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By Matt Michelone
For the Mirror
CLAYSBURG -- A high school football team's path to victory sometimes can come with an unplanned trick play bouncing your way.
Following Owen Horne's field goal late in the second quarter, the Bedford Bisons were attempting a squib kick when it ended up bouncing of a Steelton-Highspire player, and ended up right back in the Bisons' hands.
Quincy Swaim scored from there as Bedford went on to stun the defending PIAA Class 1A champion Rollers, 24-15, in a PIAA Class 2A first-round matchup at Claysburg-Kimmel's Bulldog Stadium.
"We were going to squib it all night and it just happened to hit him," Bedford coach Kevin Steele said. "It wasn't planned at all. We never practiced it. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good."
Play of the game: The squib kick.
Player of the game: Swaim racked up 173 yards on 29 carries with three touchdowns and an interception.
Unsung heroes: Bedford's offensive line and the defense.
Most vital statistics: The Bison defense forced the Steel-High offense into four turnovers.
Steele: "I said to the kids we don't have the biggest team, we don't have the fastest team, but you can't measure heart. Those kids have bought in. They believe in each other, they believe in themselves and our coaching staff. We're all pulling the rope in the same direction. It's a pretty special thing, it's been pretty special for the last couple of weeks. Just super excited we get to go back to practice on Monday.''
Swaim: "Everybody on this team is unselfish. Our guys on the line, they played running back, things like linebacker last year, but now they're playing line and they're giving it their all. It just means a lot. That's why we're 10-3, that's why we're where we're at winning state playoff games because we're a team.''
Steele on the defensive ferformance he watched Friday night: "They give you a lot of different formations and shifts and motions, but we felt like we had a pretty good handle of what they were trying to do once they got set. Our kids read their keys and played disciplined football, to give up as few big plays against them as we did is a really special defensive performance.''
Notable: Both teams racked up 266 yards and 12 first downs. ... Bedford was called for just two penalties for 20 yards while the Rollers were hit with 11 for 100 with one player disqualified due to a personal foul penalty. ... Attempts to reach Steelton-Highspire coach Andrew Erby were unsuccessful.
Records: Steelton Highspire (10-3), Bedford (10-3)
Next week: Bedford faces Troy out of District 4 who defeated Warrior Run, 59-14, on Friday night next weekend at a site and time to be announced. Steelton-Highspire's season is now finished.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Steelton-Highspire 0 0 7 8 - 15
Bedford 0 17 0 7 - 24
Second Quarter
B--Swaim 2 run (Horne kick), 4:25.
B--Horne 32 FG, :50.
B--Swaim 4 run (Horne kick), :06.
Third Quarter
SH--Fuller 34 pass from Ceasar (Hernandez kick), 3:00.
Fourth Quarter
B--Swaim 35 run (Horne kick), 5:44.
SH--Ceasar 5 run (Evans run), :17.
TEAM STATISTICS SH B
First downs 12 12
Total yards 266 266
Rushes-yards 37-169 38-174
Yards passing 97 92
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 5-12-3 7-10-0
Punts-avg. 0-0 3-29.3
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 11-100 2-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Steelton-Highspire, Ward-McMullen 1-2, Saunders 1-5, George 4-8, Ross 11-74. Fuller 3-8, Ceasar 11-48, 3 6-24. Bedford, Swaim 29-173, Nave 4-3, Horne 3-1, TEAM 2-(-3).
PASSING--Steelton-Highspire, Ceasar 4-11-3-65, Jones 1-1-0-32. Bedford, Swaim 7-10-0-92.
RECEIVING--Steelton-Highspire, Evans 2-5, Fuller 3-92. Bedford, Koontz 1-11, Tedriow 2-5, Taylor 1-44, Horne 3-32.