Post by The Picks Commissioner on Mar 18, 2007 10:29:47 GMT -5
www.tribune-democrat.com/sports/local_story_076234715.html
Riverhawks thrash RiverRats
By SAMUEL LEGG
The Tribune-Democrat
The simmering bad blood between Johnstown and Pittsburgh came to a boil at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
Riverhawks players and members of the RiverRats exchanged trash-talking text messages and voice-mails throughout the past week.
When it was all said and done, Johnstown got the last word in a 43-13 win over expansion Pittsburgh on Saturday night in the American Indoor Football Association.
“We had to take a little more pride in playing at home,” Riverhawks coach Steven G. Folmar said. “This really needed to be a serious game for us, and the guys came through. Pittsburgh tries to get in your heads, and our guys never let them get away with that. We played smart football.”
Johnstown quarterback Jarrod Highberger threw three first-half touchdowns, two to Quenteen Robinson and one to former St. Francis standout Michael Caputo. Highberger finished 12 of 30 passing for 147 yards.
Johnstown took advantage of four first-half turnovers by the RiverRats.
“Our defense stepped it up,” Highberger said. “Our defense had those big plays. That just made it easier on me.”
With the Riverhawks up 14-7 after a quarter, Johnstown exploded for 22 second-quarter points.
Robinson caught his second score of the game after a Pittsburgh fumble by quarterback Niel Loebig.
Four plays after the Robinson score, Johnstown linebacker Neal Wood recovered a blocked field-goal attempt in the end zone for a touchdown. Then, just two downs later, Ronnie Montgomery returned an interception 15 yards for a score.
Jason Cherry’s third of four PATs gave the Riverhawks a 33-7 lead with less than four minutes left in the quarter.
Pittsburgh’s Garvin Graves had a 7-yard touchdown grab, before Cherry added a 38-yard field goal to set the halftime score at 36-13.
“They didn’t show up,” said Robinson, who has 13 touchdowns this season to lead the AIFA, and now has 99 touchdowns in five years of professional-indoor football. “They talked it all week and they didn’t show up. Point blank. We were very well-prepared. Coach (Folmar) scouted them and broke them down for us. We had a game plan, and we stuck to it.”
Johnstown’s Trent Jones scored on a 1-yard run for the only points of the second half.
The RiverRats (2-4) suffered their first loss in three games.
“They’re an expansion team, and they’ve got some talent,” Highberger said. “The next time we play them, I think it’s going to be a different story.”
The Riverhawks (3-2) have won three straight entering back-to-back road contests at Huntington on March 24 and a rematch on March 30 with Pittsburgh.
Riverhawks thrash RiverRats
By SAMUEL LEGG
The Tribune-Democrat
The simmering bad blood between Johnstown and Pittsburgh came to a boil at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
Riverhawks players and members of the RiverRats exchanged trash-talking text messages and voice-mails throughout the past week.
When it was all said and done, Johnstown got the last word in a 43-13 win over expansion Pittsburgh on Saturday night in the American Indoor Football Association.
“We had to take a little more pride in playing at home,” Riverhawks coach Steven G. Folmar said. “This really needed to be a serious game for us, and the guys came through. Pittsburgh tries to get in your heads, and our guys never let them get away with that. We played smart football.”
Johnstown quarterback Jarrod Highberger threw three first-half touchdowns, two to Quenteen Robinson and one to former St. Francis standout Michael Caputo. Highberger finished 12 of 30 passing for 147 yards.
Johnstown took advantage of four first-half turnovers by the RiverRats.
“Our defense stepped it up,” Highberger said. “Our defense had those big plays. That just made it easier on me.”
With the Riverhawks up 14-7 after a quarter, Johnstown exploded for 22 second-quarter points.
Robinson caught his second score of the game after a Pittsburgh fumble by quarterback Niel Loebig.
Four plays after the Robinson score, Johnstown linebacker Neal Wood recovered a blocked field-goal attempt in the end zone for a touchdown. Then, just two downs later, Ronnie Montgomery returned an interception 15 yards for a score.
Jason Cherry’s third of four PATs gave the Riverhawks a 33-7 lead with less than four minutes left in the quarter.
Pittsburgh’s Garvin Graves had a 7-yard touchdown grab, before Cherry added a 38-yard field goal to set the halftime score at 36-13.
“They didn’t show up,” said Robinson, who has 13 touchdowns this season to lead the AIFA, and now has 99 touchdowns in five years of professional-indoor football. “They talked it all week and they didn’t show up. Point blank. We were very well-prepared. Coach (Folmar) scouted them and broke them down for us. We had a game plan, and we stuck to it.”
Johnstown’s Trent Jones scored on a 1-yard run for the only points of the second half.
The RiverRats (2-4) suffered their first loss in three games.
“They’re an expansion team, and they’ve got some talent,” Highberger said. “The next time we play them, I think it’s going to be a different story.”
The Riverhawks (3-2) have won three straight entering back-to-back road contests at Huntington on March 24 and a rematch on March 30 with Pittsburgh.
