Raiders beat Frazier, end conference losing streak
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Frazier鈥檚 Keyshaun Thompson (7) and Brayden Baccino (60) try to bring down Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Braydon Woods during Friday night鈥檚 game in Waynesburg. Woods rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders鈥� 27-7 victory.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Frazier鈥檚 Dom Taranto (22) navigates his way through the Waynesburg Central defense during Friday night鈥檚 game in Waynesburg. Taranto rushed for 82 yards and had six receptions for 61 yards in the Commodores鈥� 27-7 loss.
Waynesburg Central quarterback Jacob Stephenson runs for a big gain against Frazier during Friday night鈥檚 game in Waynesburg. Stephenson ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders鈥� 27-7 win. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Waynesburg Central coach Aaron Giorgi (middle) talks to his player during a timeout in Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
Waynesburg Central quarterback Jacob Stephenson (6) gets blocking from Owen Farrier (65) as he looks for a receiver during Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Braydon Woods (2) breaks into the Frazier secondary on a 55-yard touchdown run during Friday night鈥檚 game in Waynesburg.
Waynesburg Central's football team takes the field before the start of Friday night's game against Frazier in Waynesburg.
WAYNESBURG 鈥� Waynesburg Central had gone 22 games spanning four years without a conference football win heading into last Friday鈥檚 game against Frazier.
Thanks to the two-headed rushing attack of sophomore running back Braydon Woods and freshman quarterback Jacob Stephenson, along with a strong defensive effort, the Raiders snapped that long drought with a 27-7 win at Raider Field of Pride stadium.
鈥淚鈥檓 just happy for these kids,鈥� said Waynesburg coach Aaron Giorgi whose team improved to 1-2 in the Century Conference and 2-4 overall. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time coming, getting a conference win. Tonight was a team win from top to bottom on that roster. We had a great week of practice.鈥�
It was the Raiders鈥� first victory in conference play since defeating visiting Southmoreland, 36-14, on Sept. 29, 2017.
Waynesburg was coming off a disappointing 28-7 loss at Charleroi.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking about getting over that hump and playing a four-quarter game and tonight we did,鈥� Giorgi said. 鈥淲e felt like we left one at Charleroi. Everybody had a bitter taste in their mouth coming in on Monday. Everyone was focused during practice and that was evident tonight.鈥�
Woods had 24 carries for 177 yards, including touchdown runs of 55 and 5 yards, and Stephenson ran 14 times for 96 yards and also scored twice.
It was the Commodores (0-2, 0-6) who took the early lead during a first quarter that saw three straight possessions end with fumbles.
Frazier鈥檚 Nicolas Vitale recovered a Raiders fumble at the Waynesburg 40 but the Commodores lost a fumble two plays later, only to have the Raiders fumble it back on their own 20.
Frazier looked like it would come up empty despite the good field position as it faced a fourth and 10 but quarter Brayden Woods scrambled ahead for a 12-yard gain to pick up the first down and scored three plays later on a 1-yard plunge. Tristan Scott鈥檚 extra point made it 7-0.
It took Waynesburg just one play to answer the Commodores鈥� score after taking over at its own 45.
Woods broke through a hole in Frazier鈥檚 line and angled down the left sideline for his long touchdown run and Chase Henkins鈥� extra point tied it at 7-7.
On the ensuing kickoff a line-drive boot ricocheted off one of Frazier鈥檚 up men and Jordan Galloway pounced on the ball for the Raiders.
Waynesburg took advantage of the fortuitous bounce by going on a six-play, 50-yard drive highlighted by Woods鈥� 31-yard jaunt and capped by Stephenson鈥檚 5-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 advantage.
Waynesburg extended its lead with an eight-play, 65-yard drive that included a 25-yard run by Stephenson and ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Woods to make it 21-7 with 7:17 left in the second quarter.
The Commodores put together an 11-play drive late in the half but came up empty.
On its first possession of the second half, Frazier, sparked by a 17-yard run by Dom Taranto and a 31-yard pass by Boggs to Taranto, moved from its own 18 to the Waynesburg 35 but the drive was snuffed out on an interception by Woods.
鈥淭hat kid is tremendous,鈥� Giorgi said of Woods, who had an earlier interception nullified by a penalty. 鈥淗e鈥檚 tough as nails. He鈥檚 as fast with pads as he is without.
鈥淲hat really sticks out to me was his ability to take all those hits and play both ways. He never wants to come out of the game. We had to take him out once tonight and that was just because he had a cramp.鈥�
Midway through the fourth quarter Waynesburg鈥檚 Trent Zupper intercepted a tipped third-down pass by freshman quarterback Dailan McManus, who had to sub in when Boggs was shaken up on the previous play.
The Raiders took over at the Commodores 37 and went on a seven-play touchdown drive capped by Stephenson鈥檚 3-yard run with 4:40 remaining to put the game away.
鈥淥ur running game was working and that鈥檚 what we stuck with,鈥� Giorgi said. 鈥淛acob made some nice pulls on some of those reads. That鈥檚 something we worked on this week. Jacob is taking command of this offense. The team voted him a captain as a freshman. That鈥檚 a huge honor.鈥�
Stephenson did just enough in the passing game to keep Frazier鈥檚 defense honest, completing 6 of 13 throws for 35 yards. Zupper made three catches for 25 yards and Devon Cowell had three receptions for 10 yards.
鈥淲aynesburg played well,鈥� Frazier coach Greg Boggs said. 鈥淭hey made plays today. They beat us. That鈥檚 a young team with a freshman quarterback who played outstanding. They play like they鈥檙e supposed to. They fly around, they鈥檙e energetic. Hat鈥檚 off to them. We鈥檙e the more experienced team but we didn鈥檛 look like the experienced team today.鈥�
Boggs was disappointed in seeing his team draw 13 penalties for 100 yards.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making the same mistakes over and over again,鈥� Boggs said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e taking too long to get lined up, we鈥檙e lining up wrong, getting into illegal formations. We鈥檝e absolutely have got to cut down on the penalties. We鈥檙e hurting ourselves.
鈥淲e lost to Bentworth because the last play of the game we threw a touchdown pass that was called back because we lined up wrong in trips. Today we go to that same formation and again we line up wrong in trips. It鈥檚 frustrating. We鈥檝e got to fix that.鈥�
The Commodores have been hurt by injuries and suffered a few more on Friday.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got some kids down,鈥� Boggs said. 鈥淥ther guys have to step up. You talk about the next-man-up mentality, you have to be ready, you have to know your job, what you鈥檙e supposed to do.
鈥淏rayden I think is OK. Dom Dorcon got a knee injury tonight early in the game, Tony Muccioli was out for awhile. Both of them are key players on offense and defense. I鈥檒l talk with the trainer to see where we鈥檙e at with them.鈥�
Brayden Boggs completed 13 of 24 passes for 101 yards and an interception for the Commodores. Taranto played a strong game, gaining 82 yards on 16 carries and adding 61 yards on six receptions.
Keyshaun Thompson had three catches for 28 yards and Isaac Thomas added three receptions for 16 yards for Frazier.
鈥淒om Taranto stood out today,鈥� coach Boggs said. 鈥淚 thought he had a good game. But it鈥檚 not enough, you need everybody else out there giving that same type of effort.鈥