Fake punt helps Avella upset Monessen
By Dean Dellamalva jr.
MVI Sports
Friday’s game couldn’t have started any better for Shane Swope in his coaching debut at Monessen.
However, things began to take a turn in the second quarter and left Swope looking for answers.
Avella executed a fake punt late in the first half and carried the momentum to a 20-7 victory over Monessen at Memorial Stadium.
The win was the first for Avella (1-0) in Tri-County South Conference play since Oct. 19, 2018, and the first over the Greyhounds since 2017.
“We’re super young, but that’s not an excuse,” Swope said. “We had five freshmen play significant snaps. We have to play under control. Everybody knows the stigma that we don’t get calls here, but we can’t let things come down to that. When we play with composure, we play fine.”
Late in the second quarter, Avella experienced its turning point.
In punt formation, Gabe Lis lofted a pass on fourth-and-11 to Tanner Terensky for a 27-yard gain. On the next play, quarterback KJ Rush found Terensky for a 23-yard touchdown. The extra point was missed, but the Eagles took control of the game.
“We actually practice (fake punts) every Thursday,” Avella assistant coach Zack Zebrasky said. “Our head coach, Ryan Cecchini, was not here tonight and that is something I have always wanted to run. It was a spur-of-the-moment play call. We were trying to put them on their heels and get a spark to lead us into halftime.”
On the Eagles’ second possession of the third quarter, Rush hit Lis for a 40-yard gain on the first play.
Avella baited the Greyhounds (0-1) into three offsides penalties on the next four downs. In between, Rush gained 19 yards on a quarterback keeper. Those big plays and the penalties put the Eagles at Monessen’s 6-yard line.
“We just have to keep our composure, it’s the M.O. of what everyone expects,” Swope said. “We had something go wrong and the wounds came open. A lot of our penalties were self-inflicted; those are the things we need to clean up.”
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