Montour stages big rally in second half to defeat South Fayette

By: Antonio Rossetti
Saturday, September 9, 2023 | 12:05 AM

Previous Next

Montour rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat South Fayette, 42-35, thanks to scoring the game’s final 24 points at Thomas J. Birko Memorial Stadium at Montour High School.

The Spartans won on a 6-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Jake Wolfe. Montour’s defense, meanwhile, held the Lions to seven points in the second half.

Daniel Batch made the move from safety to corner, switching with Keino Fitzpatrick in the second half. The move paid off as Batch intercepted a pass with his team down 35-32, which led to the Spartans getting the tying points in the fourth quarter.

“My Coach Ty (Branch) was helping me,” Batch said. “He was telling me what to do, and I knew that they were going to try to throw it deep and when I saw the ball I just knew I had to go up and get it no matter what.”

Batch added that the turning point was when the team started getting stops, slowing down the Lions offense. Pressure by Caden Halajcio and RJ Gardner on South Fayette quarterback Nico Lamande was key.

“We were struggling a little bit,” Batch said. “At halftime, we talked with Coach Lou (Cerro), and he hyped us up. When we came out here, the whole team started putting on the show.”

Batch finished with 111 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Wolfe spearheaded the Spartans offense. He threw for 273 yards, going 17 for 27 with a touchdown. He also ran for four touchdowns, rushing for 170 yards on 29 carries, accumulating 443 total yards.

“It was a great feeling,” Wolfe said. “It was coach Lou’s 200th win. The whole team came out. We had a great game plan, and we all executed there. Just a great team win.”

Cerro expressed his gratitude for his team and those who have been along for the ride.

“I’m just happy the kids played well tonight,” Cerro said. “Two hundred wins is a great, a good milestone. It means I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve had great coaches and great players for as long as I’ve been doing this. I’m just happy that the kids play hard.”

The game ended with Montour students rushing the field in celebration. The game’s early stages gave little indication that such an ending was to come.

After an exchange of turnovers, Matt Marcinko split the uprights on a 27-yard field goal to put Montour ahead.

The Lions responded with an 80-yard drive that was capped by Lamonde’s 1-yard touchdown run. Tyler Nicholson drilled the extra point, putting them up 7-3. Lamonde set up the score with a 34-yard pass to Noah Knox.

The Spartans made their way back into Lions territory on the next drive but again were held to a field goal. Marcinko knocked through a 25-yard kick to make it 7-6 right before the end of the first quarter.

South Fayette would March right down the field on a quick drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Lomande to Michael Gimigliano.

Montour responded quickly after Wolfe connected with Batch for a 51-yard touchdown pass. The Spartans went for two but were unsuccessful. The Lions had the lead 14-12 with 7 minutes, 32 seconds left in the second.

Not even two minutes later, South Fayette’s Nate Deanes scored on a 57-yard touchdown run to make it 21-12.

Deanes then returned a Montour punt for 48 yards to the Spartans 37-yard line. Lomande found Gimigliano again, this time for a 36-yard touchdown pass. The Lions scored 21 points in the span of six minutes in the second quarter. Their barrage of points made it 28-12 with a little over 4 minutes left in the half.

Montour finished the half off strong with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jake Wolfe. After an unsuccessful 2-point try, the score was 28-18 South Fayette.

South Fayette used a little trickery to extend its lead when Drew Welhorsky ran one 47 yards on a fake punt. Lomande, two plays later, ran for a 3-yard touchdown. After the Nicholson PAT, the Lions led 35-18.

The Spartans hit a big play early on their next drive on a 42-yard pass to Batch, getting them into Lions’ territory. The drive was capped with a 3-yard run for Wolfe, making it 35-25 right before the end of the third.

On Montour’s next drive, Wolfe scored his third rushing touchdown, running in from 10 yards. After the Marcinko extra point, the Spartans trimmed the lead to 35-32.

The momentum was on the Spartans’ side after the touchdown, and Montour would have another play go its way. The crowd erupted when Batch picked off Lamonde.

Wolfe found Fitzpatrick for a 49 yard pass to the South Fayette 16-yard line. But the South Fayette defense held the Spartans to a field goal to tie the score 35-35.

The Spartans stopped the Lions again and, on their next possession, put together the winning drive. Wolfe capped the rally with a 6-yard touchdown run with a little over a minute remaining.

Wolfe and Batch led the charge on offense, along with Fitzpatrick who had 5 receptions for 87 yards.

For South Fayette, Lamonde completed 22 of 34 passes for 255 yards and two TDs. Deanes finished with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Gimigliano tallied seven receptions for 85 yards and two scores.

South Fayette faces Peters Township next week. The Spartans, meanwhile, turn their attention to the No. 1 team in Class 4A when they go on the road to Aliquippa.

“We can be happy, but we can’t be satisfied,” Wolfe said. “We have a hard team next week. Aliquippa is just a great team all around, and it’s going be a good match up.”

Tags: Montour, South Fayette