Powerful Petrosky: Belle Vernon RB scores five TDs in win over Waynesburg
WAYNESBURG – Belle Vernon coach Scott Bryer said earlier in the week when Chace Petrosky is going, the team goes with him.
And Petrosky was going Friday night.
The senior running back rushed for 259 yards and scored five touchdowns and the Leopards needed every one of them to fend off a feisty Waynesburg team in a 55-39 victory in a crucial Class 3A Interstate Conference football game Friday night.
“My line was the best they’ve been all year,” Petrosky said. “I just followed them and my full backs. We just succeeded the way we know we can.”
With the win, Belle Vernon (5-0, 8-1) sets up a conference championship game at Elizabeth Forward next Friday.
Waynesburg (4-2, 7-2) will finish in third place in the conference and is in the playoffs.
Petrosky provided the dagger with a 65-yard touchdown run at the 10:50 mark of the third quarter. Jace Gedekoh added a 22-yard touchdown with 5:15 remaining in the game.
Teagen Crouse threw a three-yard touchdown to Jack Ricciuti with 2:55 remaining and a successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 55-39.
But Belle Vernon recovered an onside kick to finish out the win.
Belle Vernon led 28-17 after a wild first half.
That turned out to be an appetizer for an even crazier third quarter that saw four touchdowns.
After forcing Belle Vernon to punt of the first time on the night, Waynesburg started on its own nine, but thanks to Kymani Sumpter, quickly turned the possession into points.
Sumpter found a hole up the and jetted past everyone for a 77-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-24.
But Belle Vernon answered in two plays when Petrosky ripped off a 71 yard touchdown to make it 35-24.
One play later Crouse ripped off a 75-yard touchdown on a quarterback draw and Waynesburg again was within a score.
The Waynesburg defense forced Belle Vernon to punt on their next possession, but Caleb Phillips bobbled the ball and the Leopards pounced on it.
“A lot of these games we play are going to come down to one play like that,” Leopards coach Scott Bryer said. “Fortunately, it went our way tonight. I’m sure if we look back at that play, we had guy hustling down the field. Those plays don’t happen by accident.”
The Leopards took advantage of the turnover when Petrosky scored on a 27-yard run. That gave Belle Vernon a 42-31 lead at the end of the third quarter.
“We just didn’t have an answer for their running game,” Waynesburg coach Joe Kuhns said. “We did a little bit in the second half with some stuff we adjusted, but they’re just really good. They’re physical.
“That’s the most points we’ve give up all year and the most they did too.”
Belle Vernon scored on each of its first four possessions in the first half and had good field position on each of them.
No scoring drive in the first half for the Leopards lasted longer than six plays.
Waynesburg struck first. A 50-yard pass from Crouse to Cole Phillips put the Raiders in the red zone. But a poor snap on a third-down play forced Crouse to fall on the ball and Waynesburg settled for a 32-yard field goal by Nate Ricciuti.
The Waynesburg lead lasted six plays.
Belle Vernon started its opening possession on its own 35 and a big 44-yard pass play from Gedekoh to David Bergstedt set up Petrosky’s first touchdown of the night, which was a 14-yard run.
A nine-yard punt after a three-and-out on Waynesburg’s next possession set up Belle Vernon at the Raiders’ 41.
Four plays later Petrosky had his second touchdown on a 31-yard scamper through the Waynesburg defense, which made it 14-3 with 1:57 remaining in the first quarter.
Waynesburg got its first touchdown early in the second quarter when Crouse unleashed a deep spiral that was caught by Jack Ricciuti, who made it into the end zone for a 48-yard score that cut the lead to 14-10.
Belle Vernon responded fast again.
Cameron Black took a short kick at his own 40 and ran around the right side to the Waynesburg 36.
The Leopards scored four plays later. Gedekoh ran a quarterback draw up the middle and went into the end zone untouched for a seven-yard touchdown and the lead grew to 21-10.
Waynesburg scored again on its next possession when Crouse threw a screen pass to Kymani Sumpter, who turned up field and raced to the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown. Sumpter had a big half. He rushed for 81 yards on 15 carries.
That cut the Belle Vernon lead to 28-17, but the Leopards had one more response in them before halftime.
Again, they had good field position starting at their own 40 found the end zone in three plays.
This time through the air. Gedekoh threw pass down the left side that Luca Ghilani caught between two defenders and waltzed into the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown that made it 28-17 going into halftime.