Following Greater Johnstown’s 39-14 road win over Richland on Friday, the head coaches of both teams dismissed the final score as being indicative of the hard-fought and physical contest that had just played out.
The score, though, was representative of the Trojans’ big-play potential on both sides of the ball.
“We always seem to have somebody stepping up to make a big play in a big spot,” said Johnstown coach Tony Penna Jr., whose team improved to 4-0.
The most timely of Johnstown’s big plays both came in the third quarter and on the defensive side of the ball.
Trailing only 20-14 at the start of the second half, Richland (1-3) seemed to be building momentum after opening the half with a seven-play drive that pushed deep into Johnstown territory before ending with a missed field goal. Following that drive, the Rams’ defense stepped up and held Johnstown without a first down on its first series of the half.
But on the first play of Richland’s next series, Rams running back John Rizzo was stripped of the ball by Greater Johnstown’s Tyler Arsenault, who raced
32 yards for a touchdown. Following a failed two-point conversion try, the Trojans led 26-14 at the 7:04 mark of the third quarter.
“Our defensive coaches work so hard with our guys on scooping and scoring or stripping and scoring,” Penna said. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t even sure just what was going on while Tyler was running down the field. I kept waiting for a whistle to blow.”
Richland continued to battle to get back into the game and mounted a 10-play drive that took the Rams all the way to the Johns-town 12 yard line. However, on a fourth-down play, Richland quarterback Jordan Cinko’s pass was intercepted at the goal line by Johnstown’s Daquan Minter and returned 90 yards to the Rams 10.
Following a 5-yard procedure penalty, Johnstown quarterback Gervon Simon scored on a 15-yard run around the left end to extend the Trojans’ lead to 32-14 with 2:35 left in the third quarter.
“When we went down by two scores, it changed our mindset a bit,” said Richland coach Brandon Bailey. “We had to start to throw the ball a little bit, and their kid made a heck of a play around their goal line.”
The Trojans’ Javon Vuckovich set the final score with a 2-yard touchdown run with 8:35 remaining in the game.
The Johnstown defense was solid for most of the game, forcing three turnovers and limiting Richland to 261 yards of total offense. The Trojans offense was consistent and explosive at times in racking up 411 yards of total offense.
Nearly a quarter of Johnstown’s total offensive output came on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Simon, while under heavy pressure, was able to lob a short pass on a middle screen to Marc Watson, who made one cut to his left and raced 82 yards to the end zone.
Johnstown’s extra point attempt failed leaving the Trojans ahead 6-0 only 25 seconds into the game.
“Marc Watson is a game-changer,” Penna said. “We like to come into every game with something we haven’t shown. We caught them in a blitz. Gervon did a good job of getting rid of the ball and Marc and the line did the rest.”
Richland’s offense answered with a 22-yard touchdown run by Cinko at the 4:08 mark of the first quarter. Greg Sichak converted the extra-point attempt to give the Rams their only lead of the game, 7-6.
Johnstown regained the lead on its next series when Arsenault scored on a 2-yard run set up by a 43 yard scamper by Simon on the previous play.
Arsenault also converted the two-point conversion on a run off the right side to put the Trojans up 14-7 with 2:00 remaining in the first quarter.
Richland tied the score at 14 when Sichak crashed over the left side from 3 yards out with 5:36 remaining in the first half. Johns-town regained the lead at 20-14 on a 1-yard sneak by Simon at the 3:42 mark of the second quarter.
“We were proud of our effort in the first half,” Bailey said. “We felt very good coming out of halftime only down a score and getting the ball to start the second half.
“You have to give credit to Johnstown. They made the plays when they had to.”
Sports
Related Photos
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Johnstown kick returner Calvin Anderson stiff-arms Richland’s Alex Walton during the first quarter. John Rucosky
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ohnstown wide receiver Alkwan Williams catches a deep pass over Richland defensive back Chris Speicher. John Rucosky
Discussion
Johnstown pulls away for victory
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