By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
“Back-to-back, baby ... back-to-back!”
With those words, a fired-up Farrell High coach Jarrett Samuels summed up his team’s success in the District 10 Class A championship game Friday afternoon, a 34-7 victory over rival Sharpsville.
“To win back-to-back titles ...” said Samuels, “I’d never have dreamed we’d do it this fast when I took over three years ago.”
However, for the first half at Slippery Rock University’s N. Kerr Thompson Stadium, that dream was starting to resemble a nightmare.
Samuels watched as his line was pushed around by Sharpsville, his team committed needless penalties and he took his club to the lockerroom at intermission, locked up at 7.
“They were more physical than us in the first half,” said Samuels. “And we were very undisciplined. But we came out in the second half and executed well.”
The defending district champs certainly showed why they are ranked No. 1 in the state on some polls in the third period.
On the first play from scrimmage on offense, after taking the second-half kickoff back to midfield, speedy halfback Malcolm Hailstock toted the rock 50 yards to paydirt on a fake-reverse play.
Then with two more touchdowns in a short span in the third period, the Steelers were on top 28-7 and the game was out of reach.
“You can’t let Farrell get up by two scores on you or you’re in trouble,” said a disappointed Sharpsville coach Paul Piccirilli after the game. “We hung with them for a half, but we started to lose guys (to injuries and one ejection). We don’t have enough depth to move players from position to position.”
After a scoreless first period, Farrell got on the board early in the second when halfback Kevin Brodie took a pitch, avoided several tacklers as he ran around in the backfield, then sprinted down the field for a 52-yard touchdown run. Jamar Whitman booted his first of four extra point kicks.
But Sharpsville came right back. The Blue Devils marched the ball 59 yards in 11 plays with junior Marcus Llewellyn going the final 20 yards up the middle for a score. Jon Wilson kicked the PAT to tie the game.
However, a different Farrell team came out for the second half.
“We made some adjustments at halftime,” said Samuels. “The talk this week was about what great coaches Sharpsville has, but we have some pretty good coaches too. I’m really proud of my staff.”
Hailstock broke the 50-yard TD run to get the momentum rolling Farrell’s way in the third period. Then on the ensuing kickoff, a hustling Dion Eilam recovered the kick at the Sharpsville 44.
Even though the Sharpsville defense stopped the Steelers, the field position shifted. A short time later, Farrell’s Devante Goudy broke through and blocked a Wilson punt to set up the Steelers offense at the Sharpsville 23.
Two plays later, quarterback Danny Odem hooked up with Eilam to the 2-yard line, but Eilam was hit and fumbled. Farrell’s Preston Jefferson, however, fell on the pigskin in the end zone for a touchdown.
On their next possession, Farrell tallied another TD when Brodie fired a halfback pass to Jefferson for a 54-yard score.
The final score of the game came late in the fourth period when Hailstock burst through the line then cut outside on a 25-yard scamper.
“That second half we adjusted and got back to basics. We played well on offense, defense and special teams,” said Samuels. “That’s Farrell football. We focus on doing well in all three phases of the game.”
The Steelers will play the District 9 champion — either Coudersport or Clarion who meet today — next weekend, probably at SRU again. And waiting down the road could be a Western Regional finals rematch with Clairton, a 14-13 winner over Rochester for the WPIAL crown Friday.
“That (rematch with Clairton) could happen,” said Samuels, “but we’re not worrying about that right now. We’ve got another game ahead and that’s our focus.”
Meanwhile Piccirilli is left think about what could have been, but also what could be next year: “We fell apart in the second half. It’s kind of disheartening to see it end like that. But I thought Matt (Totin) did a good job of taking over at quarterback (for Frank Joseph, sidelined with pneumonia. He just found out Tuesday night he would have to fill in.
“We have a lot of kids back so the future is bright. But Farrell has some five or six great players returning too. I’d like to see them again in this game next year.”
Sharpsville (10-3) returns a lot of underclassmen, but seniors leaving the program are: DeWayne Odem, Justin Dunlap, Matt Totin, Ross Stafford, Cameron Christopher, Matt Redfoot, Brian Shaw and Conor Brant.
Notes: Sharpsville’s Marcus Llewellyn was the game’s leading rusher, picking up 80 yards on 14 carries, but he re-injured his ankle and only carried twice early in the second half before exiting the game. Hailstock led led Farrell (13-0) with 76 yards on 8 carries, while Brodie had 67 on 4 totes. ... Farrell forced two fumbles, with Odem and John McCrary recovering. McCrary also had an interception in the end zone to end a Devils threat in the fourth quarter. ... Joey Flynn recovered a fumble for Sharpsville ... Samuels credited his assistant coaches (Dante “Bucky” Newell, Lamont Samuels, Paul Muhammed, Omar Stewart, Rob Townsend, Troy Harrison, Victor Phillips and Bill Dungee) for the team’s success this season.
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D-10 CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
SHARPSVILLE 0 7 0 0 7
FARRRELL 0 7 21 6 34
Scoring plays
F — Brodie, 52 run (Whitman kick)
S — Llewellyn, 20 run (Wilson kick)
F — Hailstock, 50 run (Whitman kick)
F — Jefferson, fum. rec. (Whitman kick)
F — Jefferson, 54 pass from Brodie (Whitman kick)
F — Hailstock, 25 run (kick failed)
Team stats
SHARPSVILLE FARRELL
13 First downs 10
160 Rushing yards 243
22 Passing yards 78
11-3-1 Att-comp-int 9-3-0
182 Total yards 321
52 Fumbles-lost 4-1
4-35 Penalties-yards lost 10-75
Individual stats
Rushing: SHARPSVILLE — Llewellyn 14-80, Titus 15-53, Christopher 9-30, Totin 5-(-3); FARRELL — Hailstock 8-76, Brodie 4-67, Odem 13-55, Whitman 7-38, Jackson, 2-13, Eilam 2-(-6).
Passing: SHARPSVILLE — Totin 11-3-1-22; FARRELL — Odem 8-2-0-24; Brodie 1-1-0-54.
Receiving: SHARPSVILLE — Piccirilli 1-13, Llewellyn 1-5, Titus 1-4; FARRELL — Jefferson 1-54, Eilam 1-13, Brodie 1-11.
