The momentum shifted in the Falcons’ favor on a fumble recovery by Fitch linebacker Jon

The momentum shifted in the Falcons’ favor on a fumble recovery by Fitch linebacker Jon Stockman.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

AUSTINTOWN — Defensive players often fantasize about the ball bouncing their way for game-changing play.

Today, Fitch High linebacker Jon Stockman is living the dream.

Early in Friday’s third quarter of the Falcons’ 28-6 victory over Chaney, Stockman’s team was nursing a 7-6 lead, and the Falcons were thinking safety.

Bad breaks were piling up for the Cowboys, who found themselves pinned inside their 1-yard line with no room for error.

After an illegal motion penalty backed the ball up maybe an inch, Cowboys quarterback Myke Parker tried to sneak forward for breathing room.

He never had a chance as Falcons linebacker Tony Parenti popped Parker, sending the ball into the air. Stockman caught it and dove into the end zone to shatter the Cowboys’ upset hopes.

“I wasn’t really expecting it,” Stockman said. “Parenti laid a good hit on him. I saw the ball in the air and I stuck my hand out there hoping to grab it. Right place, right time, I guess.

“Probably kids all over the nation sit there and dream of that on the goal line,” Stockman said. “On defense, if you get the ball to pop out, you pick it up and run it in.”

Important plays

The Falcons had plenty of chances to reverse Chaney’s momentum. The Cowboys muffed two Stockman punts and lost two of their five fumbles.

“The first half, we had a little bit of confidence,” John Protopapa said after his first game as Chaney coach. “You just can’t make mistakes, and when you do, you’ve got to be mature enough to make the next play. We’re not at that level yet.”

Two facemask penalties helped Chaney take its only lead on a 70-yard drive in the second quarter. Nick Douthitt capped the nine-play march with a 3-yard scoring run on a fourth-and-goal play. Douthitt finished with 75 yards on 10 carries.

The Falcons, playing their first game for Coach Phil Annarella, answered quickly after Andre Stewart returned Chaney’s kick 48 yards.

On Fitch’s seventh straight run, Stockman scored from 2 yards out. Derek Brendlinger’s extra-point kick put the Falcons ahead.

“That was pretty important,” Annarella said. “We’ve been talking to the kids about how are we going to respond to negative situations. Tonight, they did a great job, our offensive line in particular.

“If we don’t answer, the whole game might have been different,” Annarella said. “Chaney had all the momentum at that point, they were outplaying us.”

Stockman agreed.

“That [drive] was big for us, instead of going three-and-out and punting. We pulled together as a team and dug down deep,” Stockman said.

Fitch rushed 44 times for 222 yards. Chaney had 34 rushing attempts for 100 yards.

Monumental shift

After Stockman’s fumble recovery, the momentum shifted in Fitch’s favor as the Falcons tacked on two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Nick Groat’s 14-yard run up the middle extended Fitch’s lead to 21-6 with 9:05 to play. Sophomore quarterback Jon Ballard hit Sylvestry Gibbs down the sidelines for a 26-yard scoring toss.

Chaney returners Bobby Hayes and Breondrae Bunch struggled on punt returns.

“It’s a learning experience for them,” Protopapa said. “They’re both sophomores and new back there.

“The offensive line did well in the first half and the backs blocked well,” Protopapa said. “Defensively, they were inside our territory more than I would have liked, but we stopped them several times.

“Losing [lineman] Matt Krause hurt, he’s a two-way starter,” Protopapa said.

Krause was injured playing defense during Fitch’s first scoring drive.

williams@vindy.com