Oct 11, 2024 6 min read

By Dave Whipkey

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

DORMONT – Last year’s Fort Cherry-Bishop Canevin regular-season contest was a track meet of the highest order as the Rangers held off the Crusaders in dramatic fashion.

Though this year’s edition didn’t quite come down to the wire like last year, it was full of twists and turns that the Rangers navigated a touch better as they won 49-34 Friday night at Dormont Stadium.

Rangers quarterback Matt Sieg has made a career of playing against the Crusaders on this field. He accounted for seven scores in last year’s 48-41 win to go with 277 yards rushing and 178 yards passing.

This year’s performance was just as striking as he finished with 210 yards rushing with five scores on the ground to go with 110 yards passing and one passing TD.

The reason maybe is his familiarity with the facility.

“This field is a special place for my family,” Sieg noted. “My dad coached here for 22 years. Growing up, this is where I was on Friday nights.”

Where he and his teammates are now are in the catbird seat as they are 5-0 in Black Hills Conference play, 7-0 overall. While the Crusaders fall to 3-1 in conference and 5-2 overall.

Crusaders quarterback Kole Olszewski finished with 307 yards passing in the loss.

The second half of the contest started out in wild fashion when Ka’Vere Holeman appeared to be on his way to kickoff return for a score to open the half when he fumbled on his own on the Rangers 15. Shane Cornali recovered to give the ball back to Fort Cherry on a sudden change of possession.

But the Crusaders made that fumble a moot point when Aaryn Edwards intercepted Sieg on third down and returned it to the Rangers’ 1-yard line. Olszewski then plowed in two plays later to knot the score at 21 early in the third quarter.

Bishop Canevin forced their second turnover of the game when Ryan Huey fumbled returning the ensuing kickoff near midfield. The Crusaders recovered setting up their offense with prime field position on the 50.

It would take six plays for the Crusaders to take the lead as Myontae Mott barreled in from the five yard line to give Bishop Canevin their first lead at 28-21 at the 7:05 mark of the third quarter.

It was here that Sieg decided to pull a Clark Kent, hop in the phone booth and put on the cape as he lugged the Rangers down field and capped the march with a 19 yard touchdown run. Nick Massey knocked home the extra point, knotting the contest up at 28 with 3:19 to go in the third frame.

But the Crusaders were far from done as they took their ensuing drive 65 yards in for a go ahead score as Holeman made up for his earlier gaffe by jamming it in from the four. The point after was no good, leaving the Crusaders lead at 34-28 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. The drive was highlighted by an incredible 38 yard Justin Melvin catch to put them deep in Ranger real estate.

Bishop Canevin looked to put some more distance between themselves and the Rangers when they forced a punt, but Cornali stepped up and made the play of the game when he intercepted Olszewski and returned it 25 yards for a score. The extra point was good, putting the Rangers ahead 35-34 at the 7:54 mark of the fourth.

“I just got to my spot and the ball ended up in my hands,” Cornali said. “It felt great when I saw green grass ahead of me.”

Fort Cherry then landed another body blow when their special teams unit forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Blake Sweden recovered on the Crusaders 23, swinging momentum towards the visitors. Several plays later, Sieg cashed in the turnover when he plunged in from the 1, pushing the lead out to 42-34 with 4:05 to go in regulation.

The Ranger defense struck again when Mott was stripped by Cornali who recovered the ball on the Crusader 31 inside the 3:30 mark of the fourth, which appeared to serve as the knockout blow for the reigning WPIAL champs.

Sieg decided he would call game two plays later when he raced 30 yards around end for the clinching score, making it 49-34 with a little more than two minutes to go in the game.

The Rangers landed the first punch on their opening drive when Sieg was flushed from the pocket and lofted a 61 yard touchdown pass to Cornali to give Fort Cherry a 7-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the game.

Olszewski and the Crusaders responded with vigor when they marched 61 yards in five plays. The march was capped when the senior signal caller found Damar Olds open on a post pattern for a 31 yard touchdown. The kick was good, knotting the game at seven at the 7:51 mark of the 1st.

The tie game didn’t last long as the Rangers took their next drive and marched 65 yards and retook the lead thanks to a Sieg 1 yard scoring run. The march was highlighted by a 25 yard Sieg completion to Nate Wolfe on third and long and an 8 yard Sieg run on fourth and 3 to the Crusader 1. Nick Massey’s kick was good, giving the Rangers a 14-7 lead with 1:44 to go in the opening frame.

Bishop Canevin however was not shaken as they drove 63 yards to paydirt to once again tie the score. Olszewski snuck it in from the one yard line on the first play of the second quarter. The score was set up by a sliding Olds reception on the one on the last play of the first quarter.

The Crusaders defense then stepped up and forced a three and out, putting their offense back in the field in good field position on their own 43 thanks to a short Fort Cherry punt.

Bishop Canevin moved to the Rangers 25 but faced a fourth and 7. Olszewski’s deep pass intended for Justin Melvin was overthrown, giving the Rangers defense a stop and the ball back with 6:10 left in the half.

The run of defensive stands ended at two on Fort Cherry’s next possession when Sieg burst through the line on fourth and 1 from the Crusader 37 for a score. Massey’s kick was true, pushing the Rangers back in front at 21-14 with 2:27 to go in the half.

Bishop Canevin nearly tied before the half as they were perched on the Rangers 5 with one second remaining. But Sieg made a leaping play to break up Olszewski’s pass in the end zone on the final play of the half, as the Rangers took a seven point lead into the halftime locker room.

Although the Crusaders did not score on their last drive of the half, they did give those in attendance a thrill when Jayden Lindsey made a diving 50 yard reception on second and 25 to put the Crusaders in close.