from the 3 to push the Prexies lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter.
The second quarter brought more of the same as Fuse notched his third score of the game with a 20-yard run around left end, pushing the Washington lead to 21-0. The drive was highlighted by a 12-yard completion from Fuse to Carlos Harper when it appeared Bears defensive back Kameron Lewis had Fuse wrapped up for a sack. But Fuse stood strong and flipped the ball to Harper for a drive-sustaining first down.
Lewis appeared to give Clairton some life when he took the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a score. The point after attempt failed, but the Bears had a flicker of hope in slicing the Prexies’ lead to 21-6 midway through the second quarter.
Clairton’s defense looked poised to get the Bears the ball back when it had Washington facing a 3rd-and-11 from its own 32. The Bears had a chance to get a stop and potentially have a chance to cut deeper into the Washington advantage. But Levy found a massive hole in the Clairton defense and scampered 66 yards to the Bears’ 2.
“We know what kind of athlete Tayshawn is,” Prexies coach Mike Bosnic noted. “He’s a fabulous player.”
Harper took an impromptu pitch from Fuse and traveled the last two yards for a score. Nick Blanchette’s kick made it 28-6. Jones and Christian Wade combined for 47 yards rushing to the Prexies’ 23 on their last drive of the half. Jones’ desperation heave to the end zone fell incomplete, leaving the halftime score at 28-6.
After stopping the Prexies on downs on their own 17, the Bears moved 83 yards to their second score. Jones found Lawrence Short for a 40-yard touchdown connection on fourth-and-28. Jones knocked home the extra point, again bringing Clairton to within 15 with 3:35 left in the third.
“We have some things to clean up for sure, especially in the kicking game,” Bosnic said. “And we can’t be giving up big plays like that on fourth and long.”
Washington swiftly responded when Levy sprinted 55 yards to the end zone on the Prexies next play from scrimmage. Harper’s two-point catch was complete, ballooning the Washington lead to 36-13.
Lewis struck again for the Bears on the ensuing kickoff as he raced 90 yards to the end zone for his second kick return for a touchdown. Jones two-point pass attempt fell incomplete, leaving the Prexies advantage at 17 points late in the third.
Washington salted the contest away early in the fourth when Fuse notched his fourth score of the night on a one-yard sneak. The scoring drive was highlighted by a 47 yard Fuse completion to Harper to the Bears 2.
“It looked like our guys up front did a nice job from the sidelines,” Bosnic said. “We’ll take a look at the film in the morning.”