Behind Troy Cunningham’s 6 sacks, South Park takes down undefeated Ellwood City in 2A semifinals

By: Josh Rizzo
Friday, November 15, 2024 | 10:26 PM

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South Park defensive lineman Troy Cunningham looked like he had all the answers to the test Friday night at Newman Stadium.

Ellwood City quarterback Chris Smiley likely wished Cunningham wouldn’t have studied so hard before they met in a WPIAL Class 2A semifinal playoff game. Cunningham set a school record with six sacks, and the second-seeded Eagles picked up a 28-7 win to reach the championship game for the first time since 2005.

“I think it’s the preparation we put in,” said Cunningham, who has 16 Division I offers. “We prepared for their offense. We prepared for what they were going to do and put ourselves in the right spot to make plays.”

Getting back to the championship game was important for coach Brian Abbey, who played on the South Park team that won the WPIAL and PIAA titles in 1997.

South Park (11-1) will take on top seed Seton LaSalle on Nov. 23, at Acrisure Stadium.

“I’m still soaking it all in,” Abbey said. “It was our goal to get down there. Now, we have some new goals to set.”

The Eagles limited Ellwood City to 38 rushing yards, mostly due to the constant pressure from the defensive line.

“Troy’s had a tremendous season,” Abbey said. “He’s been growing each week and growing each year. He sets the tone up front, and everyone else follows.”

Most importantly for the Eagles, Cunningham was collected from the game’s outset. Ellwood City (10-1) recovered the opening kickoff on the South Park 21 after the Eagles mishandled the ball.

Two plays later, the Wolverines took a 7-0 lead when Smiley connected with Dailonn Currie for an 18-yard touchdown.

“They made a mistake, we capitalized,” Ellwood City coach Dan Bradley said. “After that, we couldn’t get out of our way.”

South Park’s first offensive possession fizzled out, and Ellwood City nearly marched back to the end zone.

However, South Park defensive back Nathan Walz intercepted Smiley in the end zone to stop the threat.

“Our emotions were high, including myself,” Cunningham said. “I think that kind of calmed us down. It’s not over yet. The game just started. We got the ball back. Let’s do our thing.”

The Eagles ended up tying the game with 36 seconds left in the first quarter on a 37-yard touchdown run by Colsen Heynes.

Heynes finished with a game-high 151 yards on four carries and scored twice. South Park took the lead for good on a 52-yard touchdown run by Eric Doerue with 10:50 left in the first half.

Doerue ran for 138 yards on 26 carries and scored twice. As a team, the Eagles finished with 362 yards on the ground.

While Smiley finished with big plays in the passing game, Ellwood City couldn’t overcome issues with turnovers. The Eagles intercepted two passes and recorded two fumbles.

It was a tough blow for Ellwood City, which went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 1944.

“The further you go, the tougher it is to lose,” Bradley said. “It doesn’t really ruin the great season we had and all the memories we made as a team.”

Cunningham said that playing a pair of close games in the playoffs has South Park ready for whatever the next round may bring.

“We know how to lose,” Cunningham said. “We know how to be down in a game and come back.”

Tags: Ellwood City, South Park