Running game helps Monaca maul Shenango
Shenango (26) vs. Monaca (45)
Written: Sep 28, 2009
  By DAN IRWIN
d_irwin@ncnewsonline.com
One person likened it to a fairway at Augusta National Golf Club.
That may have been a bit of an exaggeration to describe the lush, newly resodded playing surface of Frank Bongivengo Field. And yet, Joe Colangelo certainly teed off on it.
The Monaca High senior exploded for 238 yards and five touchdowns on 27 carries Saturday to lead the Indians to a 45-26 romp over Shenango in a WPIAL Class A Big Seven Conference game at Glenn “Pop” Johnston Stadium.
“Joe’s got that capability any time,” Monaca head coach Sam Cercone said. “I think he’d rushed for 100 yards in all three games so far this year. We like to get him the football, and he can do a lot of good things with it.
“It’s good to see that our offensive line did a great job up front, and I think that’s where it starts, with the five guys up front, and our fullback blocked very well to spring Joe open a few times.”
If anyone had been expected to run up and down the field in its inaugural game, it likely was the Wildcats (1-1 conference, 3-1 overall). Shenango running backs Anthony Kosciuszko and Ricky Mathews each had been averaging over 130 yards per game, but against Monaca, Kosciusko managed just 23 on 14 carries.
Mathews’ final stats showed him with 153 yards on 10 tries. However, he accumulated the bulk of them on two, 65-yard touchdown runs, only one of which came with the game still on the line.
“It was apparent that they were able to run the ball successfully and we were not,” Shenango head coach Ryan Mayo said. “From seeing the films and knowing the personnel, I definitely didn’t think that would be the case.
“It seemed like we came out flat for one reason or another, and then we were never able to get our feet underneath us.”
Shenango senior quarterback Joe Colavecchia, nursing a knee injury suffered against Neshannock, started the game on the bench in favor of sophomore Marc Bulisco. Colavecchia, who saw limited game action, had been cleared by a doctor to play, but “he still wasn’t 100 percent, so we started Bulisco,” Mayo said.
“He (Bulisco) did a good job managing things, but it changed a little bit of what we could do. It didn’t help not having Joey, or having a limited Joey. But the bottom line is, they won the football game on the line of scrimmage .”
Shenango twice had chances to keep things close, but each time Monaca (1-1, 2-2) turned the Wildcats away.
On the second play after Mathews’ first touchdown had cut the Indians’ lead to 7-6, Monaca quarterback Matt Bradford pitched the ball to a running back who wasn’t there. Shenango’s Vince Malz fell on it to give the ’Cats possession at the Indians’ 23, but they not only ended up turning the ball over on downs, they also surrendered a 56-yard Colangelo TD run on Monaca’s ensuing possession.
Later in the period, with Monaca up 27-6, Kosciuszko returned a kickoff 80 yards to paydirt to make it a two-score game. Again, though, the Indians quickly reclaimed the momentum, driving 58 yards in five plays for a touchdown on their next possession.
Eventually, Monaca built a 45-12 lead before Shenango added two late scores by Mathews and Joe Seaburn (a 16-yard run).
“We’ve got to regroup,” Mayo said. “We should compete for a playoff spot, but the bottom line is we’ve got to regroup, come back and beat Western Beaver next week.
“We’ll see what kind of attitude we come back with next week.”
MONACA SHENANGO
20 First downs 7
378 Yards Rushing 226
18 Yards Lost 50
360 Net Rushing 176
6 Passes Attempted 8
3 Passes Completed 0
0 Passes Intercepted 0
77 Yards Passing 0
437 Total Yards 176
3-3 Fumbles-Lost 1-1
1-32 Punts-Average 2-34.5
3-35 Penalties-Yards 4-50
MONACA 7 26 0 12 — 45
SHENANGO 6 6 0 14 — 26
Scoring plays
MONACA — Joe Colangelo, 1-yard run (Shane McKay kick).
SHENANGO — Ricky Mathews, 65-yard run (Kick failed).
MONACA — Colangelo, 56-yard run (McKay kick).
MONACA — Colangelo, 3-yard run (McKay kick).
MONACA — Colangelo, 6-yard run (Kick failed)
SHENANGO — Anthony Kosciuszko, 80-yard kickoff return (Run failed).
MONACA — Desmon Clements, 6-yard run (Pass failed).
MONACA — Colangelo, 6-yard run (Kick failed).
MONACA — Justin Shaw, 5-yard run (Kick failed).
SHENANGO — Mathews, 65-yard run (Scott McBride kick).
SHENANGO — Joe Seaburn, 16-yard run (McBride kick).
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