Big plays keep South Side
in the hunt for playoff berth
Written: Oct 19, 2009
 By TODD KRISE
t_krise@ncnewsonline.com
It’s as if the Shenango High and South Side Beaver football teams were split apart at birth.
Both run the football with success, yet both have trouble passing. But if you look closely, there’s one glaring discrepancy.
“Big plays,” Shenango coach Ryan Mayo said.
On Saturday night, South Side Beaver was born with them and Shenango was not.
The result was a 14-12 South Side Beaver victory that helped it leap over Shenango (2-3, 4-3) in the Big Seven Conference standings.
The loss is devastating to the Wildcats’ playoff hopes as they now sit in a tie for fifth place with Western Beaver, while the Rams (3-2, 5-2) are tied for third with Monaca (3-2, 4-3). The Indians own the tie-breaker for third place with South Side Beaver because of a head-to-head victory.
“It hurts,” said Shenango quarterback Joe Colavecchia, who was hounded all night by the Rams’ defense. “It’s just a killer for us.”
Colavecchia managed just 2 yards through the air on two completions, which allowed South Side Beaver’s defense to tee off on Shenango running backs Anthony Kosciuszko and Ricky Mathews.
“Coach Mark Capuano, our defensive coordinator, did a phenomenal job scouting them,” Rams coach Jim Winner said when asked how he made Shenango’s offense one dimensional Saturday night. “We saw a lot of what they have done. I felt like he had a great game plan.
“He put them in a situation where if they dropped back to pass, we were going to make their quarterback throw on the run.”
Kosciuszko managed a respectable 116 yards on 35 carries and Mathews registered 84 yards on 17 attempts. However, both running backs combined for only four plays of 10 yards or more.
Kosciuszko put the Wildcats on the board with a 4-yard score that completed a 15-play, 63-yard drive. Shenango missed the extra point and led only 6-0 after one quarter.
South Side Beaver answered back in the second on the game’s only major passing play when Ryan Scialabba connected with Kevin Gergen from 24 yards out to make it 7-6.
The third quarter was a stalemate as neither team attempted a pass. Shenango missed an opportunity at the beginning of the half when the Rams muffed the opening kickoff to set up the Wildcats at the 17.
Shenango appeared to score when Colavecchia rushed in from 4 yards out but the play was called back on a penalty.
The Rams’ offense ran just eight plays in the fourth quarter, but Luke Shaffer’s 56-yard run gave South Side Beaver a 14-6 lead.
Shaffer nearly handed the game to Shenango one possession later when he fumbled on his team’s 44. Mathews took advantage and scored from 26 yards out to make it 14-12 with 2:22 remaining in the game.
But again, the Rams knew what was coming on the Wildcats’ ensuing two-point conversion. South Side Beaver stopped Mathews several yards from the end zone to clinch the victory.
“We keep doing the same thing over and over,” Mathews said. “Everyone knows what we’re doing.”
Shenango was given hope when they recovered an onside kick, but Colavecchia fumbled on the Rams’ 39-yard line to end the game.
“This was our chance,” Colavecchia said. “If we won two of our last three, we had a shot at the playoffs. Now we have to come out and work hard and win our last two.”
Shenango’s last two games are against county-rivals Union and Laurel. They will need to beat Union and upset Laurel, while getting help from South Side Beaver’s opponents in the process.
“Our goals were to make the playoffs,” Mayo said. “I think that was a very realistic goal. We gave it everything we had. Technically, I don’t think we’re eliminated. We’re definitely behind the eight ball now.
“It is a little frustrating because I thought we played very well on both sides of the ball. We just gave up two big plays. In the end, those two big plays ended up costing us the game.”
*****
SS BEAVER SHENANGO
7 First downs 15
183 Yards Rushing 226
16 Yards Lost 34
167 Net Rushing 192
7 Passes Attempted 8
3 Passes Completed 2
0 Passes Intercepted 1
34 Yards Passing 2
201 Total Yards 194
3-3 Fumbles-Lost 2-1
3-30 Punts-Average 3-28
7-80 Penalties-Yards 6-55
SS BEAVER 0 7 0 7 — 14
SHENANGO 6 0 0 6— 12
Scoring plays
SHENANGO — Anthony Kosciuszko, 4-yard run (kick failed)
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Kevin Gergen, 24-yard pass from Ryan Scialabba (Dan Staney kick)
SOUTH SIDE BEAVER — Luke Shaffer, 56-yard run (Staney kick)
SHENANGO — Ricky Mathews, 26-yard run (run failed)
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