100.1 FM / AM 1020 (PITTSBURGH) - For the first time in school history, Fort Cherry can call themselves champions, after a 42-28 win over South Side Beaver.
Tanner Gary, the grandson of Jim Gary, who was the first coach of the program, coached the team to the championship win, after 65 years in the making.
"We got it done," said Gary. "That was one that I know he wanted for a longtime. I'm at a loss for words, he's watching over us and we're happy to bring it back for the Fort."
On the first play of the game after a kickoff out of bounds, Fort Cherry forced a fumble on a Ryan Navarra run giving the Rangers the ball around midfield. Faced with a 4th and 5 at the South Side 30 yard line, Matt Sieg would complete the pass to Nik Massey to the 22 for a first down to extend the drive. A few plays later, Matt Sieg ran it in for the touchdown from 3 yards out, to make it 6-0 Fort Cherry. The extra point was no good.
South Side Beaver responded with a 10 play 71 yard drive. Brody Almashy scored from 2 yards out for the touchdown and the extra point was good to make it 7-6 South Side Beaver after one quarter of play.
After a Fort Cherry punt, South Side Beaver started drive number three at the 20. During the drive, Almashy ran the ball for 31 yards, moving the ball inside the 5 yard line. A.C. Corfield capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown from 3 yards out to extend the lead 14-6.
Fort Cherry responded with a 5 play 69 yard scoring drive. Sieg threw a jump ball pass to the end zone caught by Shane Cornali for a 35 yard touchdown. Sieg called his own number for the 2 point conversion tying the game 14-14 with 8:24 in the half.
Faced with a 4th and goal at the two yard line, a false start penalty made it 4th and goal from the seven. Sieg reversed it to Cornali, and Cornali threw it to the end zone to a wide open Ethan Faletto to give the lead back to Fort Cherry 21-14.
With just 3 seconds left in the first half, Sieg connected to Cornali again in the endzone for the twenty two yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14 at halftime.
Fort Cherry opened the second half the way they closed the first half, with a touchdown scoring drive. Sieg called his own number from three yards out as the Rangers extended their lead 35-14. With 2:22 to play in the third quarter, Almashy rolled out to his right and and ran for a 25 yard touchdown, cutting the Rangers lead to 35-21.
In the fourth quarter, Ethan Faletto scored from three yards out to go up 42-21. The Rams would score one more touchdown on a 45 yard pass from Almashy to Carter Wilson.
Sieg finished the day 9/16 166 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and 32 carries for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.
"It's no secret sometimes where we're trying to go with the ball and what we're trying to do, but he makes us special and he has a really good group of men around him too," said Gary.