Powerful Richland Rams do just enough to edge Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders in thriller
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JOHNSTOWN -- In a no-holds barred heavyweight battle in which one of the state's top Class 2A high school football programs, Richland, went toe-to-toe with one of the state's best Class 1A programs, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy, both teams fittingly punched and counter-punched through four quarters in an early-season Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference showdown Friday night at Herlinger Field.
Richland was fortunate enough to come up with the knockout punch in the final seconds, when junior outside linebacker Alex Bond intercepted a pass from sophomore quarterback Landon Shellenberger at the Rams 3, stopping a spirited BG drive with 35 seconds left on the clock and preserving a 21-16 Richland victory.
BG, which never led in the game but battled back from 14-3 and 21-10 deficits, moved its own 27 to the Richland 18 with 1:38 left in the game, mounting a 55-yard drive in which Shellenberger hit junior Justin Wheeler -- who had moved to wideout from the quarterback position -- for a 30-yard completion.
Wheeler also wound up rushing five times for 33 yards on the drive. Two procedure penalties and two incomplete passes left BG with a fourth down and 10 yards to go at the 18 before BG coach Justin Wheeler called another designed play in which Shellenberger lined up at quarterback with young Wheeler at wideout.
Bond stepped in front of the pass at the 3, however, ending what was a monumental tug of war between two great football programs.
"(The BG player Wheeler) hit a double move, I was in outside coverage, I stayed on the ball, and it came to me,'' Bond said.
Coach Wheeler said that Shellenberger and his son have done an outstanding job working on pass routes all preseason, and he felt totally confident in making the play call.
"I'd put Landon in that situation every time,'' Coach Wheeler said. "He has been throwing the ball well and he and Justin have been working together on pass routes. We just didn't hit that one tonight.''
Trailing 14-3 in the second quarter, BG (1-1 overall and in the conference), drove from its own 18 to the end zone in seven plays, with quarterback Wheeler racing 7 yards off right end to pull BG to within 14-10 at halftime.
Richland responded in the third quarter with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by junior quarterback Jake Regan's 15-yard, fourth-down pass to senior wideout Jamere Christian and capped off by a 3-yard Regan touchdown run with 2:52 left in the quarter that gave Richland a 21-10 lead.
True to form, BG battled back with a 66-yard scoring drive of its own that was highlighted by a 33-yard flea flicker completion from quarterback Wheeler to senior wideout Evan Schimminger and culminated by Wheeler's 2-yard TD scamper with 9:48 left in the game that pulled BG to within 21-16.
"I'm not happy with the final outcome tonight, but I'm so proud of our effort,'' Coach Wheeler said. "We are a team, and every player out on the field for us gave 100 percent tonight.''
Play of the game: None was bigger than Bond's fourth-down game-clinching interception.
Player of the game: Regan accounted for 243 yards in total offense --including 160 passing -- and had a hand in all three Richland touchdowns.
Unsung hero: Quarterback Wheeler turned in a yeoman, warrior-like effort, fighting off cramps and a heavy late fourth-quarter hit to rush for 136 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. He also completed eight passes for 94 yards.
Most vital statistic: Total yardage was nearly even, with BG holding a slim 282-281 edge. The Marauders were penalized eight times for 57 yards, which Coach Wheeler pointed to as a vital number but a correctable mistake.
Richland coach Brandon Bailey: "We knew that this was going to be a great high school football game between two great programs. I wouldn't be surprised if we see each other again in Week 10 (the conference championship game.''
Regan: "BG is a great football team, but I could see the fight in or players' eyes, and see how much they wanted to win this football game.''
Notable: Richland opened the scoring on Regan's 15-yard first-quarter TD pass to Rutgers commit Arnold Mugerwa in the first quarter. BG's Carter Boland booted a 31-yard field goal in the second period, before Christian turned a pass from Regan on the flank into an 80-yard touchdown play that staked Richland to a 14-3 lead.
Records: Bishop Guilfoyle (1-1), Richland (2-0)
Next week: Bishop Guilfoyle hosts Bellefonte Saturday night; Richland travels to Westmont Hilltop Friday night.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Bishop Guilfoyle 0 10 0 6--16
Richland 7 7 7 0--21
First Quarter
R--Mugerwa 15 pass from Regan (Smith kick), 3:04.
Second Quarter
BG--Boland 31 FG, 8:53.
R--Christian 80 pass from Regan (Smith kick), 8:31.
BG--Wheeler 7 run (Boland kick), 0:32
Third Quarter
R--Regan 3 run (Smith kick), 2:52.
Fourth Quarter
BG--Wheeler 2 run (pass failed), 9:48.
TEAM STATISTICS BG R
First downs 15 17
Total yards 282 281
Rushes-yards 29-158 31-121
Yards passing 124 160
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 10-14-1 10-18-0
Punts/avg. 2-38.5 1-35
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 8-57 7-65
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Bishop Guilfoyle, Wheeler 23-136, Hewitt 4-13, J. Gioiosa 1-9, Shellenberger 1-0. Richland, Regan 16-83, Ragno 9-15, Mahla 5-15, Christian 1-8.
PASSING--Bishop Guilfoyle, Wheeler 8-11-0-94, J. Gioiosa 1-1-0-34, Shellenberger 1-3-1-6. Richland, Regan 10-18-0-160, Christian 1-1-0-12.
RECEIVING--Bishop Guilfoyle, C. Okonak 4-29, Schimminger 3-50, Wheeler 1-34, Hewitt 1-15, J. Gioiosa 1-6. Richland, Christian 4-113, Bond 3-28, Mugerwa 3-26, Sease 1-5.