PENNSYLVANIA Sharpsville tops Western Beaver

The Blue Devils hit a fourth-quarter field goal to avenge last year's loss.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SHARPSVILLE, Pa. -- The Sharpsville High football team opened its season Friday night as it got revenge for last year's 29-8 loss by beating Western Beaver 11-8.
Ray Rotell kicked a 23-yard field goal with 7:05 remaining in the game for the deciding points.
It appeared Western Beaver might be going to take it to the Blue Devils again as Bill Hall took the opening kickoff and dashed 89 yards for a touchdown. D.J. Frye ran over a two-point conversion and it was 8-0 just 18 seconds into the game.
"Western Beaver won that game last year, so we told our kids that, even last year, two plays into the third quarter, with key players out, we were still in the game," said Sharpsville coach Paul Piccirilli.
"Right now we are banged up," he said. "We lost two or three players tonight, one with a possible broken leg, so this win is a real tribute to the seniors who dug down deep when they had to."
Battling: In the third quarter Sharpsville battled back to tie it as the Blue Devils marched 59 yards in 10 plays, with Ronnie Haywood scoring on a 5-yard run.
Haywood also carried four other times for 13 yards. Eric Major caught a 26-yard pass from quarterback Mark Anglin for a first down at the 20.
The Blue Devils' final drive began with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Randy Veccia burst loose on a 37-yard run to the 11.
Go-ahead: Three plays later, with a fourth and 5 to go, Rotell made the field goal.
Western Beaver took the ensuing kickoff and marched from its 47 to the Sharpsville 46, where the Blue Devils' Blase Lorio recovered a fumble at the 45.
Sharpsville marched to the Western Beaver 4, where the drive bogged down. But moments later, Rotell intercepted a pass at the 17 and Sharpsville ran out the clock.