STRONG VINCENT HIGH SCHOOL
1330 West 8th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16502
Turnovers
spell end for Vincent
By Joe Mattis
joe.mattis@timesnews.com
PITTSBURGH - Strong Vincent coach Tom Cacchione expected Friday's PIAA playoff
game would be decided by turnovers.
What he didn't expect is that the Colonels would have seven passes intercepted
in a 17-7 loss to Perry at Cupples Stadium.
"You can't throw seven picks and expect to win the game," Cacchione
said after his District 10 Class AAA champions ended the season with a 10-2
record. "We turned it over too much."
The Commodores, the District 8 Class AAA champion and winner of the Pittsburgh
City League title, returned two of their interceptions for fourth-quarter
touchdowns that gave them a 17-0 lead with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the
game.
Wide receiver Andre Henderson grabbed a 25-yard touchdown pass from Duane
Hemphill 62 seconds later for lone Strong Vincent touchdown.
"We kept our heads," Henderson said. "I was telling the team we
can't give up now. Coach called a fade to me in the corner. Duane threw it up
and I caught the pass."
Perry, a Western finalist for the past two seasons, takes its 11-1 record into
next week's game against Bradford Area.
"This game is a good teaching tool for us because we did have a lot of
bonehead plays," Perry coach Bill Gallagher said. "I think this is one
for the ages." He then turned aside and said, "More like the recycling
bin."
The Colonels held the Commodores to one first down and 46 total yards in the
first half. But turnovers plagued Vincent - they threw four interceptions in the
first half — and the game was scoreless until the fourth quarter.
The Commodores began their only scoring march in the third quarter. A 16-yard
Scott Knapp to Paul Favers pass gave Perry a first down on the 7-yard line as
the quarter ended. An offensive pass interference penalty and a delay of game
pushed the ball back to the 22 before Knapp kicked a 39-yard field goal for a
3-0 lead.
Knapp, the Commodores' quarterback and the leading passer in the City League,
completed just 6-of19 passes for 56 yards against the speedy Colonels with one
interception by Henderson. Favers had three receptions for 41 yards and four
interceptions.
"We really had not seen such speed, and it was a punch in the face to
us," Knapp said.
On the Colonels' next possession, they moved to the Perry 37. Mario Henry then
underthrew his receiver on a halfback option pass and cornerback Jerod Venson
picked it off at the 24. Venson gathered some blockers and ran it all the way
back for Perry's first touchdown.
Vincent again moved the ball across the 50-yard line. On a second-down play,
Hemphill threw toward running back Brandon McLaurin coming out of the backfield.
But Perry linebacker Gary Nolen stepped in and grabbed the ball and raced
untouched 57 yards for a touchdown.
"They played great pass coverage," Cacchione said. "We felt we
could have beat them a couple of times with some open receivers. We either got
rushed or made a bad read."
The Colonels rolled up 267 yards offensively, with 168 on the ground. McLaurin
led the way with 77 yards rushing on nine carries. Hemphill was 10-of-21 for 99
yards.
Vincent, which had 17 first downs, ran off 68 plays to just 44 for the
Commodores, who finished with 113 offensive yards.
"We practiced against their offense all week and it worked," said
Vincent defensive end Christian Fleming, who played an outstanding game and had
two sacks. "They didn't score on the defense, but our offense
struggled."
"Our defense played tough," Cacchione said. "I think we held them
to, like, 125 yards, but you can't do anything if you keep turning it
over."
Rob McGahen contributed to this story.
JOE MATTIS can be reached at 870-1676 or by e-mail.