Warriors escape Freedom with victory
Mohawk (13) vs. Freedom (12)
Written: Sep 26, 2009
 By STEVE TREU
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
FREEDOM — A little dink and a big doink made all the difference for Mohawk last night.
The Warriors scored on a tipped pass and held onto to their slim lead thanks to an extra-point attempt clanging off the left upright in a 13-12 victory over host Freedom in Midwestern Conference action.
Johnny Beatty completed 14-of-20 attempts for two touchdowns and 188 yards as Mohawk relied on good fortune and better passing to even its record at 2-2.
“I felt comfortable moving the football, but Freedom just ran it down our throats and controlled the clock,” Warriors coach Jason Long said. “We were able to run the ball when we had to and got a little lucky at the end.”
And a little lucky at the beginning ... though in this case, luck was a byproduct of hustle by Josh Morrow.
On the opening possession of the game, Mohawk was facing fourth-and-8 at the Freedom 25 when Beatty rolled left and threw for Tim Audia near the goal line. Audia had to reach up for the ball and knocked it toward the back of the end zone, where Morrow came flying into the picture and snagged the ball for a touchdown. Cody Dean connected on what would turn out to be the decisive PAT.
“Josh made a great play there,” Long said. “It was nice to get a break like that early.”
After a 1-yard run by Joe Ermi sliced their lead to 7-6 in the second quarter, the Warriors kept to the air as their ground game was stalled. A 10-yard pass to Colin Bredl began a quick drive that ended when Beatty flipped a quick out to Audia, who raced in for a 20-yard touchdown and 13-6 lead.
Mohawk could only muster 67 rushing yards compared to 243 for the Bulldogs (1-3), but Beatty’s big day was more than enough to offset the running disparity. Freedom only attempted one pass — it was incomplete — so Mohawk ended up with a 255-243 advantage in total yards.
“We have a lot of confidence that our quarterback can make plays,” Long said. “JB’s smart with the football, has good kids catching it and good kids protecting him up front.”
In a game that featured numerous long drives and no turnovers, Mohawk was able to burn half of the third quarter by converting on several third-and-longs, but failed to score on fourth-and-goal from the 12 to give the Bulldogs some life.
Freedom proceeded to run on 13 straight plays, chewing up six more minutes and scoring on a 2-yard run by Jeremy Herzog.
After Tanner Mesing’s extra-point try bounced hard off the upright and out, the Bulldogs never touched the ball again. The Warriors maintained possession for the final 9:01 of the fourth quarter, covering 71 yards in 16 plays with Beatty taking a knee as the clocked reached triple zeroes.
Justin Upham (12 carries, 28 yards in the game) had a few key runs on the drive, while Beatty (17 carries, 39 yards) hooked up with three different receivers to keep the game-clinching march alive.
“We were just clicking today,” Beatty said. “The receivers were all running great routes and all five guys out there can make plays. I’m confident throwing to any one of them.”
Audia was the top receiver, catching seven balls for 99 yards. Morrow finished with four receptions for 45 yards, while Upham had a pair for 34.
“I think we’re coming together real well,” Beatty said. “We have to keep winning to make the playoffs, so we’re going to work hard all week in practice and try to keep it going next week.”
Mohawk hosts Aliquippa on Friday, while Freedom entertains Center.
MOHAWK FREEDOM
14 First downs 13
107 Yards Rushing 254
40 Yards Lost 11
67 Net Rushing 243
20 Passes Attempted 1
14 Passes Completed 0
0 Passes Intercepted 0
188 Yards Passing 0
255 Total Yards 243
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
0-0 Punts-Average 2-16.5
4-30 Penalties-Yards 7-45
MOHAWK 7 6 0 0 — 13
FREEDOM 0 6 0 6 — 12
Scoring plays
MOHAWK — Josh Morrow, 25-yard pass from Johnny Beatty (Cody Dean kick).
FREEDOM — Joe Ermi, 1-yard run (kick blocked).
MOHAWK — Tim Audia, 20-yard pass from Beatty (kick failed).
FREEDOM — Jeremy Herzog, 2-yard run (kick failed).
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