Strong second half carries Pioneers past Greyhounds, 49-24
MONESSEN — West Greene had an offensive explosion during the second half of Friday’s Tri-County South game against Monessen en route to a 49-24 victory at Memorial Stadium.
The Pioneers (4-0, 5-0) remain undefeated this season, and Benjamin Jackson had a large role in helping his team overcome the tough Greyhounds (1-2, 1-4).
Jackson gained 359 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns.
“At halftime, I reminded the team that we have to run the ball and we got to that in the second half,” said West Greene head coach Brian Hanson. “We got the line fired up and Jackson ran hard.”
Jackson had a 71-yard touchdown run on West Greene’s first possession for a 7-0 lead with 7:52 left in the first quarter after the first of seven PATs by Wyatt Hoag.
Kolin Walker bulldozed his way into the end zone on a 30-yard touchdown run to put the Pioneers on top, 14-0, with 4:33 left in the first.
Monessen scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to take an 18-14 halftime advantage.
The Greyhounds’ second-quarter scores came through the air, as Isaiah Beltram connected with three different receivers.
Beltram first connected with Darius Stevenson for a 14-yard score at 11:52 of the second quarter.
Beltram found Antwon Tucker for a 27-yard touchdown with 4:58 to go in the second quarter. Beltram threw a 71-yard pass to Marquell Smith for a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the half.
Darius Stevenson recovered a fumble and ran it back 27 yards for a touchdown to give Monessen a 24-14 lead at 11:40 of the third quarter.
Wesley Whipkey, Nathan Orndorff, and Walker had second-half interceptions for West Greene.
Austin Crouse’s four-yard fumble return narrowed the Pioneers’ deficit to 24-21, and West Greene scored 28 unanswered points.
Jackson went on to score three more touchdowns on runs of 20, 40 and 85 yards.
Jackson’s 20 yarder with 2:05 left in the third quarter proved to be the game-winning score, as West Greene took a 28-24 lead.
Hunter Hamilton had a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“At halftime, the mood in the locker room was pleasant, but we were still hungry,” Monessen coach Mikey Blainefield said. “Unfortunately, we lost some key players in the second half to injuries.”
One of those key players was Isaiah Beltram, who had a great night through the air and on the ground.
Beltram completed nine passes for 116 yards, an interception, and three touchdowns. Beltram rushed 14 times for 132 yards.
Both teams resume conference action next Friday. West Greene looks to remain undefeated as it returns home to battle Avella (1-3, 0-1), while Monessen hopes to rebound on the road against Bentworth (0-4, 0-2).