New Castle 21-14 loser to Blackhawk at home

The Cougars haven’t lost to the Red Hurricanes since 1987.

By CALEB PARDICK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — On a night when the Blackhawk Cougars tried to give the game away, the New Castle Red Hurricanes couldn’t reach out and take it.

Blackhawk (5-1, 3-0) took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and was able to hold on for a 21-14 road victory in a turnover-plagued WPIAL Class AAA Parkway Conference game Friday night.

While trying to run out the clock with less than two minutes to play, Cougars running back Bryan Stefanik fumbled on his own 35-yard line, giving the ball back to New Castle with 1:49 to play. A 4-yard run by New Castle quarterback Mike Bongivengo and a pair of carries covering 19 yards by T.J. McCaster gave the ’Canes a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line.

New Castle then spent its last timeout with 28 seconds left after McCaster carried the ball to the 5. Blackhawk’s Paul Kessier sacked Bongivengo for a 5-yard loss on second down, forcing New Castle to spike the ball to stop the clock with 12 seconds remaining. On fourth down, Bongivengo’s last-hope pass sailed through the back of the end zone to give Blackhawk the win.

Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton said the unpredictability of the game was tough to handle on the sidelines.

“It was an up-and-down game all night, and we’re up 14-7, and then they get a break and go down and score, and our kids start putting their heads down a little bit,” said Hamilton, whose squad lost three fumbles and tossed an interception in the game. “Right then, I was like ‘Whoa, guys, it’s a tie ballgame. We’re still in this.’ ”

The Cougars scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 6:14 to play on an 18-yard run by Stefanik.

Stefanik pounded out 117 yards on 18 carries despite losing two of his three fumbles. Quarterback Zach Hayward completed seven of 11 passes for 103 yards for Blackhawk, which hasn’t lost to New Castle (4-2, 2-2) since 1987.

Philip Hochevar scored Blackhawk’s first two touchdowns, both of which came in the second quarter. The first came on a four-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 and finish off a seven-play, 65-yard drive. His second score came on the team’s next possession, when Hayward found him for a 16-yard strike through the air.

New Castle took an early advantage, scoring on its first possession of the second period. Bongivengo hid the ball behind his back on a fake handoff and scampered in from five yards out to cap a six-play drive that came off Blackhawk’s first turnover of the night.

McCaster, who ran for 76 yards on 10 carries, scored the game-tying touchdown for New Castle on a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

New Castle missed out on two prime scoring opportunities earlier in the game. Joey Perrotta intercepted Hayward’s pass and returned the ball to the Blackhawk 3-yard line on the first possession of the second half. But on the very next play, Perrotta gave the ball right back, fumbling the ball inside the 5.

Fate would find Perrotta in the fourth quarter as well. New Castle marched 56 yards late in the game to the Cougars’ 15-yard line. On first-and-10 with just over three minutes to play, Perrotta carried the ball to the five before being stripped again.