Saturday Game Report #3

9/16/06

The Johnstown Trojans improved to 3-0 (1-0 in section play) Friday night with a six point victory over the visiting Westmont Hilltoppers.

In a game that saw all the scoring take place in the first half, the Trojans didn’t get things off to slamming start. The opening kickoff was fumbled by Michael Barnes and recovered by Westmont at the Johnstown 23-yard line. However, four plays netted -1 yard and the Hilltoppers turned the ball over on downs.

With that bullet dodged, the Trojans and Hilltoppers traded punts. The next time Johnstown got the ball back they got a quick strike. Following a 3-yard gain on the ground from fullback Greg Webster and a dropped pass by Adonis Jackson on second down the Trojans got their first touchdown of the night. Jackson quickly made amends for his drop the prior down by hauling in a Brandon Hody pass and taking it to the house from 71 yards out. Pete Babyak, filling in for the injured Ben Landis, missed the extra point and the Trojans were up 6-0.

The rest of the opening quarter into the second was a stalemate until Johnstown forced a punt deep in Westmont territory. The Trojans got excellent field position, starting the drive from Westmont’s 35-yard line. The drive to score their second touchdown took all of five plays as Will Harris rambled 21 yards on the ground then Antwuan Reed picked up seven on a pass play that set up first-and-goal. Following two runs from Webster that pushed the ball to the one, Hody called his own number with the quarterback sneak for the score. Hody then hit Reed for the 2-point conversion to make the score 14-0.

It appeared as if the Trojans would take the 14-point lead into the half but on the ensuing kickoff the Hilltoppers returned the ball to their own 41. Three running plays picked up first downs but with time running out, Coach McLaurin had to go at through the air. Quarterback Joe Valcheff hooked up with Zack Trotz on first down for a 9 yard connection that moved the chains and put the ball on the Trojan 30. This drive seemed stalled as two incomplete passes and another sack from Aaron Brezovic pushed the ball back to the 37 and forced McLaurin to burn his final time-out.

6’6” junior Nick Khuri got the call out of the huddle and caught Valcheff’s pass from 37 yards out as time expired in the half. As if that wasn’t disheartening enough, the Hilltoppers converted the 2-point conversion as Valcheff pitched the ball to T.J. Keklak who executed the halfback pass and found Trotz in the end zone all by himself. This made the score 14-8 going to halftime and gave Westy all the momentum as they would return the second half kickoff.

Coming out of the break, Westmont looked to have found something they could run as Chaz Merriman ran the ball several times with success but the drives always seemed to sputter, ending either in punts or turnovers on downs. The Hilltoppers got as deep as the Johnstown 20 in the third quarter but came away with no points.

The third quarter flew by as the Hilltoppers were stopped quickly on their first drive. The Trojans took the punt and appeared to be driving on their own, however Hody’s on third-and-nine was picked off.

Westy took over on their own 40-yard line. They kept the ball on the ground for six straight plays, advancing to the 20 but got no further. Valcheff was incomplete on third down and sacked by Brezovic on fourth.

With the Trojans taking the ball over on downs they went to the air as Hody hooked up again with Jackson but the drive stalled on a third-and-two that saw the Westmont defense snuff out an option run that Hody had run with some success earlier in the night. Punting from his own 40, Babyak got off a good punt that took a Trojan bounce and stopped dead at the Westmont 22. From there, the Hilltoppers went backwards as two running plays gained -1 yards and yet another Brezovic sack made it fourth-and-27 and forced the Westy punt from their own 15.

Durese Coleman returned the punt to the Westy 37, again having the Trojans with a short field and winning the field position battle. This drive would be the closest the Trojans would come to scoring again all night but they couldn’t close the deal.

Webster gained eight yards on second down to set up a third-and-two. Reed picked up the first down and got the ball to the 21 but the Trojans went backwards from there. A Harris run gained a yard but then Reed was dropped for a three-yard loss. A third down pass from Hody was incomplete and a fourth down screen to Reed was completed but stopped well shy of the first down marker.

