Somerset worried about turnovers in semifinal game

Related Photos

Somerset’s junior quarterback, Tanner Stull, eludes tacklers earlier this season in a game against Bishop McCort. John Rucosky

Discussion

November 7, 2012

Somerset worried about turnovers in semifinal game

Cory Isenberg cisenberg@tribdem.com The Tribune-Democrat Thu Nov 08, 2012, 08:06 AM EST

JOHNSTOWN — Somerset spent the week preparing for its first foray into the postseason in six years.

The Golden Eagles (5-5) fell 21-7 to Hollidaysburg in that District 6 Class AAA first-round game in 2007.

Somerset will hope for a different outcome this time as it moves into PIAA subregional action on Friday night. The squad finished as the third seed in the District 5-6-8-9 Class AAA region and will play second-seeded University Prep at 7 p.m. at Cupples Stadium in Pittsburgh in semifinal action.

At this point in the season, Somerset coach Bob Landis is looking for consistency from his team.

“The effort from our players has been there,” Landis said. “We just have to be more consistent and eliminate turnovers. We suddenly have the turnover bug. Obviously, in big games, you cannot have turnovers. You have to force turnovers.”

Check out The T-D Club's playoff preview here

The Golden Eagles (5-5) - who last won a playoff game in 1989, a 20-12 victory over Penn Cambria in the District 6 Class AAA semifinals and then fell to Bellefonte 47-8 in the championship - enter the postseason on a three-game skid, including last week’s 16-14 loss at Penn Cambria.

“We’ve lost three in a row, but we were in two of three of those games,” Landis said.

The Wildcats (5-3) also lost their last game, falling 9-6 in overtime to Perry Traditional Academy in the City Championship game.

“We just got film on them and they are very, very athletic,” the Somerset coach said. “They run a spread offense and a 4-3 cover two on defense. Their quarterback Akil Young likes to throw the ball and they use four or five wides.”

The senior quarterback has been a catalyst for the Wildcats offense, having thrown for 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns in the team's seven-game regular season. Against the Commodores, Young was 12 of 32 for 191 yards, but he also had three interceptions.

Marcus Johnson had five catches for 86 yards and Ryan Daniels scored the team’s lone touchdown against Perry.

Coach Lou Berry’s Wildcats average 36.4 points a game.

Somerset’s balanced offense has rushed for an average of 152 and passed for 142.7 yards per game and has scored 18.5 points a game. On defense, the Golden Eagles have allowed 20.2 points a game.

Junior quarterback Tanner Stull has completed nearly half of the passes that he has thrown this season for the Eagles, going 80 of 163 for 1,243 yards.

Stull also leads the team in rushing with 500 yards on 129 carries.

Zach Baker has 22 receptions for 397 yards and Bryce Mostoller has 17 for 291 yards. Doug Berkebile has 12 catches for 208 yards and Jordan Wilkow has 12 catches for 200 yards.

Matt Boyer has rushed for 380 yards on 70 carries with Blake Faulkner adding 331 yards on 74 carries.

“Tanner Stull makes our offense go, but I am pleased with the way our offensive line has come together,” Landis said. “Matt Boyer has found his stride in the later part of the season, but we have a lot of different players that have made significant contributions for us.”

Landis, in his second year with the Eagles, is proud of the strides forward that the team has taken.

“We’ve had a mentality change,” the Somerset coach said. “This group of juniors had some success through the system and that carries over.

“Also, there was always a core group that lifted and worked out in the off season, now the majority of our kids are in the weight room and working out. This group has something invested and is looking to continue the rebuilding effort.”

The winner of the Somerset/University Prep game will face the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded Clearfield and No. 4 Punxsutawney.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat print edition.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat

Text Only | Photo Reprints

High School Sports

Shade softball thriving on Karl’s watch
Frank Karl coached the majority of the girls who comprise Shade High School’s softball team from the time they played T-ball and coach pitch.
Karl was there when the group, as elementary-school students, once rallied from an 18-run deficit to win a game, and he hoped to be there when the group reached the varsity level.

May 12, 2013
MIKE KOVAK| Blending schedules a challenge for athletic directors
Bishop McCort basketball gets it. So does Greater Johnstown basketball.
Go ahead and count Somerset baseball among the mix. The same goes for Ligonier Valley softball and Northern Cambria volleyball.
What is it that these different programs from various locations within The Tribune-Democrat coverage area get exactly?

May 10, 2013 1 Photo
CORY ISENBERG| Stakes rise as schedules shrink
There are fewer events on the daily high school sports schedules, but the stakes are going up for area athletes as the spring season heads into its final weeks.
In track and field, the three area conferences will hold their championship meets this week.
In Portage today, the WestPAC athletes will gather for their championships while the Laurel Highlands and Heritage meets will be on Tuesday at Somerset and United, respectively.

May 5, 2013 1 Photo
Seven Conemaugh Township athletes make commitments
Dillon Boyer entered Thursday’s scholastic baseball action ranked fourth in the state with a .688 batting average.
Boyer will take those impressive numbers a few miles North on Route 219 when he continues his career at the next level. The Conemaugh Township senior will attend Pitt-Johnstown and play NCAA Division II baseball for coach Todd Williams.

April 18, 2013 1 Photo
Four from Richland committed to UPJ
For Sabrina Wingard, the opportunity to play collegiate soccer with her sister, Savanna, was too great an opportunity to skip.
For Bobby Colvin, Curt Colvin and Ismail Ahmad, the idea of playing highly competitive soccer next to their high school campus made for an easy choice.

April 11, 2013
Local sports in brief 4/4/2013
April 3, 2013
Subich, Dell recognized for football
Greater Johnstown High School senior Nick Subich earned the Joe Sarra Community Service Award and took a Scholar Athlete Award at the recent Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet.
The Joseph D. Sarra Community Service Award is named for the long-time chapter board member and former Penn State assistant football coach.

March 22, 2013
Trexler gets his 1,000th point in McCort victory
While much of the Northeast was belted by massive accumulations of snow, the Blizzard Nemo mostly spared the Johnstown area.
Another Nemo created a buzz on Osborne Street on Friday night, though the flurry of points had nothing to do with the winter weather.

February 9, 2013 1 Photo
Chestnut Ridge advances in PIAA Class AA team championship
Chestnut Ridge coach Greg Lazor expected District 3 champ Boiling Springs to push his team to the limit in Friday’s PIAA Class AA team wrestling quarterfinals.
And up to the end, it was a close one: Three matches went to overtime and the Lions carried a lead when the weight classes turned to the low end, but the Bubblers won four straight to end the quarterfinal round a winner, 32-25.

February 8, 2013 1 Photo
Local sports in brief 2/9/2013
February 8, 2013
More High School Sports Headlines

High School Sports

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Somerset worried about turnovers in semifinal game

What do you think of the decision by the Boy Scouts of America to accept openly gay scouts?

Contact Us