Spartans falter against Beaver Falls
Laurel (27) vs. Beaver Falls (39)
Written: Sep 27, 2014
By Kayleen Cubbal
New Castle News
BEAVER FALLS — The Laurel High football team proved to be its own worst enemy against Beaver Falls last night.
A costly interception, two untimely fumbles and a blocked punt put the Spartans on the way to a 39-27 Midwestern Athletic Conference loss to the Tigers.
Beaver Falls scored 19 first-quarter points, all off turnovers, negating Laurel’s frantic fourth-quarter comeback attempt.
“You can’t put yourself behind at the beginning with fumbles and blocked punts,” first-year Spartans coach Brian Cooper said. “The kids don’t quit and keep pushing forward, but the bottom line is that we have to play four quarters every game like we did in the second half tonight.”
Cordell Cummings rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries in the first half for Beaver Falls. Cummings finished with 250 yards on 14 carries with five scores.
Laurel’s lone points before intermission came on a pair of Noah Wertz field goals. Clayton Sharek’s fumble recovery at the Tigers’ 10 set up Wertz’s first field goal.
The Spartans attempted to come back in the final quarter, scoring three times in the final 9:32 on a 2-yard run by Matty Conway, 49-yard pass to Conway from quarterback Jake McDougal and a 5-yard run by Clayton Sharek. Wertz added all three point-after kicks.
Sharek led the Laurel rushers with 50 yards on five attempts. McDougal was 11 of 21 through the air for 198 yards. Conway caught four passes for 118 yards.
The Spartans host Mohawk next week.
“We need to play four quarters against Mohawk,” Cooper said. “That’s all there is to it.”
(Correspondent Gaylord Muny contributed to this story)
LAUREL BEAVER FALLS
13 First downs 10
119 Net Rushing 343
22 Passes Attempted 10
11 Passes Completed 5
1 Passes Intercepted 1
198 Yards Passing 40
317 Total Yards 383
2-2 Fumbles-Lost 3-2
5-28.2 Punts-Average 1-41
6-48 Penalties-Yards 8-55
LAUREL 0 6 0 21 — 27
BEAVER FALLS 19 14 0 6 — 39
Scoring plays
BEAVER FALLS — Cordell Cummings, 71-yard run (Mason Carothers kick).
BEAVER FALLS — Cummings, 1-yard run (kick failed).
BEAVER FALLS — Donovan Jeter, 13-yard pass from Dalton Cleckley (run failed).
LAUREL — Noah Wertz, 33-yard field goal.
BEAVER FALLS — Cummings, 57-yard run (Javon Turner pass from Cleckley).
BEAVER FALLS — Cummings, 57-yard run (pass failed).
LAUREL — Wertz, 37-yard field goal.
BEAVER FALLS — Cummings, 19-yard fumble return (run failed).
LAUREL — Matty Conway, 2-yard run (Wertz kick).
LAUREL — Conway, 49-yard pass from Jake McDougal (Wertz kick).
LAUREL — Clatyon Sharek, 5-yard run (Wertz kick).
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