Steelers run to end zone in 20-6 win over Sharon

Lou Falconi passed former Sharon coach Jim Wildman for second-most wins in Mercer County.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SHARON -- Although neither team is headed to the playoffs, Thursday night's meeting between Sharon and Farrell was more than just an extra game.
After not having faced each other since 1999, the two teams battled for bragging rights and neighborhood pride, and when that issue was decided, Farrell (5-5) won that for another year with a 20-6 victory at Tiger Stadium.
"This was better than the playoffs," said Farrell coach Lou Falconi after accepting the Steel Bowl trophy. "We have been in the playoffs before, but if you don't win the championship or get to the big [state title] game, it is really a big letdown.
Convenience
"Tonight we played our arch rival, we won the game, and if we wanted to, we could walk home. It doesn't get any better than this."
Leading the Steelers was a trio of seniors. Terrell Davis, Reuben Rudolph and Micah Wiley all had big games.
Davis caught four passes for 85 yards, including a 47-yarder to set up Farrell's second touchdown. Rudolph recovered a pair of Sharon fumbles and recorded a couple of quarterback sacks, and Wiley rushed for 204 yards and one score, and threw the 47-yard pass to Davis to set up Farrell's second score.
"My line blocked good for me, the coach gave me the ball and I was able to run it well," said Wiley.
Wiley said the option pass has been in the play book all season long.
"We had it in there for a while, but we just never ran it that much," said Wiley. "Coach told me that he was going to put in tonight, they gave me the toss and I just threw it as far as I could."
Turning point
Both Falconi and Sharon coach Bob Fromm felt Wiley's pass might have been the biggest play of the game.
"He took that extra step, Terrell streaked down the sideline and he [Wiley] threw a great pass," said Falconi. "We did it a few times during the year and I wasn't sure if they [Sharon] would think about it or not.
"The kid wasn't that far off him [Davis], but Micah pumped it out there and put it in front of him where only he could catch it. That was the call of the game."
Added Fromm: "We had them back on their heels at that point, but when they made that play, we never recovered from it emotionally."
With the win, the 209th of his career, Falconi passed former Sharon coach Jim Wildman for the second-most wins in Mercer County history.
"Jim is a great man and was a great football coach. He was a legend in his own time," praised Falconi. "I am one up on him, but that really doesn't mean a darn thing. It was a real treat for him to give me this trophy tonight."
Second half
Farrell led 6-0 at halftime but the Tigers scored on their first possession of the second half to tie the score.
"I definitely thought we had the momentum in the second half," said Fromm. "We came out, drove the ball right down the field and we scored. But then we had a fumble and the momentum shifted their way."
Farrell put the game away down the stretch with a pair of touchdowns.
Julius Brodie scored on a 1-yard run before Preston Bridges went in from 3 yards out with less than two minutes remaining. Two plays prior to that, Wiley broke loose for a 49-yard gain to the Tigers' 3-yard line.