Greenville’s two-point
conversion was the difference in the 36-35 victory.

By BILL ALBRIGHT

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

SHARON, Pa. — Over the years, Sharon and Greenville have locked up in some exciting football games, but more than likely none more so than Friday night at Tiger Stadium.

With the two teams deadlocked after regulation, the two clubs battled each other tooth-and-nail through four overtimes until the Trojans edged Sharon, 36-35.

“It was just a great ball game between two very proud programs,” said Sharon coach Bob Fromm. “The kids just slugged it out right to end and the bottom line is that they made one more play than we did. We were focused and ready to play, but I have to give a lot of credit to their coach and kids because they played a heckuva ball game.”

In the first overtime, Greenville (4-1, 2-1 District 10) came up short of the end zone on four tries, but Sharon’s 25-yard field goal attempt was wide right.

The two teams traded touchdowns and PATs in the second and third extra periods, setting up the fourth overtime.

Sharon had the ball first and it took the Tigers (4-1, 2-1) only two plays to score. Tailback Billy Altman went in from the 8 and Terry Flaugher’s PAT made it Sharon 35-28.

Greenville also only needed a pair of plays to score, that coming on a 5-yard run by Chris Fragapane.

Big decision

It was decision time for Trojan rookie head coach Brian Hetrick, and as it turned out, he gambled and won.

Following a couple of timeouts, Hetrick replaced his extra point team with the regular offense.

Hoping to cause the Tigers to make a mistake, Hetrick rolled the dice and he was right on as the Tigers were flagged with an encroachment penalty.

Needing only 11⁄2 yards, Fragapane completed his outstanding night by slashing into the end zone for the two-point conversion.

“We wanted to get them to jump offsides because I didn’t think we could make 3 yards,” said Hetrick. “Once we got them to jump, I asked the kids if they wanted to go for it [the two-point conversion] and they said yes. We went for it and it wasn’t blocked perfectly, but Chris just made a great run.”

As for his answer to deciding to kick for the extra point instead of running the ball, Fromm’s answer was brief and to the point.

“We have a good kicker in Terry Flaugher and we had a lot of confidence in our defense,” said Fromm. “In the first three overtime periods, we just felt that we might be able to hold them out of the end zone, but the kid [Shaun Ferguson] made a heckuva catch in the corner for the touchdown. When he pulled his kicking team off and they made a nice heady play by trying to get us to jump offside and they accomplished that. When you are trying to defend a yard and a half against Greenville’s power game, it is a tough place to be in.”

Costly mistakes

During regulation, the Tigers made two major mistakes and they were both costly.

Following a muffed punt, Greenville scored its first touchdown.

Holding an 8-7 lead heading into the second half, Ferguson hauled in the kickoff to begin the second half, and 92 yards later after dismantling the Sharon coverage, crossed the goal line.

In the second overtime, the Trojans didn’t waste any time at all as they scored on their first play, a 10-yard fade pattern from quarterback Josh Chisholm to Ferguson.

“We were lucky because [Jacques] Moss and [Billy] Altman are probably the two best cornerbacks in the conference,” said Hetrick. “It was a perfect pass to the back corner of the end zone just as it is supposed to be thrown. Shaun can go up and get it with the best of them and he made a great play.”