JOHNSTOWN —
When it is the final game of the season and each team has only one win, that next victory can be as important as winning a title.
That was the scenario on Saturday afternoon on a muddy Price Field in Westmont as the Hilltoppers faced the Bishop Carroll Huskies.
Westmont dominated the ground game and time of possession to come away with a 16-6 win.
“This (win) was huge to build momentum for the offseason,” Westmont coach Pat Barron said. “It gets the kids to buy into what we are doing and go in the weight room and things like that. As a first-year coach, like Greg (Snyder) on the other side, we both wanted this one pretty bad.”
Westmont (2-8) was paced by the rushing performance of junior running back Sam Curry, who racked up 160 yards on 32 carries and scored the Hilltoppers’ opening touchdown.
The Westmont defense was equal to the task, as it forced Bishop Carroll
(1-9) to punt four times, twice forced a turnover-on-downs, and recorded an interception to secure the win.
The teams traded punts to open the game before Westmont mounted an
11-play, 72-yard drive that started in the closing minutes of the first quarter.
Curry closed the campaign a minute into the second stanza with a 5-yard run into the right corner of the end zone. Mitch Causer added the extra point kick and Westmont led 7-0.
The remainder of the second quarter was a defensive battle, as the Huskies produced a turnover-on-downs and recovered a fumble to halt two Westmont drives.
The Hilltoppers responded by denying Bishop Carroll a single first down on its three possessions.
The Huskies opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 68-yard drive that David Maruca capped with a seven yard pass to Dane Woo in the end zone.
A bobbled snap on the extra point try kept Westmont in the lead 7-6 with just over 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Momentum had definitely swung to Bishop Carroll’s favor when Dan Lesney recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Huskies at the Westmont 48, but the Hilltopper defense quickly quashed the effort by forcing another turnover on downs.
Westmont closed the third quarter with a 70-yard march that featured seven runs by Curry for 46 yards.
Quarterback Liam Moran finished the drive with a six-yard pass to Colin Barron.
A dropped snap prevented Causer from attempting a kick to set the score at 13-6 to open the fourth quarter.
Following a turnover-on-downs, Causer dashed Bishop Carroll’s hopes for a comeback with a 24-yard field goal at 2:04 to cap the scoring.
Curry intercepted Maruca’s pass on Bishop Carroll’s ensuing possession to effectively end the game.
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