PENNSYLVANIA Big Reds winner after OT thriller

West Middlesex outlasted previously unbeaten Cochranton.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Nobody said it was going to be easy for the West Middlesex High football team to defend its District 10 Class A title.
As it turned out, it was anything but easy.
After West Middlesex (9-2) and previously-unbeaten Cochranton (10-1) battled through 48 minutes of regulation and one period of overtime, both teams got on the board in the second overtime.
When the issue was finally decided, the Big Reds edged the Cardinals 7-6 to successfully defend their crown and advance to the state playoffs.
As for the possibility of his team successfully defending its title, West Middlesex coach Rick Resatar didn't feel that put any extra pressure on his squad going into the game.
Made the plays
"I don't believe we had any extra pressure coming into this game," said Resatar. "We have a different team this year and it was a different team that we played. It all boils down to a game of football and we were fortunate to make the plays when we needed them."
In the second overtime, Cochranton had the ball first and the Cardinals put the first points of the game on the board when Chris Hogue bulled in from 6 inches away. However, the PAT attempt by Rasmus Gade was no good, and that left the door open for the Big Reds.
On his team's second opportunity from the 10, Resatar decided to go with a stack-I formation. Featuring two former running backs who were converted to offensive linemen this season, the move proved to be a good one.
With Josh Fette blocking, Nick Bender picked up 6 yards on first down, then carried the ball into the end zone for the final 4 yards to tie the score.
"My offensive tackle scored the touchdown," Resatar said. "I tried to go with the skilled guys all night long and didn't score, and when we put a lineman back there, we scored a touchdown."
For Bender, it was the first touchdown of his career and it couldn't have come at a better time.
Sweet
"It was my first touchdown I ever scored," Bender said. "I guess I picked a good time to get it and right now, it feels real sweet. We had out chances in regulation and it was a long game, but the important thing is that we got it in [the end zone] at the end."
With the score tied at 6-all, that put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Bob Michaels, and the senior quarterback/kicker responded by splitting the uprights with the game-winner.
"I wasn't nervous because in the Sharpsville game [a 28-25 West Middlesex win], I had a similar kick in the same situation," Michaels said. "My team came around me and told me that they were counting on me."
Michaels admitted that the Sharpsville experience played a big part in his confidence before kicking the game-winner.
"I told the team, hey, we are undefeated this year in overtime," he said. "We knew what it was like because we had been there already and tonight, we stepped up again."