(Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh PA) - Will Martin scores 3 touchdowns and gets a massive interception to lift Seton LaSalle past Steel Valley 21-14.
The Seton LaSalle defense kept the game scoreless in the first half with a 4th and goal stop from the 1-yard line. Da’Ron Barksdale took the handoff and was denied by the Rebels.
In the second half, it took just one play and it was the opening kickoff to spark 21 points in 4 minutes.
Seton LaSalle squib kicked the ball to avoid Barksdale, Tyrell Breland fielded the kick at the 15 and went 85 yards to the house for the touchdown to open up a 7-0 lead.
After the ensuing kickoff, Seton LaSalle coughed up the ball at their own 38. Barksdale found the end zone on a 21 yard run to extend the lead, 14-0 Ironman.
Seton LaSalle’s next possession moved into Ironmen territory, but once again they coughed the ball up. Unlike the last drive, the turnover didn’t cost the Rebels.
Steel Valley’s quarterback Tyson Barron threw an interception to Will Martin and the Rebels took advantage of the turnover. Martin got the Rebels on the board with an 8-yard rushing touchdown cutting the score to 14-7 Ironman.
In the 4th quarter, faced with 4th and 13, a bad snap to the punter Barksdale looked like it was a disaster for the Ironmen, but Barksdale leaped into the air and caught the snap with one hand and ran with it for just a couple of yards. He was tackled by his face mask and it gave Steel Valley a new set of downs. The Ironmen would end up punting after a three and out.
With 6:23 to go in the game, the Rebels Kymarr Freeman with a 24 yard run to the 37-yard line of Steel Valley. Two plays later, Kia Jones runs for 14 to the 15-yard line. Jones almost coughed the ball up on his next carry but regained possession as it fell out of his hands for a 7 yard gain. Martin scored his second touchdown of the game from 6 yards away. The point after tied the game with 4:05 to play in regulation.
A squib kick by Seton LaSalle was returned for 18 yards to the Rebels 42-yard line and the Ironmen were setup with great field position, but the Rebels defense stopped them and forced a punt with 2:45 to play in the game.
Freeman bursted a 29 yard scamper to the Steel Valley 38 as the Rebels were looking for their first lead of the game with under 2 minutes to play in the game. Freeman took two more carries to the 19.
Martin from the wildcat package took the ball to the 11 on an 8-yard carry. Martin from the wildcat again for the 11-yard touchdown and the lead with 30 seconds to play in the game.
With 4 seconds left in the game at the Seton LaSalle 40, Barron ran the ball and tackled to end the game.
"It’s been 21 years since a championship, we were in a bad situation. Will Martin is the reason the Rebels are back," said head coach Tim Storino.
Freeman finished with 18 carries for 131 yards, Jones had 101 yards. The Rebels ran for 293 yards.
Steel Valley was killed by penalties in this game. They totaled 19 penalties for 127 yards.