However, the movement of the ball didn’t equate to a lot of touchdowns for the Marauders.

So, it was the defense of BG that took center stage — and sparked the offense — as it limited the Golden Eagles to many three-and-out situations all night en route to pitching a shutout in a 26-0 Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference victory.

“We feel confident that we can stop the run,” Bishop Guilfoyle coach Justin Wheeler said. “Our DB’s have just gotten a lot better. Our defense has been lights out. In the second half, getting the three-and outs, and then us (offense) sustaining long drives really shortened the second half.”

Play of the game: Following a 33-yard punt by BG’s Carter Boland, Tyrone began its drive from its own 4-yard line. On the first play, Golden Eagle quarterback Eli Woomer dropped back and tossed the ball to Caleb Whitby off to his right. The Marauders’ Rocco Cacciotti read the play and tackled Whitby in the end zone for a safety to put Guilfoyle up 12-0 with 57 seconds left in the third quarter.

Photo for the Mirror by Jeremy Boland Tyrone’s John Stanton tries to keep Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s Rocco Cacciotti away from quarterback Eli Woomer.

Coach Wheeler: “Rocco Cacciotti is such a smart kid — such an athletic kid. He read it and he made the play. He’s been close to a bunch of times on getting picks or getting those. I’m just glad tonight he was able to get the safety and get that momentum that we needed in the second half.”

Players of the game: The Bishop Guilfoyle first-team defense pitched its second straight shutout (Central’s scored a TD last week with the second string on the field). Against Tyrone, the starting unit only surrendered 56 total yards (including just four rushing yards) before being subbed out late in the contest. It forced five punts, including all five Golden Eagle possessions in the opening half. The second half included: a three-and-out, safety and an interception by Jack Gioiosa. The second string also forced a punt, and then the game clock ran out on the final drive for Tyrone with both teams playing backups at that pint.

Tyrone coach John Franco: “We’ve got to get our offense moving. It’s been really a big disappointment to me. Especially, when you come froma year ago at this time when you’re averaging 38 points a game to (where now) it looks like we’re averaging about zero points a game now.”

Unsung hero: Bishop Guilfoyle’s Jake Kissell ran the ball 20 times for 115 yards, completed 4-of-5 passes for 52 yards and caught one for three yards. On the drive immediately following the safety, the Marauders marched 57 yards in six plays, which concluded with Kissell throwing a jump pass 3-yard TD to Connor Okonak to put BG up 19-0 with 10:58 left to play.

Kissell: “The game started getting a little chippy — I get a little angry. I start trying to run people over. In the second half, we wanted to set the tone. We felt like we should have finished some drives in the first half, but we capitalized (in the second half).”

Most vital statistic: Tyrone was flagged for just one penalty (for 15 yards) in the first half but it proved to be a costly one. The Marauders took over possession at the Golden Eagle 42 with 13 ticks on the first-half clock. After Justin Wheeler ran for 3 yards on first down, he uncorked a throw downfield that was intercepted by Tyrone’s Mason Emigh but was called back when a flag was thrown for pass interference. With the ball moved to the Tyrone 24, Coach Wheeler sent Carter Boland on to deliver a 41-yard field goal that had plenty of distance with no time on the first half clock. That made it 10-0.

Coach Wheeler: “Right before the half ­– we have one of the best kickers in the state — getting us a chance to get a field goal late in the half two weeks in a row (Boland converted a 34-yard field goal attempt last week at Central with no time remaining in the first half), that’s huge going in (to halftime) and going up two scores. It changes everything in the game when you’ve got to score twice.”

Notable: Gioiosa, who was in motion, took a flip pass forward from Justin Wheeler and turned it into a 10-yard touchdown to put the Marauders on the board at 4:18 of the second quarter. … Keegan Hewitt, who churned out 61 yards on 10 carries, put the exclamation mark on the BG victory by scoring on a 1-yard plunge with 6:54 showing in the game. … Justin Wheeler went 5-of-8 for 52 yards passing, while gaining 21 yards on seven rush attempts. … Bishop Guilfoyle’s Jesse Georgiana came up with a sack on Woomer in the first half that resulted in a 10-yard loss for Tyrone. … Tyrone’s Mason Emigh had 43 of the 63 receiving yards.

Franco: “We still have an opportunity to make the playoffs but it’s all up to us right now. … Our schedule is brutal, but it is what it is. We’ve just got to make the plays.”

Records: Tyrone (3-3); Bishop Guilfoyle (5-1).

Next week: Tyrone hosts Huntingdon on Friday; Bishop Guilfoyle travels to Bellwood-Antis the same night.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Tyrone      0 0 0 0 — 0

Bishop Guilfoyle  0 10 2 14 — 26

Second Quarter

BG–Gioiosa 10 pass from Wheeler (Carter Boland kick), 4:18.

BG–Carter Boland 41 field goal, 0.0

Third Quarter

BG–Cacciotti tackled Whitby in endzone for safety, 0:57.

Fourth Quarter

BG–Okonak 3 pass from Kissell (Carter Boland kick), 10:58.

BG–Hewitt 1 run (Carter Boland kick), 6:54.

TEAM STATISTICS   T     BG

First downs 7     16

Total yards 105   326

Rushes-yards      21-42 43-222

Yards passing     64    104

Passing (comp.-att.-int.)     7-19-1      9-13-0

Punts-avg.  6-35.3      3-31.0

Fumbles-lost      0-0   0-0

Penalties-yards   3-24  5-50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Tyrone, A. Emigh 2-3, Woomer 5-(-2), Whitby 7-3, Starr 6-46, Zupon 1-(-8). Bishop Guilfoyle, Gioiosa 4-14, Kissell 20-115, Wheeler 7-21, Hewitt 10-61, Schimminger 1-7, Lawson 1-4.

PASSING–Tyrone, Woomer 7-18-1-63, Zupon 0-1-0-0. Bishop Guilfoyle, Wheeler 5-8-0-52, Kissell 4-5-0-52, Shellenberger 0-0-0-0.

RECEIVING–Tyrone, M. Emigh 3-43, Whitby 2-11, Walk 1-4, Robinson 1-5. Bishop Guilfoyle, Gioiosa 3-50, Kissell 1-3, Schimminger 1-4, Okonak 1-3, Lestochi 3-44.