With a precise Wing-T offense and three speedy running backs, Slippery Rock made a lot of good defenses look bad on their run through the regular season and District 10 playoffs.
But after 12 games of slowing opponents’ run games like molasses in January, the Tyrone Golden Eagles were the last team you would think would be bothered by some backfield motion and fake handoffs.
That’s what made the numbers the Rockets compiled last night in a 28-14 win over Tyrone at Mansion Park in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals both staggering and incredible – staggering because Slippery Rock rushed for 303 yards against a defense that just a week before had allowed only 70 in the District 5-6 championship; incredible because after giving up only 100 total yards on the ground twice this season, the Golden Eagles allowed two Slippery Rock rushers to eclipse the mark in one game.
Sophomore Sean Ray totaled 136 yards on 13 carries and scored once, senior Travis Sarver carried 26 times for 100 yards and another score, and the Rockets, with their 12th win in 13 games, advanced to the PIAA Western Final to face the winner of today’s WPIAL championship between Jeannette and Aliquippa.
“That’s the first team all year that’s done that,” said Tyrone coach John Franco. “Out and out, they were blocking us. They were very deceptive in the backfield, but what it comes down to is that, in the first half in particular, they just knocked us all over the place. In the second half, we adjusted and did better, but we didn’t move the ball as well offensively.”
The Golden Eagles moved the ball exceptionally well in the first half, three times driving inside the Rockets’ 15-yard line. But only one of those drives yielded points, while two others ended with interceptions in the endzone. Mike McCaffrey came up with both picks, the last coming with 28 seconds left in the second quarter after the Eagles had moved 67 yards in 45 seconds to the Slippery Rock 12.
“That’s the difference between winning and losing at this time of the year,” Franco said.
But while turnovers and penalties seemed to beset the Eagles in the most crucial situations, there were always players on the other side of the ball making them happen. One player who made quite a few was Rocket senior Mike McCaffrey, who came up with both of Slippery Rock’s picks, caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, and stretched his 6-2 frame as far as it would go for a first down on a fourth-and-five reception late in the fourth quarter, setting up the eventual game-clinching score.
“Michael McCaffrey is a great talent,” said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti.
Without McCaffrey’s heroics, the game could have easily turned into a shootout early, as both teams moved the ball at will on their first two possessions.
Tyrone took the opening kick and drove 64 yards on nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. Wilson had two big second-down completions on the drive, one for 15 yards to Ben Gummo and one for 23 to Brice Mertiff, and later scored on a four-yard run to put Tyrone ahead with 7:38 to go in the first quarter.
Mertiff injured a calf muscle late in the drive and left the game. He returned two series later, but managed just one play before exiting for good.
Slippery Rock answered with a long drive of its own, starting from its own 21 with 28 yard-run by Ray. Ray later cut back through the Eagle defense on a 24-yard scoring run, leaving Tyrone defenders grasping at his ankles, completing a 79-yard, seven-play drive that knotted the game at 7-7.
“(Answering their score) was important,” said Conti. “We’re not good enough on defense. We don’t have enough speed. We did some good things (Offensively) and had some good deception. We tried to mix it up a little bit tonight, but this is Tyrone we beat. This isn’t the Little Sister of the Poor. This is a quality football team.”
Tyrone came right back, though, penetrating as far as the Rockets’ 7-yard line on its ensuing possession before McCaffrey came around Tommy Crowl on a comeback route for an interception in the front corner of the endzone on the last play of the first quarter.
The Rockets took over at the 20 and moved 29 yards on seven consecutive running plays before quarterback Ben Collins connected with McCaffrey for 26 yards to the Tyrone 25. Three plays later, Collins and McCaffrey hooked up again, this time for a 19-yard touchdown on a fly pattern that put Slippery Rock ahead 14-7.
Slippery Rock’s first series of the second half was a carbon copy of its successful first half drives, with heavy doses of Ray and Sarver. Collins got into the act, running for 28 yards on consecutive carries, and Steve Regal capped a 76-yard drive with an 11-yard run to make it 21-7.
The Golden Eagles answered with a 68-yard drive for a score that put them back within a touchdown before the quarter was over. Wilson hit Soellner for a 19-yard completion on third-and-eight, and found Brinton Mingle for 17 yards down to the Rocket 23. Ben Gummo covered the last 21, zig-zagging through Slippery Rock defenders and breaking several tackles after taking an option pitch from Wilson, and his kick cut the lead to 21-14 with 4:05 left in the third.
Slippery Rock shut the door on Tyrone in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard scoring drive, aided by McCaffrey’s fourth-down reception. Sarver scored from two yards out, closing the door on the Eagles’ bid for a fourth trip to the PIAA semifinals.
“This was the quickest team we played all year,” said Franco. “I don’t know if anyone believed me, but that was the one thing that really stood out about them when I watched them on film.”
GRID TIDBITS: Slippery Rock was 2-for-2 on third downs, and both conversions led to scores … the most rushing yards Tyrone had allowed until last night was 155 against United in Week 10 … the Eagles finish the season 11-2.
Slipper Rock 28, Tyrone 14
Score By Quarters
Slippery Rock 7 7 7 7 – 28
Tyrone 7 0 7 0 – 14
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
T – Wilson 4 run (Gummo kick) 7:38
S – Ray 24 run (McCaffrey kick) 4:12
Second Quarter
S – McCaffrey 19 pass from Collins (McCaffrey kick) 5:09
Third Quarter
S – Regal 11 run (McCaffrey kick) 6:51
T – Gummo 21 run (Gummo kick) 4:05
Fourth Quarter
S – Sarver 2 run (McCaffrey kick) 2:00
Team Statistics
SR T
First Downs 23 14
Rushes-Yards 51-304 23-100
Passing 4-6 10-21
Passing yards 93 155
Intercepted by 2 0
Fumbles lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties 4-25 2-16
Punts 3-36 3-45.3
Total yards 397 255
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Slippery Rock: Ray 13-136, 1 TD; Sarver 26-100, 1 TD; Gallo 3-3; Collins 11-57; Regal 1-11, 1 TD.
Tyrone: Gummo 12-58, 1 TD; Wilson 3-11, 1 TD; Mingle 4-21; Mertiff 4-10.
Passing
Slippery Rock Collins 4-6, 93 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int.
Tyrone: Wilson 10-21 153 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int.
Receiving
Slippery Rock: McCaffrey 3-73; Lee 1-20.
Tyrone: Soellner 3-70; Crabtree 3-24; Gummo 2-17; Mertiff 1-23; Mingle 1-17.
