Miscuses cost Canon-Mac in loss to Hempfield
GREENSBURG – A litany of mistakes in the second quarter proved costly for Canon-McMillan at Hempfield on Friday night.
A bad punt and a pair of fumbles and an interception helped the Spartans score 24 unanswered points in the second quarter and pull away for a 38-27 victory in a Class 6A Quad County Conference game.
The Big Macs led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, which was highlighted by a halfback pass by Bryan Schmeltz to TJ Sabatucci that went for a 67-yard touchdown.
But it was all Hempfield (1-2, 4-2) in the second quarter.
A 36-yard field goal by Sawyer Leuthold that cut the deficit to 14-10.
Then the Spartans scored three touchdowns in the span of two minutes.
After a short punt by Canon-McMillan (1-1, 3-3) set up the Spartans at their own 45, they went right down the field and took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Aidan Stinebiser.
Canon-McMillan fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Hempfield recovered at the 27. On the next play, Spartans quarterback Dominic Detruf found Lucas Simmons in the end zone, which increased the lead to 24-14.
Braelon Wingfield fumbled on Canon-McMillan’s next drive and Hempfield recovered. Detruf hit Simmons again for a 28-yard touchdown.
Jack Kopas capped off the half by intercepting a Ty Jansma pass.
Rhys Maentz hit a 44-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 31-17 midway through the third quarter.
Following a Hempfield fumble, Canon-McMillan was set up inside the Spartans 40, but again had to settle for a Maentz field goal, which cut the lead to 31-20.
Detruf connected with Simmons for a third time with 8:17 remaining in the fourth to make it 38-20.
Sabatucci scored his third touchdown a minute later.
Canon-McMillan struck first on a screen pass that Sabatucci turned into a 37-yard touchdown.
The Big Macs executed a successful fake punt to keep their first drive alive.
Hempfield immediately responded with a touchdown of its own when Kopas caught a four-yard touchdown from Detruf with 3:08 remaining in the first quarter.