Wilmington defense helps Hounds roll
Wilmington (35) vs. General McLane (7)
Written: Nov 17, 2008
  By RON PONIEWASZ JR.
rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com
MEADVILLE — The Wilmington High football team is known for flexing its muscles defensively.
Saturday, the Greyhounds did it again.
Wilmington allowed just 181 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers in a 35-7 victory over powerful General McLane in a District 10, Class AA semifinal contest at Allegheny College. The teams contended with a steady rain in the first half and snow in the final 24 minutes.
The Greyhounds’ defensive unit also scored a touchdown.
“If you want to be any kind of a playoff team you better have a strong defense,” Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli said. “You have to be able to stop teams to win big games; we just played great defense tonight.”
Wilmington (11-1) will battle Slippery Rock, a 27-10 victor over Sharon, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Slippery Rock University in the District 10 championship game. It’s the fourth straight trip to the title tilt for the Greyhounds, who are two-time defending champions. They will be seeking their ninth district crown since 1994, winning six in Class AA and a pair in Class AAA.
Wilmington won the regular-season matchup, 42-6.
“You have to come back, regroup and go on as if you’ve never played that team,” Verrelli said. “Right away you’re supposed to win, that’s what the public will say. We have a great group of seniors and this team will continue to respect Slippery Rock.”.
General McLane (9-3) claimed three of the previous six District 10, Class AAA titles, including the last two. The Lancers won a state championship in 2006 when they knocked off Thomas Jefferson.
“I believe they are the best team we’ve played all year,” senior tight end Dallas Hartman said. “They are well-disciplined, well-coached, big, strong and fast.”
EARLY ACTION
The Greyhounds dominated the action early but couldn’t put any points on the board. Bryce Wilson was wide right on a 25-yard field goal try from the left hash on their first drive and quarterback Shane Wagner fumbled on the next drive at the Lancers’ 27.
“I think when you’re playing a good football team, everybody is anxious to find out how good they are and can we move the ball,” Verrelli said. “I think we moved the ball down the field on that first drive.
“They weren’t down on themselves after that missed field goal. That’s not an easy kick; it was an encouraging first drive.”
Wilmington’s defense was strong on General McLane’s ensuing drive and it appeared the Greyhounds would get great field position. But, the Lancers got a big bounce on a punt over a Wilmington returner’s head and the ball rolled dead at the 2 for a 78-yard boot.
“That’s what the rugby punt does,” Verrelli said. “It got away from us. It was a good job on their part.”
BREAKING THROUGH
Wilmington broke a scoreless deadlock in the second quarter on a trick play. Sutton Whiting took a handoff around the right side and lofted a pass down the right sideline for Hartman. Hartman outmaneuvered Kellen O’Neill for the ball at the 27 and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 59-yard scoring pass.
“I didn’t think we’d throw it because of the weather,” Whiting said. “It was up for grabs, but he went up and got it.
“If you throw it up to (Dallas), he’ll go get it. He’s a strong kid and athletic.”
Said Hartman, “Their guy tried to make a play on it. It was just a good play by Sutton to get the ball to me and it was a good result. I just reached my hands in there and grabbed it out of there, tipping it to myself.”
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
The Greyhounds had a chance to widen the gap before the half, but Derrick Burns fumbled at the General McLane 2 with 41.5 remaining. The Lancers were able to kill the clock to trail 7-0 at the break.
“There was definitely frustration, but you have to overlook that and keep playing,” Burns said. “If you’re going to carry that throughout the game, you won’t get anywhere.
“We felt pretty good at the half even though it was 7-0.”
Wilmington’s defense surrendered just 63 yards of offense and two first downs in the first 24 minutes.
“Our guys did a great job in the first half and they needed to play that well in the second half and they did,” Verrelli said. “They weren’t down because it was a close game, General McLane is a good football team.”
DEADLOCK
Despite trailing at the half, General McLane came out strong in the second half. The Lancers took the second-half kickoff and marched 68 yards in five plays, culminated in Kyle Majewski’s 48-yard scoring run to knot the count at 7 with 8:52 to play in the third.
Lancers coach Jim Wells decided to try some trickery of his own, but it backfired. General McLane attempted an onside kick, but the kicker barely hit the ball and Wilmington’s Mike Sojack recovered at the Lancers’ 43, just three yards from the spot of the attempted kick.
“That wasn’t a surprise,” Verrelli said. “They showed that on film; all my guy had to do was scoop the ball up.
“Gadget plays don’t always work. Obviously, they feel very confident in things like that, but I don’t think it helped them at that stage of the game.”
BREAKING IT OPEN
Burns atoned for his earlier fumble with a 16-yard touchdown run on the drive with 5:28 to go in the third quarter. He finished with a game-high 106 yards rushing on 18 carries and a pair of scores.
The Greyhounds’ defense put the game away on General McLane’s next possession. The Lancers went for it on fourth-and-two from their own 47. O’Neill milked the play clock down in the shotgun and it appeared he was trying to draw Wilmington offside. He took the snap and as he tried to hand off to Cory Lee, Burns flew in and blasted Lee. The ball dropped free and Hartman scooped it up and sprinted 44 yards untouched for a touchdown and a 21-7 buffer late in the third.
“The blitz call was a great call by the coaches,” Hartman said. “Derrick made a great hit on the play and the next thing I know the ball popped out. I got all the credit, but my teammates did all the work.”
Said Burns, “I was blitzing through the A gap. As soon as I went through the A gap I saw the fullback and just smacked him. I didn’t know that hit caused a fumble. I was just standing there and I saw (Dallas) running into the end zone for the score.”
The Lancers crossed into Wilmington territory just once more, on their next possession. However, they turned it over on downs when Majewski was stopped inches short on a fourth-and-four play with 11:38 remaining.
GEN. McLANE WILMINGTON
5 First downs 18
193 Yards Rushing 274
12 Yards Lost 4
181 Net Rushing 270
1 Passes Attempted 8
0 Passes Completed 4
1 Passes Intercepted 0
0 Yards Passing 101
181 Total Yards 371
3-2 Fumbles-Lost 4-2
2-51 Punts-Average 1-22
2-20 Penalties-Yards 3-13
GEN. McLANE 0 0 7 0 — 7
WILMINGTON 0 7 14 14 — 35
Scoring plays
WILMINGTON — Dallas Hartman, 59-yard pass from Sutton Whiting (Bryce Wilson kick).
GENERAL McLANE — Kyle Majewski, 48-yard run (David Olszewski kick).
WILMINGTON — Derrick Burns, 16-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Hartman, 44-yard fumble return (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Whiting, 1-yard run (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Burns, 15-yard run (Wilson kick).
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