Sto-Rox stays unbeaten by stopping Shenango
Shenango (12) vs. Sto-Rox (38)
Written: Oct 24, 2011
By Dan Irwin
New Castle News
Shenango pulled out all the stops Saturday night against unbeaten Sto-Rox.
But in the end, there was simply no stopping the Vikings.
The Wildcats kept it close for a half, but Sto-Rox went on to claim the Big Seven Conference football crown with a 38-12 decision.
Shenango (2-4 conference, 3-5 overall) rolled the dice throughout the game. The Wildcats opened it with an onside kick, alternated Tynen Green and Anthony Prestopine (the latter running a Wildcat offense) at quarterback, executed a fake punt, blocked one Sto-Rox punt and went for a first down on a fourth-and-one at their own 31.
“We felt coming in that were going to throw a few haymakers and see what we could do,” Shenango head coach Ryan Mayo said. “We hoped to be able to hang around and have a chance to win it in the end.
“Obviously, that didn’t happen but I think our kids gave them a good game.”
Shenango’s game-opening onside kick backfired when Josh Beverly ran 49 yards for a score on the Vikings’ first play. Beverly scored two more times in the first quarter, on a 15-yard run set up by a Shenango fumble and a 4-yard run prefaced by a second Shenango onside kick.
Beverly, who entered the contest with 1,064 yards rushing, left late in the first period with what head coach Ron Butschle said was an ankle sprain and did not return.
Shenango’s second onside kick try came as a result of an 8-yard, Greer-to-Prestopine touchdown pass that capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive and cut the Vikings’ early lead to 16-6. Though Beverly’s third TD extended the Vikings’ lead, the Wildcats made it 24-12 by halftime on a 10-yard Prestopine run. Avery Pears’ blocked punt had given Shenango possession at the Sto-Rox 24 four plays earlier.
The Wildcats also had marched as far as the Vikings 33 on their prior possession, but turned the ball over on an interception. That drive was prolonged when Vince Albertini gained seven yards on a fake punt.
“We shot ourselves in the foot a bunch of times the first half and they drove the ball on us,” Butschle said. “We gave away too much in the first half — dumb penalties (six flags for 35 yards), a blocked punt, but they also had a couple of drives on us.
“We take some pride in not letting that happen the second half.”
Sto-Rox (6-0, 8-0) held Shenango to just 26 total yards after intermission, while scoring on a 46-yard pass from Lenny Williams to Marzett Geter and an 11-yard Williams run. The former was set up when the ’Cats failed to pick up a first down on fourth-and-1 at their own 31.
“If you’re going to win, you’re going to have to make some plays like that,” Mayo said. “I didn’t think twice about it. That’s what we do, we get those short, tough yards.
“We came up six inches short, but were going to take our chances and do whatever we could to swing it in our favor. And I think our kids bought into it and executed it the best they could. I’m proud of their effort.”
BOX SCORE
STO-ROX SHENANGO
11 First downs 9
206 Yards Rushing 157
24 Yards Lost 35
182 Net Rushing 122
11 Passes Attempted 4
6 Passes Completed 1
0 Passes Intercepted 1
146 Yards Passing 8
328 Total Yards 130
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 2-2
2-26.5 Punts-Average 2-21.5
8-55 Penalties-Yards 2-15
STO-ROX 24 0 6 8 — 38
SHENANGO 6 6 0 0 — 12
Scoring plays
STO-ROX — Joshua Beverly, 49-yard run (Lenny Williams run).
STO-ROX — Beverly, 15-yard run (Dontez Ford pass from Williams).
SHENANGO — Anthony Prestopine, 7-yard pass from Tynen Greer (run failed).
STO-ROX — Beverly, 4-yard run (Jerrell Houston pass from Williams).
SHENANGO — Prestopine, 10-yard run (pass failed).
STO-ROX — Marzett Geter, 46-yard pass from Williams (run failed).
STO-ROX — Williams, 11-yard run.
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