The Neshannock’s Lancers had a memorable come from behind, last second win over the Monassen Greyhounds in the WPIAL quarter finals. The score was 24-21 but the Lancers continued their Cinderalla season the hard way, erasing an 11-point deficit in the second half for the win.
“That was a flat-out war out there, and we knew it was going to be coming in,” Coach Mozzocio said “People still doubt us a little bit, but they can’t anymore. We’re a team to be reckoned with.”
The Lancers had a lot of opportunities just to throw in the towel and quit.
They could have quit when Monessen scored on a 7-minute drive to start the second have to take a 14-3 lead.
They could have quit when they gave up a go-ahead touchdown pass with 2:30 left on 4th down which put them down 21-17.
But the Neshannock Lancers fought to the last second, quite literally.
Lancer QB Ernie Burkes scored on a one-yard run with just four seconds left to give Neshannock a 24-21 lead over Monessen. Burkes then sealed the game with an interception on a Monessen Hail Mary attempt as time expired.
The Lancers advance to face the Clairton Bears, a 39-0 winner over Brentwood in their quarterfinal matchup. The back-to-back state champion Bears have won 58 consecutive games.
The Burkes touchdown run was even more impressive as the Lancers were out of timeouts. If Burkes had not made the end zone, time would have run out and the Greyhounds would have won the game.
Two strong offenses had trouble getting started. Neshannock went three-and-out on their first drive. Monessen drove down to the Neshannock 27 before Eli Owens intercepted a Chavas Rawlins pass.
“Eli Owens stepped up big for us,” Mozzocio Said. “ He’s been doing it all year, and he played a great game defensively for us tonight. He made some hard runs when we needed him to and he obviously broke the long run.”
The Lancers then drove the length of the field and converted on a 22-yard field goal by Connor Richards with :08 left in the first quarter to take a 3-0 lead. It was the senior’s first converted field goal on the season, surprising for a kicker who has been seen booting 40-yard kicks in warm-ups.
The Greyhounds used their immense size and strength advantage to drive down the field in the second quarter. With two minutes to go in the quarter, Chavis Rawlins completed a 25-yard pass to Javon Brown on 4th and 20 to put the ball on the doorstep. Two plays later, Clintell Gillaspie ran it in from 3 yards out to take a 7-3 lead at halftime.
Monessen received the second half kickoff and methodically drove it down the field. The drive lasted over seven minutes and the Greyhounds totaled 102 yards of offense on the drive (with help from offensive penalties). Gillaspie capped of the drive with his second score of the day, a 23 yard run, to give Monessen a 14-3 lead.
Neshannock battled right back by airing it out. A perfectly thrown deep ball from Burkes found Alex Welker for a 38 yard gain. Two plays later, Burkes threw a fade route to the back corner of the end zone, and John Conglose got his toes down in bounds for the score. That cut the deficit to 14-10 to end the third quarter.
Monessen was forced to punt on their next drive, their only punt of the second half. Neshannock ran the ball well thanks to the Owens brothers, Kienan and Eli. It was the younger of the two, Eli, who broke away for a 46-yard score to give the Lancers the lead back 17-14 with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Monessen drove the ball back down the field again, mainly using the power running game. On 4th and 5 at the Neshannock 20, Rawlins found Gillaspie over the middle for a first down. Gillaspie broke a tackle and scampered the rest of the way to the end zone. His third touchdown of the day gave the Greyhounds the lead again, 21-17, with 2:36 remaining.
“They made big plays all night on fourth down, “Mozzocio said. “Gillaspie, he pounded it at us, and we just kept telling the kids to keep them in front of us.”
The Lancers took over for their final drive on their own 40 yard line. Their first play was an option pitch to WR Mike Rodriguez, who gained 13 yards on his first and only touch on the day. Two Kienan Owens big gains, a 15-yard run and a 16-yard reception, put the Lancers down to the Greyhound 20.
“When there was two minutes left on the clock, I just turned around and I told them we’re going to win the game, “Mozzocio Sid. “They Can’t stop us.”
On 3rd and 10 from the 20 with just 22 seconds remaining, Burkes’s quick slant went off of Conglose’s fingertips and was incomplete.
“All I could think about was the Sto-Rox game we were losing big earlier in the season, “Burkes Said. “When we’re down, I feel like we are a better team becase we all band together.”
Conglose came over to the sideline on the timeout and, like a true competitor, said “I want the ball.” Neshannock ran the same quick slant play on 4th down. This time, Conglose made the catch and took the ball down to the 1-yard line. Neshannock took their final timeout with just 9 seconds left and time for one play, two at the most.
Lancers coach Fred Mozzoccio decided to go for it all on one play. They ran their bread-and-butter zone read. Burkes faked the inside draw to Eli Owens, kept the ball himself and stumbled into the end zone for the game-winning score.
On the final play of the game, the Lancers got great pressure on Rawlins, who threw it up for grabs on the Hail Mary. Four Lancers went up for the ball, and it was only fitting that it was Burkes who pulled down the pass to seal the game.
Monessen players were devastated, many taking over ten minutes to leave the field after the heartbreaking finish for the Greyhounds. Both teams played a great game and it was truly a shame that somebody had to go home.
Notable Stats:
Total Yards: NESH 369, MON 364
Burkes went 9-17 for 139 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He had only one incompletion in the second half: the Conglose drop which he certainly made up for on the next play. Burkes also added 46 rushing yards on 8 attempts and a touchdown.
The Owens brothers each had big days as well. Kienan had 60 yards rushing and another 16 in the air, while Eli ran for 98 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 10 yards.
Alex Welker ended with 3 receptions for 75 yards. Fellow senior wide-out John Conglose had 2 receptions for 32 yards and a TD.
Chavas Rawlins, a West Virginia recruit, went 7-14 for 130 yards, a TD, and 2 INTs. He also ran the ball 12 times for 82 yards.
Clintell Gillaspie was the workhorse for the Greyhounds, carrying the ball 19 times for 108 yards and scoring two TDs. He also caught two passes for 49 yards and a TD.