Crusaders hang on

Written by: EasternPAFootball.com Staff on Sunday, December 6th, 2009. Follow EasternPAFootball.com Staff on Twitter.

SHAMOKIN – On a day when the snow was falling hard you had to throw out your playbook. It was time to go back to basic football.

That is what Lancaster Catholic did. The Crusaders held off a tough Loyalsock Township team and grinded out a 19-13 win to advance to the PIAA Class 2A semifinal game.

After a scoreless first quarter the Crusaders combination of Kyle Smith and Quinn Houser took over in the second quarter.

Kyle Smith hit Quinn Houser twice for touchdown passes. Houser caught a nine-yard and 39-yard touchdown pass in the quarter.

The Crusaders had a 13-0 lead at halftime.

Loyalsock Township’s opening drive of the second half went 80 yards on nine plays. Quarterback Stephen Stopper hit Frankie Pagana for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Lancers cut the lead in half, 13-6.

Things got interesting midway through the fourth quarter. After a fumble by the Crusaders, they got the ball right back when Houser intercepted a Stopper pass.

The Crusaders used the ground game and ran the ball down to the Lancers 16. On a fourth down play Smith hit Tyler Purvis for a 16-yard strike. The extra point failed but the Crusaders led 19-6 with 3:22 remaining.

Lancaster Catholic head coach Bruce Harbach said, “I knew where it was going to go and who it was going to go to. It was a great throw.”

Trailing 19-6 the Lancers drove 70 yards on six plays. Stopper hit Pagana for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 2:03 remaining. Jackson Person’s extra point cut the Crusaders lead to 19-13.

Loyalsock tried an onside kick that sailed into the Lancers sidelines. The Crusaders took over.

Lancaster Catholic (13-1) needed three plays to run out the clock and setup a rematch with West Catholic who won over North Schuylkill 19-14.

West Catholic eliminated Lancaster Catholic 37-14 in the semifinal game a year ago.

Lancaster Catholic lineman Ross Hall said, “We definitely want another shot at them. We’ve been thinking about that for a year.”

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