BG fails to slow down Ridge ‘0’
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NEW PARIS -- In a knock-down, drag-out Laurel Highlands Conference street fight between two heavyweights, Bishop Guilfoyle and Chestnut Ridge, the host Lions had one final punch in their arsenal Friday night.
After BG had battled back from 14-0 and 34-20 deficits to take a 43-42 lead on senior fullback Kaden Wyandt's sixth touchdown run of the game with 3:16 left, Ridge drove 65 yards in nine plays for the game-winning score, a 17-yard bootleg touchdown run by senior quarterback Nate Whysong with 1:34 left, to carve out a 50-43 victory on its home field at Dr. Larry A. Giovacchini Stadium.
Wyandt rushed for 162 yards on 21 carries for BG -- often carrying tacklers with him on second effort -- and Ridge's own bullish senior back, Jeb Emerick, matched Wyandt's heroics by rushing for 186 yards on 22 carries and four scores as Ridge improved to 7-1 overall and in the conference by winning its senior night game.
"I'm just speechless,'' Ridge coach Max Shoemaker said. "This was a great game, and you've got to give credit to both teams. They both put their entire hearts and souls into this game.''
Ridge bounced back from its only loss this season, a 15-12 setback to Penn Cambria last week that was decided when the Lions fumbled in the closing seconds on the PC 1-yard line.
"After last week's tough loss, it is really nice to get one like this,'' Shoemaker said. "All the credit goes to our kids. They continued to make plays, they continued to believe in themselves, and they survived tonight.''
BG coach Justin Wheeler's team dropped to 4-4, and the four losses have come by a combined total of only 22 points.
"We'd like to be on the other end of one of these games for once,'' Wheeler said. "This is the best 4-4 team I've ever been around. We were down two scores a couple of times tonight, but our guys just kept on fighting.
"We've been so depleted by injuries, but we just kept battling tonight,'' added Wheeler, whose Marauders are missing five starters.
Whysong scored the winning touchdown by getting free on the right side of the field and cutting back to the middle.
"It was a read option,'' Whysong said of the game-winning run. "I just took it and found the lane. This was a game where every time it seemed like we were going to pull ahead, BG battled back. Give them credit. They never quit.''
After Whysong's touchdown run, BG --which racked up 511 yards in total offense, including 284 passing by junior quarterback Chase Kissell on 18 completions in 33 attempts -- moved to the Ridge 26 before Kissell's fourth-down pass was knocked down by a Ridge defender.
"It was a matter of two tough teams going back and forth, battling all night long,'' said Wyandt, who scored on touchdown runs on 8, 6, 5 and 2 yards, along with a pair of 1-yard scoring runs. "They just made a couple more plays than we did.''
Emerick, who scored on runs from 43, 25, 1 and 2 yards out, appreciated the great effort by both teams.
"These are the types of games that you want to play in,'' Emerick said. "BG is a great team. We made big plays when we had to make them.''
Play of the game: In a game in which both teams made several big plays, none was bigger than Whysong's game-winning touchdown run on first down.
Players of the game: Wyandt, Emerick, and Kissell all deserve this recognition.
Unsung heroes: BG junior Hamilton Gates caught 11 passes totaling 128 yards, while Ridge's Chase Whysong ran 53 yards for a touchdown and caught a 22-yard scoring pass from his cousin, Nate Whysong.
Most vital statistic: BG rolled up 511 yards, 284 through the air and 227 via the rush. Ridge countered with 425 total yards, including 350 via the rush.
Notable: JaRod Wolfhope and Owen Claycomb made interceptions for Ridge, while Braden Reilly recovered a fumble for BG.
Records: Bishop Guilfoyle (4-4); Chestnut Ridge (7-1).
Next week: Bishop Guilfoyle hosts Philipsburg-Osceola Saturday night; Chestnut Ridge visits Richland next Friday night.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bishop Guilfoyle 0 20 8 15 --43
Chestnut Ridge 14 7 13 16 --50
First Quarter
CR--C. Whysong 53 run (Kostenbauder kick), 10:11.
CR--Emerick 1 run (Kostenbauder kick), 3:21.
Second Quarter
BG--Wyandt 3 run (kick failed), 11:20.
BG--Wyandt 2 run (J. Kissell pass from Adams), 8:23.
BG--Wyandt 5 run (run failed), 5:51.
CR--Emerick 2 run (Kostenbauder kick), :41.
Third Quarter
CR--Emerick 25 run (Kostenbauder kick), 7:51.
CR--C. Whysong 22 pass from N. Whysong (pass failed), 4:17.
BG--Wyandt 1 run (Wyandt pass from C. Kissell), 1:09.
Fourth Quarter
CR--Emerick 43 run (N. Whysong run), 11:08.
BG--Wyandt 8 run (J. Kissell pass from Wyandt), 9:05.
BG--Wyandt 6 run (Cacciotti kick), 3:16.
CR--N. Whysong 17 run (C. Whysong pass from N. Whysong), 1:34.
TEAM STATISTICS BG CR
First downs 23 26
Total yards 511 425
Rushes-yards 37-227 46-350
Yards passing 284 75
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 18-33-2 5-11-0
Punts/avg. 1-35 2-31
Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-1
Penalties-yards 7-65 9-65
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bishop Guilfoyle, Wyandt 21-162, Gates 12-54, C.Kissell 4-11. Chestnut Ridge, Emerick 22-186, N. Whysong 19-77, C. Whysong 3-61, Claycomb 2-26.
PASSING--Bishop Guilfoyle, C. Kissell 18-33-2-284. Chestnut Ridge, N. Whysong 5-11-0-75.
RECEIVING--Bishop Guilfoyle, Gates 11-128, Reilly 5-123, J. Kissell 1-17, Adams 1-16. Chestnut Ridge, C. Whysong 2-39, Wolfhope 2-28, Claycomb 1-8.