After Westmont turned the ball over on downs near midfield it looked like the Trojans could ice the game. They were milking the clock and had it down to 1:56 before they were forced to go for a pass on third-and-seven. That play was incomplete and stopped the clock and forced another big punt from Babyak.

The punt was not returned. Westmont had the ball at their own 25 with 1 time-out left and a chance to win the game with the drive. They went for it all on first down with a halfback pass but it was broken up by the Trojan defense. A second-down pass was also incomplete, setting up a third down Valcheff strike to Khuri for seven yards.

Westmont used their final time-out with 1:12 on the clock and fourth-and-three and game in the balance. They chose to run a sweep to the left to pick up the three yards but only picked up one yard, thus falling short. The Trojans came out and took two knees and the game was over.

Westmont falls to 1-2, 0-1 in the section. They’ll host Somerset next Saturday.

The Trojans hit the road Friday night for the short trip to Richland.

Saturday Game Report #4

9/23/06

RICHLAND-Antwuan Reed rushed for 182 yards on 17 carries and helped lead the team to an impressive 40-13 win against previously unbeaten Richland last night. Reed rushed for two scores and ran a two-point conversion but his most impressive play was on special teams.

The nail in the coffin of the Rams was when Reed picked up a punt and scampered 75 yards to pay dirt. The ball was touched by a Ram player but they never downed it. Reed was astute, not hearing a whistle he picked the ball off the turf and while the remaining 21 players on the field took a break he ran the ball back for the score right before the half. This made the halftime score 28-7 and deflated the Richland contingency.

Johnstown looked most impressive on the first two drives of the game, mixing the pass and run with efficiency. The line provided good holes for the backs and gave quarterback Brandon Hody ample protection. Hody hit EZ Miller from 15 yards out for the Trojans’ initial score. Reed ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

The Trojan defense held the Rams offense in check, got the ball back and put together another good drive that ended in a Greg Webster run from one yard out. The conversion failed and the score was 14-0.

But the Rams weren’t dead. Running back Jon Sakmar nearly scored on a 34-yard run down the left sideline. He was rewarded the next play when he hooked up with backup quarterback Tim Ripple for a ten-yard touchdown. Jim Ondesko’s kick was good and the Rams were right back in the game, closing the gap to 14-7.

That was short-lived for the Rams as Reed took the ball on the Trojans’ first play on the ensuing possession and ran 69 yards for the score. Hody then hooked up with Adonis Jackson for the two-point conversion making it 22-7.

Reed scored again in the third quarter and then gave way to backup Michael Barnes. After succumbing to a fumble, Barnes settled down and gained some nice chunks of yardage, including a 43 yard touchdown. This was the Trojans’ final score of the evening. Barnes ended the game with 84 yards rushing.

Richland’s final score was very late in the contest as backup quarterback Ryan Slyvia hit reserve Chris Marks from 4 yards out.

Richland is now 3-1, 1-1 in the section. They will host Bishop McCort for their homecoming next week. The Trojans are now 4-0 and improve to 2-0 in the section. They will host Somerset Saturday night for the Trojans’ 1,000^th game in program history.

Saturday Game Report #5

Johnstown 47, Somerset 19

9/30/06

JOHNSTOWN-After all the excitement of the pre-game ceremonies and festivities of Johnstown’s 1,000^th game, the actual product of the game itself was a bit anti-dramatic as the Trojans made easy work of an outclassed, undermanned Somerset Eagles team and improved to 5-0 at the midpoint of the regular season.

It took very little time for the Trojans to get on the board as they took the ball on the 20 following a touchback on the opening kickoff. Exactly one play from scrimmage was all they needed to get on the board as junior Antwuan Reed took the handoff and raced 80 yards for the touchdown. John Maurizio added the first of his five PATs and it was 7-0 Trojans very early.

Before the end of the first quarter the score was 27-0 Trojans. Fullback Greg Webster had a 37-yard run to make the score 14-0 then, LaVarr Stephens-Howling picked up a fumble and ran it in two yards for the score to make it 21-0. Finally, closing out the first stanza scoring, Brandon Hody ran the ball in from two. Maruizio’s kick that time failed and the first quarter came to a close.

