Frazier victory was extra ‘special’
There are three phases to football: offense, defense and special teams.
You usually need to excel in all three to win a close game, especially in the playoffs.
Frazier did just that on Friday night in its 14-13 WPIAL Class A quarterfinal victory over Shenango at Chartiers-Houston.
After surviving the first half, the Commodores鈥� defense flexed its muscles while the offense took advantage of the two openings that the Wildcats provided them in the second half.
It was the special teams that gave coach Mike Steeber鈥檚 team that final edge it needed to seize the victory, however, and move on to the semifinals where it will face Clairton at Elizabeth-Forward on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Extra points can鈥檛 be taken for granted in high school football and Frazier needed both PATs to edge Shenango. Joshua Cox was dead on with his kicks for the 49th and 50th time this season.
Punting played a huge factor against the Wildcats as well, especially in the fourth quarter.
That鈥檚 when Caleb Cox stepped up.
The Frazier senior came up big out of punt formation four times for the Commodores, all while his team was clinging to a one-point lead, and knowing that Shenango鈥檚 Dylan Kleckner had already kicked two field goals so it wouldn鈥檛 necessarily take a touchdown for the Wildcats to go back on top.
鈥淚 knew special teams were going to be critical,鈥� Steeber said. 鈥淲e got the two extra points and the punting was tremendous by Caleb.鈥�
Cox鈥檚 first punt of the fourth quarter from the Frazier 41 was one of the most acrobatic plays of the night.
The snap sailed high and although Cox got his hand on it, it still landed behind him. He didn鈥檛 panic, secured the ball, ran to his right to avoid pressure and booted it on the run.
The punt only traveled 24 yards to the Shenango 35 where it was downed, but the Commodores gladly accepted that over the tragedy that could have been.
Cox鈥檚 next punt was from the Frazier 48 and his 36-yarder pinned the Wildcats back at their 14 with 5:48 left.
Cox still had two more huge challenges remaining.
With about three minutes left he was called on to punt from the Frazier 25 and Shenango had to be anticipating good field position.
Instead, Cox boomed a high 48-yarder that was downed at the Wildcats 27 with 2:52 on the clock.
鈥淚 knew I got the spiral on it so I knew the wind was going to take it,鈥� Cox said. 鈥淚t put us in a good position.鈥�
Cox put his team in even better position with a clutch interception at the Frazier 47 with just 1:43 left.
Still, the Commodores offense could not run out the clock, and with 15 seconds left and facing an 11-man rush from the Shenango 48, Cox was asked one last time to punt his team out of trouble.
The snap from Joshua Cox was perfect and Caleb quickly got the kick away ahead of the onrushing Wildcats. The ball bounced down to the Shenango 13 with a scant six seconds left on the clock.
鈥淭hey were blitzing and I just had to get it off as quick as I could,鈥� Caleb said. 鈥淚 knew there was no one back so I just made sure I got it away and let it roll.鈥�
Two incompletions later and Frazier was off to the semifinals.
鈥淐aleb is a tremendous athlete and a valuable asset in the punting game,鈥� Steeber said. 鈥淚t just shows you what special teams could do in a football game like this.鈥�
Even Shenango coach Mike Commesso gave a nod to Caleb Cox.
鈥淗e did a nice job,鈥� Commesso said. 鈥淥ur special teams kind of hurt us.鈥�
Indeed, special teams played a big part in the third quarter as well, which began with the Wildcats holding a 13-0 lead.
Hunter Patterson鈥檚 58-yard punt return to the Shenango 20 early in the second half tilted the field position in Frazier鈥檚 favor.
Although Shenango came up with an interception on the next play, it went three-and-out and then a strong rush by the Commodores forced punter Kleckner to run. He was stopped well short of the first down at the Shenango 22. Patterson would hit Joshua Cox with an eight-yard touchdown pass soon after to make it 13-7.
The Wildcats would fumble the ensuing kickoff with Cameron Roebuck recovering for the Commodores. Seven plays later Patterson busted into the end zone from one-yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter and Frazier had the lead 鈥� for good.
鈥淲e made too many mistakes,鈥� Commesso said. 鈥淭hey out-executed us in the second half.鈥�
And so the season continues for the Commodores, one that has proven to be very 鈥渟pecial鈥� in more ways than one.