McGuffey runs its way to a playoff berth
CLAYSVILLE – Coach Nate Parry’s McGuffey Highlanders have come a long way in a short period of time.
After suffering through two consecutive winless seasons, the resurgent Highlanders are on their way back to the WPIAL playoffs by virtue of their 56-27 win Friday over Chartiers-Houston.
The Highlanders (4-2, 7-3) finished third in the competitive Class 2A Century Conference. The Bucs (3-3, 5-5) await to see if they will qualify for the Class 2A tourney by virtue of a wild card.
Caleb Simons was the tour de force on the evening for the Highlanders, rushing for 137 yards in 13 carries. He rushed for three touchdowns and added a kickoff return for a score for good measure. Denny Furmanek added 84 yards on the ground. For the game, McGuffey rushed for 387 yards. They did not complete a pass, but they did not need one.
“All these kids played the last two years as freshmen and sophomores against bigger (Class 3A) competition and got better,” Parry said. “They didn’t give up and it paid off. I’m just so proud of them.”
A happy Parry didn’t say much to his team postgame, other than to remind them this is their first trip to the pos season in three years – a fact that sent the players into a state of joy that was heard throughout the campus.
Chartiers-Houston appeared as if it were going to climb back into the contest as the Bucs drove to the McGuffey 15 on their opening drive of the second half. But Teagen Bogden was sacked and fumbled the ball over to the Highlanders as it was recovered by Gio Gadani.
It took 10 plays, but the Highlanders found the end zone again, this one from the 1 as Simons slammed in for a 42-13 lead at the 3:40 mark of the third quarter.
The Bucs kept swinging, however, and drove for their third score of the night as they moved 68 yards to the end zone. Bogden sneaked in from the 1 on fourth down to make it 42-19 with 40 seconds to go in the third quarter.
McGuffey too kept swinging and connecting. They found the end zone for the seventh time on their ensuing drive as Gage Clayton ripped a 32-yard run up the middle, pushing the Highlanders’ lead to 49-19 with 10:47 to go.
“That’s a good football team over there,” Parry said regarding the Bucs. “Coming up from Class A, they acquitted themselves well this year.”
Simons got one for the thumb with his fifth touchdown of the night, this one a 47-yard run with 2:13 to go in the contest.
“He’s just a fantastic player,” Parry said regarding Simons. “He started on defense for us a freshman, got banged up last year but has come back to be a leader for us this year.”
Simons got the night off to a rollicking start when he scored on a 66-yard run on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Jack Gallick’s kick was good, giving the hoists a 7-0 lead a mere 17 seconds into the contest.
Chartiers-Houston responded with a score on the ensuing drive as Shaw slashed in from the five, tying the contest. The scoring drive was aided by three McGuffey personal foul penalties.
It took the Highlanders six plays to regain the lead as Simons capped the drive with a 4-yard run, giving McGuffey a 14-7 lead.
The Buc refused to go away as they scored on their second consecutive march. This drive was highlighted by the right arm of Bogden, who completed four passes on the march. Julius Livingston reeled in a 39-yard pass to keep the drive alive. Brody McCreery hauled in an 11-yard pass for a score to make it 14-13 Highlanders. Clayton blocked the extra point.
Scoring was not over in this quarter as Simons added an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
McGuffey struck again after the Highlanders’ defense stopped the Bucs on fourth-and-3 from their own 35 via a Gio Gadani sack. Furmanek scored from the 21 two plays later to extend the McGuffey lead to 28-13 early in the second quarter.
A Simons interception later in the second quarter set the stage for the last score of the half, a Dante Gadani 64-yard run with a minute to go in the second quarter that made it 35-13.