WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA Gene Iannuzzi's blocked punt for touchdown sinks Thiel, 16-15

The Wolverines regained control of the Mercer County Cup.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
GREENVILLE -- One big play was all it took to turn what appeared to be a 15-10 Thiel College football victory into a thrilling 16-15 win for Grove City Saturday at Thiel College Alumni Stadium.
With Thiel ahead by five and time running down, the Wolverines' defense forced a Tomcat punt.
On five previous punts, Thiel kicker Ryan Swartzfager had taken the snap and rolled to his right before kicking. But on the crucial punt, Swartzfager might have gone to the well one time too often as Grove City cornerback Gene Iannuzzi anticipated the play.
Iaunnuzzi made a strong rush, blocked the kick and picked it up before scooting 15 yards in the end zone for the game-winning points.
The block
"It was getting tight and we needed the ball so we went after it," Iaunnuzzi said. "I saw him roll out and I just stuck my hand out and was able to block it.
"We hadn't seen [the rollout] before, but after he did it earlier in the game, we went looking for it," Iaunnuzzi said.
Grove City coach Chris Smith praised Iaunnuzzi for his game-saving effort.
"We were just very fortunate to get the big play," Smith said. "We went after the block because the way he had been punting, we never had a chance to get a return.
"He kicks a short, high punt so there was no reason to even set up a return. When the ball was on the ground, I was just praying that we could keep their kid from getting it so we could pick it up and go and we did," Smith said. "It was just a very emotional football game."
Smith felt that Swartzfager went to the well one too many times.
"I think he did," said Smith. "That is something that can help you, but by the same token, it is also something that can hurt you. I watched South Carolina do something like that with [Coach Lou] Holtz and it looked pretty good a couple of times. All of a sudden, they had one blocked and then it didn't look quite as good."
Halftime, 15-7
After the Wolverines took advantage of a Thiel fumble on a punt return to take a 7-0 lead, the Tomcats put up 15 unanswered points for a 15-7 halftime lead.
The only scoring during the third period was a 23-yard field goal by Grove City kicker Mike Titzel to cut the Thiel lead to 15-10.
While clinging to the slim lead, Thiel had several opportunities to put more points on the board, but a pair of sacks by Dan Solomon helped turn the Tomcats away.
"It was just a great call by Coach [Rob] Skaricich," Solomon said. "We disguised it real well and they never saw it coming. Nobody blocked me and that gave me a clean path to the quarterback."
Thiel coach Jack Leipheimer also felt the sacks were big.
"Those couple of sacks got us out of field position and took us out of our rhythm a little bit," Leipheimer said. "Those two plays hurt us big time, but they made the big play on the blocked punt, scooped it up and got into the end zone. They deserved to win the game."
Even though his team held the lead for much of the game, Leipheimer admitted he never felt comfortable.
"I didn't feel that way at any time because Grove City just kept battling back and battling back," Leipheimer said. "We have to learn to finish some drives.
"We were down there a couple of times but just couldn't put it in," Leipheimer said. "I might have made some bad decisions that put our kids in bad positions but sometimes that is what happens. Our kids never quit. That has been the trademark of our guys for the past three years."
With the win, the Wolverines regain control of the Mercer County Cup that is symbolic of the winner of the Thiel-GCC game. The Tomcats had won the previous two meetings.