Reed scored on runs of 26 and 61 yards in the second quarter to move the halftime score to 41-7. He then scored the final Trojan touchdown on a 53 yard run in the third quarter that pretty much gave the rest of the game to the JV team.

Somerset’s scores were made by Vince Corden, on a six-yard pass reception from Jordan Kaufman in the first half and runs by Zach Deist and Chase Dykstra in the second half.

The Eagles are now 0-5 (0-3 in the section) and will host Richland this week.

As mentioned previously, JHS is 5-0 (3-0 in the section). They will host Bishop Carroll this Friday and look to avenge that shut out loss from a year ago.

Saturday Game Report #8

Johnstown 20, Bedford 14

JOHNSTOWN-On a cold senior night, this Johnstown High School football team did something that no other Trojan team can claim: they beat a Bedford team. Although it took a goal line stand on a 4^th and goal from the 2 to seal the deal, the Trojans held the line and improve to 7-1 on the season.

The play in above in question was highly controversial, mainly for the Bedford sideline, as they felt quarterback Peter Westwood clearly got in the end zone but the officials saw it differently and called the Bisons short of the goal and thus turned the ball over on downs.

As far as the scoreboard is concerned, the Trojans got on the board right off the bat as they took the opening kickoff and 62 yards on a very impressive drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown strike from Brandon Hody to Demetrius Young. John Maurizio’s PAT was blocked and it was 6-0 Trojans early.

Hody and Young hooked up again, later in the second quarter following Adonis Jackson’s fumble recovery. This time they hooked up, on another fade route, from 16 yards out and gave the Trojans a 12-0 lead as the try for two was no good.

With Johnstown showing ability to be able to run and pass with ample skill, it appeared the game could be in hand with just one more drive. However, credit the Bisons for not giving up. With just about a minute to go, a Hody pass was deflected and picked off by Josh Gregor. Westwood hooked up with Jesse Feaster on a 66 yard touchdown pass right before the half. Klyer Myers was good for the PAT and it was 12-7 at the half.

Bedford appeared to have momentum coming out in the second half as they received the kickoff and drove down the field. In doing so they ate huge chunks of clock but were unable to close the deal. Johnstown took over and had an equally impressive drive. The Trojans actually ran out the clock of a very quick third quarter and then scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on a Hody sneak from a yard out. Antwuan Reed, back in the game after missing some plays with an apparent ankle injury jogged in the two-point conversion. The Trojans were given another shot after Bedford was called for a pass interference penalty on the first try.

With the score 20-7 Trojans, the only thing bad that could have happened did. As the kickoff coverage team suffered a huge breakdown and gave up a 84-yard touchdown on the ensuing kick to Erik Groat. What stung even worse was that Groat actually bobbled the ball. So after not fielding the ball clean and messing up the timing of the blocking, he was still able to break free and show excellent speed to get to the sideline and pay dirt. Myers was good and the Bisons were right back into it, cutting JHS’ lead to 20-14.

Once again the Trojans made an impressive drive only to shoot themselves in the foot. With first and goal from inside the five, a disastrous turn of events occurred. A loss on an option keeper, a penalty on a toss left and a sack put the Trojans at third and goal from the 24. Hody’s pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Bisons got the ball on the 25 as Young was called for a face mask on the play.

The Bisons had more than enough time to drive the field and showed that they had it them. They moved the ball down the field mixing the run and pass expertly and looked to be in the drivers’ seat. However, they stalled a bit once they got in the red zone which set up the dramatic end to the game.

Reed was back to his high performing self after have a less than stellar performance a week ago against McCort. He had 17 carries for 142 yards and although he was kept out of the end zone for touchdowns, he did add that two-point conversion run to his point totals.

The Trojan defense held Feaster to just 57 yards on 7 carries. The Bisons fall to 5-3 and play host to Bishop Carroll next week while the Trojans, as mentioned previously, improve to 7-1. They will face a tough test in a week’s time as they hit the road to play Forest Hills.

Saturday Game Report #9

Forest Hills 20, Johnstown 14

SIDMAN-On a cold, rainy night at G.H. Miller Field in Sidman, the Johnstown Trojans dropped just their second contest on the 2006 while Forest Hills improved to 7-2.

