SPRINGFIELD: Tigers match '07 win total with 18-15 win over Youngstown Christian
The Tigers defeated the Eagles of Youngstown Christian 18-15 to match their 2007 win total.
CANFIELD — Springfield High’s Bryan Visingardi easily converted a 32-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining to give the Tigers an 18-15 victory over Youngstown Christian Friday night at Canfield Stadium.
Visingardi’s kick had plenty of distance to spare and enabled the Tigers (2-0) to win for the second week in a row and tie their winning total from last season.
Visingardi kicked the game-winner after Youngstown Christian tied the score with 4:12 remaining in the game.
“Our kids made plays when they had to,” Springfield coach Sean Guerriero said. “We squeaked one out tonight against a very good Youngstown Christian team.
“They were a team with a ton of athletes that played a great game and we were fortunate to get out of here with a win.”
The Tigers started the winning drive at the Eagles 46-yard line after a 15-yard penalty aided Springfield’s kickoff return.
Quarterback Matt Evans connected with fullback Dylon DeJane on a 17-yard pass play on third and 9 to give Springfield a first down at the Eagles 12.
Youngstown Christian tightened up defensively and pushed the Tigers back to the 15 before Visingardi’s kick.
“It was a very tough loss,” Youngstown Christian coach Brian Marrow said. “Our guys don’t want to hear that and neither do I. We just need to dig down a little deeper and come out of these on the other end.”
Youngstown Christian lost last week to another Inter Tri-County League team (McDonald, 43-20).
“Our guys played hard but we made a lot of mental mistakes tonight,” Marrow said.
The game ended on a controversial play when Eagles quarterback John Pecchia threw what he thought was a bounced lateral to his wide receiver Pat Durkin who then picked up the ball and lofted a touchdown pass to Victor Shaw.
The play was ruled no good after one official said that Durkin’s knee was down while another ruled it was an incomplete forward pass.
Youngstown Christian got a lot of mileage out of senior running back Marqueal Smith, who rushed for 159 yards. Smith is a transfer from Wilson and Chaney, and the son of former YSU standout Tamron Smith.
Smith and Pecchia led the Eagles’ offensive attack which did a good job of controlling the football most of the game.
The Eagles scored first on a 27-yard pass play from Pecchia to Shaw, but Springfield came back on a Travis Richey 3-yard run in the second quarter to take a 7-6 lead.
Durkin’s field goal in the third quarter from 29-yards out gave the Eagles another lead at 9-7, but Springfield again came back on a 4-yard run by Richey in the third quarter. A two-point conversion pass from Evans to Jim Zubick gave Springfield a 15-9 lead.
Youngstown Christian twice threatened to score in the fourth quarter before Pecchia found Tolu Oshonowo in the end zone on a 6-yard TD pass with 4:12 remaining.
“We knew they were a great team,” Guerriero said. “But our kids are learning how to win and working hard to have a good season.”
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