DiFalco’s FG with 2 seconds left lifts Franklin Regional over Latrobe

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, October 13, 2017 | 10:57 PM

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Franklin Regional appeared to be well on its way to the WPIAL playoffs, but Latrobe turned it on and made the Panthers fight to the finish.

Latrobe rallied from a 20-point deficit, but Franklin Regional senior kicker Dom DiFalco connected on a 37-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to secure a 23-20 win on homecoming night Friday in Big East 9 Conference play.

The win, coupled with Armstrong's loss to Penn-Trafford, ensures Franklin Regional (5-2, 5-2) will finish in the top four of the conference. But after a game in which his team was penalized 11 times for 100 yards, the playoffs were the last thing on the mind of Franklin Regional coach Greg Botta.

“(If we're in the playoffs), why do I feel so bad?” Botta said, shaking his head but smiling.

“I'm going to say this first, Jason Marucco is doing a great job (coaching Latrobe), and I knew it was going to be a war. Their kids never quit. … On our side, it's the same thing we've been doing all year long with penalties, personal fouls, things that kill you. My teams are never usually like this. I'm taking the blame for it, and somehow, I've got to change it.”

Botta's team showed poise on the final drive, which began on their own 36 with 52 seconds remaining. Using a mix of runs and a hook-and-lateral pass, the Panthers gave themselves a shot to win by moving 39 yards to the Latrobe 25.

DiFalco's kick was originally set up to be a 42-yarder, but Latrobe (2-6, 1-5) was drawn offside by a hard count. The extra distance probably wasn't needed, as DiFalco sent the winning kick well over the crossbar from the left hashmarks.

“He was kicking 45-yarders before the game, but I wanted to get five more yards, and I begged my kids not to jump. We don't give a snap count, usually, but (holder) Nate Leopold is class. He took the reins, and we went on a hard count,” Botta said. “I don't know how much it made it by, but I think that extra five gave Dom more confidence, too.”

Franklin Regional scored on touchdown passes of 29 and 6 yards to tight end Jacob Shedd and a screen pass that Leopold took 68 yards for a 20-0 lead with 4:18 left before halftime.

Panthers quarterback Adam Rudzinski was just 6-for-19 passing but had 139 yards and the three touchdowns. Stephen Johns ran for 109 yards on 19 carries for Franklin Regional, despite having two runs of more than 35 yards wiped out by penalties.

Latrobe, which got off to a promising start with a 14-play drive that ended on a missed 36-yard field goal, finally grabbed some momentum before halftime. Zakharee Williams hauled in a deep ball from Jason Armstrong for a 40-yard touchdown — their second long hookup of the drive — and the lead was down to 20-7.

The Panthers took the second-half kickoff and drove with a chance to regain their lead, but Williams came up with game's biggest swing.

On a fourth-and-1 play at the Latrobe 4, Rudzinski tried to sneak for the first down. It appeared he gained the needed yardage, but Williams suddenly popped out of the pile with the ball and raced down the right sideline.

A horsecollar tackle by Johns saved the touchdown, but only temporarily, as Armstrong cut the lead to 20-14 with a quarterback sneak, five plays later.

“That was a big turning point in the game. What a great play,” Marucco said. “It totally flipped the field, and the momentum was ours. … I can't say enough about this team and the character and resiliency of this team. They continue to battle back.”

Latrobe tied the score with a 12-play drive that ran into the fourth quarter, ending with a 3-yard run by Armstrong. The snap on the extra-point attempt bounced, however, which allowed Franklin Regional time to block the kick.

Armstrong finished 19-of-34 passing for 239 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he also ran for 40 yards on nine carries. Williams had five catches for 89 yards, and Keith Torillo caught eight passes for 69 yards for Latrobe.

Matt Grubba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mgrubba@tribweb.com

Tags: Franklin Regional, Latrobe