Published: October 12, 2008 12:08 am            

Blacklick bolsters its playoff hopes

NANTY GLO — Undermanned Shade was overpowered by Blacklick Valley’s offense on Saturday afternoon as the Vikings pelted the Panthers 48-26 in a WestPAC fray.

“Our kids come out and work hard every day,” Shade coach Pete Kuharchek said. “There are just not enough of them. We’ve got 18, and when kids get injured, you have to guess who’s going to be hurt.”

The win was key for Blacklick Valley, which travels to Meyersdale on Friday and ends the season by hosting Rockwood on Oct. 25.

“We told the kids before this game that we’re down to a three-game season,” Vikings coach Bill Zamboni said. “If we win the next two, we’re hoping to make the district playoffs.”

Blacklick Valley’s Ted Worthington rushed for 169 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns while Taylor Holby added 131 yards on 17 carries, ran for a score and caught three more touchdown passes.

The 26 points that the Panthers put on the board was their biggest offensive output in a game for the season.

“Give Shade credit, they’ve got a nice offense,” Zamboni said. “I didn’t think they could stop us defensively. Our mistakes stopped us initially, but we came out and played well in the second half. I can’t say anymore than I usually say about Taylor Holby and Teddy Worthington – two great backs. And Dylan Stiles really picked up some nice runs, and I guess that he had about 30 tackles.”

The Vikings (4-3) scored on both their possessions in the first quarter. On its first drive, Blacklick Valley moved 75 yards on 13 plays, capped by Victor Manda’s 1-yard pass to Holby.

Eli Murphy added the first of his four point-after kicks.

After the Panthers (0-6) punted, it took the Vikings just seven plays to move 55 yards, with Holby running the ball in from the 12 for the score and a 13-0 lead.

Shade’s touchdown was set up by a Brandon Devroy interception of Manda, setting the Panthers up at the Vikings 19. Two plays later, Josh Barnes burst into the end zone for the 2-yard touchdown. Jacob Hetzer’s kick pulled the Panthers to within six at 13-7.

Each team added another score before halftime. Worthington had a 24-yard run for Blacklick Valley and Manda passed to Matt VanFossen for the two-point conversion. Shade scored on a pretty 35-yard pass from Garrett Berkey to Tyler Smith. Hetzer’s kick made it 21-14 at the half.

The Vikings put up the next three scores to pull away in the second half. Manda connected with Holby on touchdowns of 16 and 37 yards and Dylan Stiles scored from the 5 as Blacklick Valley took a commanding 42-14 lead.

Worthington added another touchdown sandwiched between two Shade scores, a 55-yard pass from Berkey to Smith and a 4-yard Berkey run.

Berkey was 9 of 15 passing for 185 yards, with Smith pulling in four catches for 125 yards.

“We just got Tyler back two weeks ago, and he does a great job catching the ball,” Kuharchek said. “Blacklick has some big guys up front, and we had a little bit of trouble moving them.”

Shade hosts Windber on Friday, then ends the season with a games at Conemaugh Township and at home against Ferndale on Oct. 31.

        

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