There was a moment last night when Chestnut Ridge coach Max Shoemaker considered going for two after the Lions scored late to pull within a single point of Tyrone in their Laurel Highlands Week 10 crossover game at Giovacchini Stadium.
It made sense on a couple of levels. The Lions had power running game had built them a one-score lead in the first half, and freshman quarterback Landyn Pincin had run the option exceptionally well for a kid who was playing because starter Cale Harrison was out with an injury.
There was also Tyrone’s knack for blocking PAT kicks to think about. Junior Eli Woomer had already blocked 5 extra points this season with Jedi-like anticipation, and he had come close on a couple already against Ridge.
Shoemaker took a timeout to talk it over, ultimately opting for the kick.
Here’s what happened.
Pincin’s mishandling of the snap gave Woomer just enough time to tip the kick, and that play preserved a hard-fourth 35-34 victory for the Golden Eagles that had major playoff ramifications. With the win, Tyrone jumped into third place in District 6 3A, avoiding No. 1 Penn Cambria in the first round. Instead, the Eagles will face 6-4 Forest Hills next week in Sidman.
The Rangers topped Central 22-21 in their crossover game last night.
“We debated to go for two,” said Shoemaker, whose team fell to 4-6 with its fourth straight loss, “but we felt there was probably too much time on the clock. We were getting pressure off that left side, and we knew they were probably going to come if we did kick. We didn’t get a real clean snap, and the holder didn’t get it down real clean.”
For Woomer, it was just a matter of timing.
“I watch the ball and time it up,” said Woomer, who has blocked 6 PATs this season. “Usually the center tilts his head a little when he snaps the ball. I just go off their tells.”
Woomer’s play capped a turnaround performance for the Golden Eagles defense which, after being diced for 28 points in the first half rebounded to allow just one touchdown in the second.
“We went back to our base defense (in the second half) and played a lot of man coverage,” said Tyrone coach John Franco, whose team improved to 6-4 with its fourth straight victory. “We put everybody else in on the running game. That was a big change. (Defensive coordinators) Johnny (Franco) and Pat (McNelis) do a great job, and they’re always on the ball with adjustments.”
Those adjustments flipped the tide because the only thing that stopped Chestnut Ridge in the first half was the whistle signaling halftime. The Lions totaled 273 yards in the first half, pounding Tyrone with runs from Haydan Webb, who had 109 yards on 17 carries, and speed plays from Carter Wharton, who ran for 75 yards on 8 carries.
That changed in the second half, when the Eagles limited Ridge to 61 yards and forced punts on the Lions’ first two possessions.
“My receivers make it a lot easier when they’re creating separation. I just have to put it in that range, and they come down with the ball. It has a huge impact on the team.”
Ashton Walk
“I’m sure they made some adjustments,” said Shoemaker. “We never were able to get any momentum those first couple drives (in the second half).”
Down 28-20, Tyrone took the second-half kick and drove 69 yards in 8 plays to tie the game less than four minutes into the third quarter. Ashton Walk went 4-for-6 on the advance, including third-down conversion throws to Woomer and Trent Adams, but the big play came when Seth Hoover broke free for this 29-yard score on fourth-and-1.
On the PAT try, Woomer took the placement snap and rolled right to find Tyler Weston for the 2-point conversion to tie it.
While the play to tie the game was big, what followed was bigger. Tyrone’s defense limited the Lions to 3 yards on three plays, forcing a punt. It was the first time they had stopped Chestnut Ridge, and it set up a drive from Tyrone’s 6 to the Lions’ 16, and although the series ultimately ended on downs, it flipped field position. The Eagles then held Ridge once again, forcing a punt from the 19 that allowed the Eagles to take possession at their own 46.
Tyrone cashed in this time, covering the distance in five plays, including three passes to Hoover for 33 yards. The go-ahead score came when Walk threw to Weston for 20 yards and Weston fought his way across the goal line with 5:50 remaining.
Novak’s kick made it 35-28.
“I just got open and Ashton made a play,” said Weston. “We know anybody could get the ball on any play. When you have a guy like Ashton, he can always find the open guy.”
The Lions offense finally got going on the ensuing series, when they ran the ball seven straight times to nearly pull even on a 1-yard run by Haydan Webb, who led Ridge with 109 yards on 17 carries, but after Woomer blocked the PAT all that was left was for Tyrone to recover the onsides kick – which it did – and grab a first down – which it got on a run by Hoover.