Don Bailey’s Rangers did it with a punishing running game led by Jared Kostan. Kostan, just a junior, carried the ball 27 times for 179 yards. He was complemented nicely by Scott Mehall who had 86 yards on the ground as well.

However, it was Johnstown that got on the board first. Forest Hills took the opening kickoff but on the second play of the opening drive, they fumbled and Johnstown recovered.

It took the Trojans just one play to capitalize as Antwuan Reed broke off a 50-yard run to the end zone. John Maurizio tacked on the extra point and it was 7-0 J-town.

That concluded the scoring in the first quarter as it was a long, penalty-riddled period of play. The Rangers came back in the second to score twice and in doing so, eating up huge chunks of time. Josh Shope ran in from 14 yards out and Kostan added the two-point conversion to make it 8-7 Rangers.

Johnstown got the ball on the kickoff but punted it back quickly and Forest Hills capitalized by mounting a drive that culminated in Travis Rearick scoring on a sneak. The two-point conversion was no good and it was 14-7 going into halftime.

The Trojans got the ball to start the second half but they stalled and were forced to punt. Forest Hills made them pay as they ate up the rest of the clock in the third quarter and took the drive to the final stanza, scoring less than two minutes in on another Rearick run.

Give Johnstown credit as they answered right back, putting together a quick scoring drive that utilized the three-step drop, intermediate passing game. Brandon Hody hit Adonis Jackson from seven yards out and Maurizio added the PAT to pull the Trojans to within 6.

However, it was not to be as the Rangers recovered the onsides kick attempt by the Trojans and ran the ball and the clock out. Forest Hills ran over five minutes of clock off by continuing to move the chains. With Johnstown out of time-outs, Rearick took a knee to run the final seconds of the clock out.

Reed injured his ankle in the second half and did not return. For the game he gained 85 yards on only 8 carries.

Both teams have identical 7-2 records going into week ten of the season.

Saturday Game Report #10

Tyrone 35, Johnstown 7

TYRONE-John Franco’s Golden Eagles completed their perfect regular season by defeating the Johnstown 35-7 Friday night in a non-conference game played at Gray Veteran’s Memorial Field. The game was a playoff tune-up for both teams as they head into postseason play next week.

Johnstown drops to 7-3 and is seemingly going in the opposite direction as the Golden Eagles are heading into the playoffs having dropped their final two regular season contests.

In what already felt like a playoff atmosphere, Johnstown came out and stopped Tyrone on the game’s initial drive. The Trojan defense forced a three and out and a Golden Eagle punt. Unfortunately, that was one of the few times they were able to stop the Tyrone offense.

The Tyrone combination of quarterback Tyler Golden to Wide Receiver Justin Schopp appeared to be too much for the Trojan defense. Of Golden’s nine passes, four went to Schopp for 121 yards. Both Golden’s passing touchdowns went to Schopp and for the game Golden was 6-of-9 for 154 yards.

The Trojans’ lone score on offense came with the first half dwindling. Brandon Hody led the team on the two-minute drill quite nicely, completing six passes down the field in a drive that culminated with him hooking up with Adonis Jackson from 5 yards out. Maurizio’s PAT was good and the halftime score was set at 21-7.

But the Golden Eagles were too much, they already had all the points they would need for the victory and added two more touchdowns in the third quarter which set the final as the final frame was scoreless.

Tyrone just didn’t get it done through the air though as Tyler Gillmen had 15 carries for 105 yards and two scores in the victory. The performance gives Gillmen 10 rushing touchdowns on the year.

For Johnstown, Hody was 11-for-19 with 132 yards and a TD. However, he also had 2 interceptions, the former helped set up a Tyrone score. But on a positive note, the performance puts Hody above the 1,000-yard mark passing on the season.

Next week it’s win or go home for these two squads as Tyrone will Chestnut Ridge in the first round of the District 5/6-AA playoffs while the Trojans will host Hollidaysburg in the first round of the District 6-AAA playoffs. Both of those squads won last night as Chestnut Ridge defeated Bedford 15-13 while Hollidaysburg had their way with Chambersburg 42-16.