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Big fourth quarter helps Marauders take down Central

By John Hartsock 6 min read

Central became the latest Bishop Guilfoyle Academy football opponent to learn a difficult lesson Saturday night at Mansion Park.

And that is, don't poke the proverbial bear that is BG's high-powered offense.

After the previously unbeaten Scarlet Dragons got on the scoreboard with a 50-yard screen pass from junior quarterback Jesse Muthler to senior running back Semaj Musei that went for a third-quarter touchdown and pulled Central to within 13-7, BG responded with 29 straight fourth-quarter points to invoke the mercy rule late in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference game and record a 42-7 victory.

The BG offense was again as balanced as it was prolific, rollling up 468 total yards, with 274 of them coming on the ground and 192 achieved through the air.

Junior quarterback Jay Wheeler ran for 127 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns, passed for 114 yards and another touchdown on seven completions in 12 attempts, and also intercepted two passes from his safety position on defense.

"We've had some really good players over the years, but he's up on that list,'' BG coach Justin Wheeler said of his son. "He's being recruited by college football programs as a defensive player, and he also had 11 tackles tonight.''

Sophomore back Keegan Hewitt also rushed for 136 yards on 23 carries and two scores for BG, which improved to 4-1 overall and in the LHAC. Central now has the same overall and conference record.

After Musei darted down the right sideline and into the end zone for Central's only score of the game, Jay Wheeler spearheaded BG's 66-yard, six-play scoring drive that he capped off with a 2-yard TD run off the left end four seconds into the fourth quarter. Wheeler then spread out to wide receiver and caught a two-point conversion pass from sophomore Landon Shellenberger to put BG ahead, 21-7.

"We started a little slow, but we got into a rhythm in the second half,'' said Jay Wheeler, who highlighted the big scoring drive with a 23-yard run after connecting with junior tight end Monroe Gates on a 24-yard pass play during the march. "We did a really good job adjusting to their defense in the second half. Our offensive line played well, we passed the ball well, and our offense overall executed real well. It was a good night for us.''

Central turned the ball over five times, four on interceptions. BG defensive lineman Declan Peterson's pick gave the Marauders the ball at the Dragons' 13 with just 19 seconds having elapsed in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for Jay Wheeler's 13-yard touchdown scamper that gave BG a 28-7 lead.

The blitzkrieg continued on BG's next possession, as Jay Wheeler hit senior wideout Evan Schimminger with a pass on the right flat that Schimminger turned into a cut across the middle of the field for a 53-yard touchdown play and a 35-7 BG cushion.

Hewitt's 14-yard touchdown run with 1:29 left in the game finished an 80-yard, nine-play drive and effected the mercy-rule clock, which had seemed to be out of the question for most of the game.

"I'm real proud of our players,'' Central coach Jerry Albright said. "We were down 13-0 and the players could have packed it in, but they kept battling until the end. BG is a phenomenal team, and, give them credit -- they won the battle of the trenches tonight.''

Sequence of the game: BG's 66-yard fourth-quarter scoring drive answered Central's only touchdown and enabled the Marauders to regain the momentum in the game.

Player of the game: Jay Wheeler had a fabulous all-around game, accounting for 241 yards in total offense and having a hand in three of the Marauders' touchdowns, plus the two-point conversion, while also standing out defensively.

Unsung heroes: Hewitt played a great complementary role to Wheeler offensively, and the Marauders' offensive line of tackles Peterson and Nicky Georgiana, center Carson Stayer, guards Michael Condrin and Rocco Cacciotti, and tight ends Gates and Luke Gioiosa drew praise from Coach Wheeler for greasing the wheels for the offense's big 29-point fourth quarter.

Most vital statistic: Along with the BG offense racking up its 468 total yards, the Marauders' defense forced the five turnovers that included Jay Wheeler's two interceptions, the interception by Peterson, and another key pick in the end zone by sophomore defensive back Nicolas Taddei that thwarted a potential scoring opportunity for Central in the second quarter. Enzo Lascoli also recovered a fumble for BG.

"A lot of self-inflicted mistakes on our part tonight,'' said Albright, who said that some of his players were battling injuries after last week's hard-fought win over Bellwood-Antis.

BG junior center Carson Stayer: "I think that it just boils down to our coaches having a good game plan. We regrouped at halftime and figured out what we needed to do. Once we got going, there was no stopping us.''

Notable: Senior kicker Carter Boland had another outstanding night for BG, booting a 44-yard field goal with plenty of room to spare in the final seconds of the first quarter and adding a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Marauders a 13-0 lead ... Muthler recovered a fumble on defense for Central that stopped a BG scoring threat the Scarlet Dragons' 1 in the first quarter. Muthler also passed for 151 yards on the night. … Saturday was BG's homecoming game, and basketball star Anberlyn Petrecca was named the school's homecoming queen while Cacciotti was named the king. Schimminger was named the school's prince, and Meya Inman was named the princess.

Records: Central (4-1); Bishop Guilfoyle (4-1).

Next week: Central hosts Huntingdon Friday night, while BG travels to Tyrone.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Central 0 0 7 0 -- 7

Bishop Guilfoyle 0 10 3 29 -- 42

Second Quarter

BG--Hewitt 6 run (Boland kick), 8:44.

BG--Boland 44 FG, 0:03.

Third Quarter

BG--Boland 31 FG, 5:38.

C--Musei 50 pass from Muthler (Marks kick), 2:39.

Fourth Quarter

BG--Wheeler 2 run (Wheeler pass from Shellenberger), 11:56.

BG--Schimminger 53 pass from Wheeler (Boland kick), 9:38.

BG--Hewitt 14 run (Boland kick), 1:29.

TEAM STATISTICS C BG

First downs 8 21

Total yards 229 468

Rushes-yards 19-73 46-274

Yards passing 156 192

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 10-20-4 12-18-0

Punts/avg. 4-37 2-41.5

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 4-25 7-70

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Central, Muthler 3-51, Musei 10-17, Myers 1-3, Schenk 5-2. Bishop Guilfoyle, Hewitt 23-136, Wheeler 17-127, J. Gioiosa 4-14, Shellenberger 2-(-3).

PASSING--Central, Muthler 9-18-4-151, Schenk 1-2-0-5. Bishop Guilfoyle, Wheeler 7-12-0-114, Shellenberger 5-6-0-78.

RECEIVING--Central, Musei 3-63, Dickson 3-16, Schenk 2-59, Marks 1-13, Loucks 1-5. Bishop Guilfoyle, Schimminger 6-119, Gates 2-40, Wheeler 2-28, J. Gioiosa 2-5.

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