Hoover ended his night with 92 yards rushing and 68 receiving.
Walk, meanwhile, completed 27 of 39 passes for 301 yards, in the process overtaking Stevie Franco for the single-season passing yardage record at Tyrone.
“My offensive line allow all of us to make plays” said Walk, who recorded his fourth 300-yard game of the season. “My receivers make it a lot easier when they’re creating separation. I just have to put it in that range, and they come down with the ball. It has a huge impact on the team.”
Walk made a strong impression on Shoemaker, who said the senior was “spot on.”
“You don’t see that level of quarterback play in high school very often,” Shoemaker said. “Our kids had good coverage, but I’m telling you the ball was just right there.”
Tyrone had scored on 17 straight possessions heading into its game against the Lions, and at least in the beginning it looked like it would have to maintain that same torrid scoring pace to keep up with the Lions, who pounded the ball with Webb on their first possession to score the game’s first touchdown. Webb carried 8 times for 45 yards, setting up Owen Claycomb for a 3-yard run off an option pitch to make it 7-0 following a seven-minute drive.
Tyrone answered with a long drive of its own, one that went 72 yards and lasted 10 plays. It ended when Trent Adams pulled in a 9-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal, and Dante Novak kicked the first of 3 PATs.
The Lions exploded on their next drive, which began with a 37-yard run by Webb and ended with Pincin keeping and running for 11 yards to put Chestnut Ridge up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Tyrone pulled within a point when Walk scored off a 30-yard scramble, but Novak’s kick went wide to keep the Lions ahead 14-13 early in the second. Ridge then topped its two-play scoring drive with one that lasted a single play. The Lions audibled into a quick pass to Claycomb, who got outside of containment and ran 75 yards for a score that made it 21-13.
The Eagles responded with another 72-yard march, converting once on fourth down when Weston made a one-handed grab on a catch that went for 13 yards to the Lions’ 9. Two plays later, Woomer laid out for a diving grab on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Walk to make it 21-20 with 5:05 left in the half.
Ridge kept the pressure on, this time turning to Wharton, who ripped off runs of 15, 17, and 29 yards to set up this 1-yard touchdown blast by Webb that set the halftime score.
The Lions’ scoring pace put a lot of pressure on the Eagles, but no one ever felt panicked to score, Woomer said.
“There’s no pressure at all,” he said. “We have a lot of confidence in our skill guys, and we make plays every week. It’s all props to the boys up front. We can’t do any of it without them.”
Franco said he actually expected a high-scoring game, and that was the approach he took with his team.
“We were telling our guys we know this is going to be a track meet tonight,” said Franco. “We are so confident that we can score.”
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Tyrone 7 13 8 7 — 35
Chestnut Ridge 14 14 0 6 – 34
First Quarter
C – Claycomb 3 run (Kostenbauder kick) 5:02
T – Adams 9 pass from Walk (Novak kick) 2:17
C – Pincin 11 run (Kostenbauder kick) 1:23
Second Quarter
T – Walk 30 run (PAT failed) 9:38
C – Claycomb 75 pass from Pincin (Kostenbauder kick) 9:25
T – Woomer 11 pass from Walk (Novak kick) 5:45
C – Webb 1 run (Kostenbauder kick) 3:14
Third Quarter
T – Hoover 29 run (Woomer pass to Weston) 8:21
Fourth Quarter
T – Weston 20 pass from Walk (Novak kick) 5:50
C – Webb 1 run (PAT failed) 2:07
TEAM STATISTICS T C
First downs 24 16
Total yards 449 334
Rushes-yards 23-148 33-220
Yards passing 301 114
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 27-39-0 10-14-0
Punts-avg. 1-41 2-44
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 6-30 3-25
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Tyrone: Hoover 16-92; Walk 4-55; Whitby 1-4; Woomer 1-1; Team 2-(-3). Chestnut Ridge – Webb 17-109; Wharton 8-75; Claycomb 4-12; Pincin 4-34; Team 1-(-10).
PASSING—Tyrone: Walk 37-39-301, 3 TDs, 0 Ints. Chestnut Ridge: Pincin 10-14-114, 1 TD, 0 Int.
RECEIVING—Tyrone: Adams 6-54; Woomer 9-85; Miller 2-47; Weston 4-47; Hoover 6-68. Chestnut Ridge: Claycomb 6-98; Harbaugh 3-15; Wharton 1-1.
ORANGE AND BLACK 