Loss is ‘worst-case scenario’ for Peters Township
Eleanor Bailey/For the Observer-Reporter
Brendan McCullough (25) fends off Matthew Wertz (4) as he picks up rushing yardage for Peters Township against Mt. Lebanon.
Brendan McCullough (25) fends off Matthew Wertz (4) as he picks up rushing yardage for Peters Township against Mt. Lebanon.
Peters Township’s Vinny Sarcone (32) carries Daniel King (52) downfield as he picks up a few yards in a recent game against Mt. Lebanon. Peters Township (4-1) plays its Allegheny Six Conference opener at Upper St. Clair (2-3) tonight.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon's Michael Gevaudan (18) and Cole Markel (23) put the squeeze on Peters Township's Carter Shanafelt as he attempts to gain yardage.
Peters Township's Brendan McCullough (25) and Eliot Schratz (21) attempt to tackle Mt. Lebanon's Eli Heidenreich.
Peters Township's Nico Pate (7) and Marcos Recker (3) attempt to bring down Mt. Lebanon's Eli Heidenreich.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Peters Township’s Chris Cibrone has been outstanding replacing Sam Miller at quarterback.
Eleanor Bailey
Peters Township’s Nico Pate (7) corrals Mt. Lebanon’s Eli Heidenreich during non-conference action.
Peters Township's Luke Petrarca (14) and David Daube (23) attempt to stop Mt. Lebanon's Alex Tecza (5) during non-conference action.
McMURRAY – Not too long ago, reading that Peters Township had lost a football game by 31 points wouldn’t have caused anybody to do a double-take.
As coach T.J. Plack has built the program, however, any losses, let alone lopsided ones, have become fewer and fewer.
In 2015, Peters went 2-7. Last season, it was in the WPIAL championship game for the second consecutive year.
After two smooth wins to start 2021, Friday night’s game against Mt. Lebanon was a bucket of cold water to the face.
“We made a lot of mental mistakes last week against (Canon-McMillan),” Plack said. “We turned the ball over, overcame that, but this week was a different situation.”
Indeed. Last week, Peters Township beat Canon-Mac 29-7. This week, it lost 31-0.
Now, Peters (2-1) was hardly playing with its entire A-team. Quarterback Sam Miller, running backs Ethan Kirsch and Rich Woods (Kirsch also plays inside linebacker) and left guard Dante Lahet were all out.
Receiver Bryce Thompson was supposed to take on quarterbacking responsibilities, but he was hurt on the game’s first play.
“It was a worst-case scenario,” Plack said. “What are you going to do? (Mt. Lebanon is) a great team.”
Sophomore Chris Cibrone played QB for Peters, going 3-9 for 22 yards with a fumble and two interceptions while taking three sacks.
PT hung with Mt. Lebanon (3-0) for the first 12 minutes, but the Blue Devils drew first blood on the first play of the second quarter. With the ball at the Peters 17, a short pass from quarterback Joey Daniels to tight end Jack Smith looked to be a minimal gain at best, as Smith looked stuck in the middle of the field. But Smith reversed course, broke to the outside, and scored the first points of the game. Noah Bhuta’s extra point made it 7-0.
Later in the quarter, Lebo pushed the lead to double-digits on a 27-yard Bhuta field goal. That 10-0 advantage would hold at the break.
In the second half, a 32-yard pass from Daniels to Michael Beiersdorf put Lebo up by three scores, and an interception by Alex Tecza on PT’s first play of the ensuing possession all but sealed the deal. A 1-yard sneak by Daniels put the final nail in the Indians.
Daniels finished 6-for-11 with 155 yards and three touchdown passes and running for another.
“Joey’s a three-year starter,” Mt. Lebanon coach Bob Palko said. “We have high expectations for him. He’s a student of the game. We’re just lucky to have him. He’s a tremendous leader, and I think he’s learning to really get control of our offense, and that’s a good thing for us.”
Daniels’ three touchdown passes were gravy. In truth, he didn’t need to play like Joe Montana, Joe Namath or even Joe Biden for Mt. Lebanon to win, and that’s because of how the Blue Devils’ defense performed.
Mt. Lebanon pitched a shutout in the first half and only got better as the game wore on.
“I think we made some adjustments in the second half,” Palko said. I don’t know what the stats were; I haven’t seen anything. We pretty much shut them down in the second half from the standpoint of what they were trying to do to us.”
Mt. Lebanon starts 6A play next Friday night when it hosts Canon-McMillan.
“We went down to Canon-Mac last year, and they beat us,” Palko said. “So we’re not taking anybody lightly. They’re a good football team, and they’re hard-nosed. So we’re expecting a heck of a ballgame.”
Peters Township has another nonconference game at Penn-Trafford. The Indians have an additional out-of-conference game Sept. 24 at home against Connellsville before beginning 5A Allegheny Six play Oct. 1 at Upper St. Clair.
Plack hopes the loss to a robust Mt. Lebanon side is something that is fixable.
“I just went (Mt. Lebanon) to take their credit,” Plack said. “They’re a good team, and we just have to get better.