Monessen football team rights ship, beats Frazier

By: Adam Brewer
Saturday, September 9, 2023 | 12:21 AM

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Last fall, Monessen started the season 0-2 but got a boost in Week 3 with a lopsided victory over Frazier.

The Greyhounds had the same recipe cooking in 2023 as Monessen rolled up 376 yards and collected a 48-19 win Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

After the win over Frazier last year, the Greyhounds (1-2) won six of their next eight games to claim second place in the Tri-County South. Monessen defeated Frazier, 42-6, last season.

“I liked our bounce-back tonight,” Monessen coach Wade Brown said. “We were explosive on offense, and a lot of our playmakers shined under the lights. Last week, we were bogged down on offense and only got one touchdown. It was good to see our offense put points up and get that balance.”

The Commodores (0-3) cracked the scoreboard for the first time this season, and as the game went along the Frazier’s offense was able to find its flow.

“We played with more confidence as an offense as the game went along,” Frazier coach Mike Shannon said. “We got some good play out of our quarterback, and I thought our line did a good job up front. We just dug ourselves in too big of a hole in the first half. We needed to wake up. The penalties and fumbles killed us. We got to play four full quarters.”

Monessen tallied 22 points in the first quarter as TyVaughn Kershaw garnered a 27-yard touchdown run on the home team’s third play of offense. Kershaw only had four carries in the game for 77 yards.

Daevon Burke grabbed the next two scores for the Greyhounds with scoring runs of 5 and 31.

After the visitors turned the ball over for the second time, Monessen made it 30-0 with a 4-yard scoring run by Rodney Johnson plus a 2-point run by the 5-foot-11, 225-pound sophomore.

On its next possession, Frazier ended its scoreless drought when quarterback Dailan McManus found Chase Fulmer in the flat. The sophomore wideout made some moves and broke some tackles, running for a 56-yard touchdown.

Fulmer then scored off a 13-yard run later in the second stanza. Sandwiched around that score were touchdowns from Monessen via a 27-yard touchdown run by Taylan Taylor and a 69-yard dash to the end zone by Burke. The Greyhounds led the Dores, 42-12, at halftime.

Johnson caught a 60-yard pass from quarterback Dennis Hawkins to open the second half, and two plays later Johnson rumbled in for a 2-yard touchdown that evoked the running-clock mercy rule.

“Rodney is a big kid, but he got some wheels,” Brown said. “The last couple of weeks we have been trying to give him the ball more. He’s a good inside runner. He is also flexible on defense for us too. He makes play on the line and from the linebacker spot. He’s one of our most well-rounded players.”

McManus found Fulmer for a 16-yard touchdown to conclude scoring.

McManus ended his night with 188 yards on 14 of 25 passes. Fulmer caught a team-high six balls for 82 yards, and Andrew Bandish finished with four receptions for 79 yards.

“I thought our receivers ran some good routes,” Shannon said. “I just wish we could have made more plays in the first half. I loved the effort in the second half, but we have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot early in games against good teams. But we are young, and we are excited for conference play.”

Burke, who only had eight rushes on the night, had a game-high 119 yards on the ground. Johnson caught four balls for 84 yards and added 28 rushing yards.

Both teams will open their respective conferences at home next Friday as Frazier hosts Jeannette in Easter Conference play and Monessen entertains Bentworth in Tri-County south action.

“Next Friday is when the season truly begins for us,” Brown said. “Conference play is huge for us. We are hoping to stay healthy and get some guys back. Our roster is small, so any injury really hurts us. Right now, our offensive line is thin and we are just looking for new bodies. We have to fight through it.”

Tags: Frazier, Monessen