Franklin Regional blanks Connellsville to end losing streak

By: Jonathan Guth
Friday, October 1, 2021 | 10:55 PM

Franklin Regional took advantage of Connellsville’s mistakes and the Panthers’ defense was up to the task in a 36-0 victory Friday in the Big East Conference opener for both teams.

Following a scoreless first quarter where neither team’s offense could get anything going, Franklin Regional (2-4, 1-0) cracked the scoreboard with 6:15 remaining in the second when Tyler Bewszka scored on a 7-yard run. Bewszka led all rushers with 97 yards on 16 carries.

The Falcons (0-6, 0-1) forced the Panthers into a fourth-and-2 from the 50, but Roman Sarnic ran for the first down to the Connellsville 45 out of the wildcat. Joseph Bayne added the first of four PATs for a 7-0 lead.

“We have a lot of guys with inexperience, and I think once our nerves settled down, I think our kids performed well and I’m happy to get a win,” Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy said. “We needed one after four straight losses.”

Franklin Regional’s Ayden Hudock, who nearly had an interception in the opening quarter but was out of bounds, recorded a pick at the 35 and raced to the Falcons’ 2 at 5:07 of the second.

It took three plays, but the Panthers scored on Connor Donnelly’s 1-yard run with 3:35 left before halftime and the visitors had a 13-0 advantage.

“We are just killing ourselves right now,” Connellsville coach Bill Maczko said. “Defensively, they played their hearts out in the first quarter. We made stops in the first half. They hit us with a long drive, and the second score, we gave it to them. Our quarterback was out with covid last week, and there was some game rust there. We just got to keep working.”

Franklin Regional forced a three-and-out on Connellsville’s first drive of the second half and took advantage of a short field for a 38-yard scoring drive that was capped off by Zach Bewszka’s 7-yard run at 8:14 of the third for a 20-0 lead. Tyler Bewszka’s 20-yard run to the seven set up the score.

The Panthers’ defense continued to surge on the Falcons’ next drive, and after backing the home team up to its own 1, the snap went over the head of the punter for a safety with 6:31 remaining in the third.

Hudock returned the free kick to the Connellsville 20, and Donnelly’s 16-yard run extended Franklin Regional’s advantage to 29-0 at 4:33 of the third.

Maddox Morrison’s interception on the Falcons’ next possession set up the game’s final score, and Sarnic pulled in a 1-yard touchdown reception from Donnelly with 8:03 left.

Tyler Bewszka had an interception for the Panthers.

Jace Ross had 10-plus tackles for Connellsville, including a goal-line stop.

“I give those kids at Connellsville a lot of credit,” Getsy said. “They kept fighting all the way to the end. To have a roster that was diminished that way due to injuries, covid or whatever it is, I give them a lot of credit.”

Listen to an archived broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.

Tags: Connellsville, Franklin Regional