Williams: Sheely one of Fitch’s unsung heroes vs. Massillon

When a high school football game is decided on the final play, lots of details can get lost in the storytelling.

When the final play follows an official’s call that took a touchdown for the trailing team off the scoreboard, much of what happened in the previous 47 minutes of action gets pushed aside, creating unsung heroes.

One of them in Austintown Fitch’s 30-27 win over Massillon last Friday was kicker/punter Nick Sheely. The Battle of the Unbeatens at Fitch Falcon Stadium ended when Massillon freshman quarterback Danny Clark scrambled on third-and-10 from the Falcons’ 10-and-a-half-yard line and was stopped by Fitch linebacker Tyler Hewett at the 7.

In escaping the Falcons’ fierce pass-rush, Clark forgot that the Tigers were out of timeouts. The clock expired before the field-goal unit could line up to try and force overtime.

“I had contain on the quarterback,” defensive end Ryan Sayers said. “We held him up and he went inside [where] Tyler hit him.

“I saw the clock at three, two, one and I’ve never been so happy in my life.”

Although Clark passed for 359 yards (most of them in the fourth quarter), the Falcons escaped with their seventh straight win, preserving their dream of an unbeaten regular season and maybe a home playoff game.

The Falcons’ leaders included quarterback Antwan Harris (164 yards on 25 carries, three touchdowns and a scoring toss to Joey Harrington) and linebacker Sam Ortz and Sayers for their numerous tackles.

Another was Sheely, whose second half included three punts downed or out of bounds inside the Massillon 6-yard line.

“Nick Sheely has one of the greatest legs in Mahoning County,” Ortz said. “Those punts and kickoffs set the tone for our defense.”

In the game, Sheely had five kickoffs. Four sailed into the end zone for touchbacks; the fifth was caught by JD Crabtree at the 1 and returned to the 19.

“When they start at the 20-yard line, that gives us the advantage,” Ortz said.

Early in the fourth quarter, a Sheely punt pinned the Tigers at their own 5. On the next play, Ortz and Sayers chased Clark to the back of the end zone for a safety for a 23-14 lead.

After another punt had the Tigers starting at their 5, the Falcons soon got the ball back and scored for a 16-point lead.

Fitch coach Phil Annarella did not hold back when asked about Sheely’s game.

“That was his best game as a kicker, in all ways,” Annarella said. “He made all of the PATs (point-after-touchdown), he kicked into the end zone.

“And he did a great job of placing the punts, pining them deep,” Annarella said. “Wow.”

The Tigers (6-1) gave the Falcons their best challenge so far.

For about five seconds, it even appeared that the Tigers had scored the go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in regulation when Clark hit Marcus Whitfield at the goal line. However, the officials penalized Massillon for an illegal formation, negating the play.

“Their line was great and they protected him well,” said Ortz, who admitted he and his teammates were shocked when Clark ran on the final play.

“I was very surprised because I didn’t think he would put the game in his [own] hands,” Ortz said.

Clark gave the Fitch coaching staff some things to work on as the postseason nears. With 4:45 remaining, Fitch led 30-14 and Massillon fans were heading for the exits. Then Clark hit wide receiver Reggie Rogers with a short sideline toss and the wide receiver spun away for an 80-yard touchdown.

Two minutes later, Clark hit Rogers on the fly and he raced for a 72-yard score that sliced the Falcons’ once-huge lead to three.

In the fourth quarter, Clark passed for 208 yards and Annarella accepted responsibility that his unbeaten team still has work to do.

“Years ago, a guy a lot smarter than me told me, ‘Make sure they’ve got to beat 11 and not one,’ ” said Annarella, who called Clark and Rogers “great, great players, great skill. The kid threw strikes.

“Massillon didn’t quit, they kept coming at us and our kids overcame.”

Lost in the excitement was what might have happened if Clark had thrown an incompletion and Andrew David had kicked a field goal to tie the game and force overtime. On the Falcons’ last offensive play, Harris came off the field limping and it’s doubtful he would have been cleared to go back in.

Instead, the Falcons are looking ahead to Saturday afternoon’s Senior Day game against Marion Harding (3-4). They close the season at Uniontown Lake (4-3) and against Cardinal Mooney (4-3) at Youngstown State University’s Stambaugh Stadium.

A 10-0 record should give the Falcons a home playoff game in the rugged Division I, Region 1. If they secure it, Sheely’s leg will be one of the reasons.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.