So much for advanced scouting, film review and statistics. After seeing Bishop McCort play, Tyrone coach John Franco broke the Crimson Crushers down in one succinct statement.
“They’re really big and really fast. What else do you need to know?” Franco said.
Certainly there’s a little more to 10-1 McCort than that, but those are the two biggest concerns for Franco, whose 12-0 Golden Eagles, ranked No. 3 in the state, will face the Crimson Crushers tonight at Mansion Park in Altoona in the District 6-AA championship game (7 p.m.).
Both teams made it to the championship with relatively easy victories in the semifinals. Tyrone took down No. 4 seed Forest Hills 46-22, while McCort blew out No. 6 Philipsburg-Osceola 34-10.
Tyrone is seeking its eighth District title under Franco, while the Crushers are making their fifth finals appearance in the last six years. The game is a rematch of last season’s semifinals, which saw McCort stun Tyrone 23-20 in overtime at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field.
“This is without a doubt the best football team we’ve seen since Grove City in 2004 (in the PIAA semifinals),” said Franco. “There’s no weak area with them. But that’s why you want to play in championship games, and that’s what makes it fun. I’m sure we’ll be the best team they’ve seen this season.”
What makes McCort so dangerous, aside from an offense averaging over 26 points per game with a thousand-yard rusher and a thousand-yard passer, is its defense. Led by linebacker Scott Lewis (98 tackles, 8 sacks) and defensive end Chris Kawchak (71 tackles, 6 sacks), the Crushers are allowing just 7.1 points per game. They’ve also forced 17 turnovers and recorded four shutouts.
“The key has been our defense,” McCort coach Ken Salem said. “They’ve carried us. We’ve improved on the offensive line dramatically as the season has progressed, but we were able to win early on because of our defense.”
It’s a defense that has allowed a stingy 670 yards on the ground (an average of 60.9 yards per game), and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 14 games.
That creates an intriguing matchup against the Golden Eagles, whose forte under Franco has been finding a way to run the ball effectively. They’re averaging 240 yards per game running the ball, led by junior Johnny Franco (213 carries, 1,572 yards) and senior Tyler Gillmen (123 carries, 880 yards).
Salem is aware of the duo’s abilities, but he’s also concerned with Tyrone’s passing attack, especially with sophomores Eric Lowry and Jack Schrey manning the corners. Senior Tyler Golden, in his first year as the Eagles’ starter, has completed 64 of 113 passes for 1,272 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, and many of his biggest completions have come from Tyrone’s bread-and-butter play-action game.
“Their quarterback has a strong arm and he’s very smart,” Salem said. “It’s a typical Franco-coached offense that forces you to defend the entire field.”
McCort’s pass rush – more than its play in the secondary – has allowed the Crushers to stifle most passing attacks so far. The Crushers have registered 28 sacks on the season, and their opponents are averaging just over 80 yards a game through the air.
“Defensively, they shut down the run and they defend the pass just as well,” Franco said. “We’re in for a heck of a battle.”
On offense, Bishop McCort averages 325 yards per game, led by Lewis, who’s piled up 1,028 yards on 128 carries. He’s complemented by Brad Barbin, who has added another 793 yards on 152 carries.
Quarterback Jordan DeFrances has completed 100 of 180 passes for 1,298 yards, 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, and he’s spread the ball around, with three receivers totaling more than 190 yards.
“They’re very good with their short passing game,” Franco said. “But the key is to shut down (Lewis) and (Barbin) inside the tackles. They like to do a lot of fullback traps, dives and isos, and you have to stop that. That’s hard to do.”
Last season’s semifinal game showed just how hard. In a game where finding room to run was difficult for both teams, Lewis (16-68) and Barbin (11-54) allowed the Crushers to dominate the ground battle with 153 yards to Tyrone’s 42. In overtime, it took McCort just two Lewis rushes up the middle to cover 15 yards, score the winning touchdown, and hand the Eagles’ their only loss of the season.
“This is a better version of last year’s team,” Franco said. “I couldn’t believe they didn’t win the whole thing last year. This year, they’re much quicker. Their running backs are a year older and wiser, and their quarterback, although he’s new, may be better.”
With that said, Franco isn’t ready to concede victory just yet. The Eagles, he said, are also much quicker this time around, their running backs are a much bigger factor in a solid passing game, and, through injury and bare necessity, they’ve been forced to use more players on defense than ever before, giving them depth and rest.
But the biggest difference, as Franco has said throughout the postseason, is Tyrone’s hunger.
“We’re a hungrier version of last year,” Franco said. “This is the last rung on the ladder in our locker room, so there’s not much that needs to be said. If anything, we’ve had to calm the kids down this week because they are so hungry. They’re chomping at the bit to get there.”
GAME NOTES: Tyrone leads the all-time series against McCort with 3 wins and one loss. All four games have come in the playoffs … the Eagles are shooting for the program’s ninth District championship … Tyrone has 21 interceptions and five fumble recoveries, making them a plus-20 in the turnover ratio … the Eagles have recorded 35 sacks this season, led by Jason Reese (9.5) and Tyler Hoover (9.0) … Franco is unbeaten at Tyrone in District championship games.
