Trojans survive scare
BEAVER FALLS — PJ Fulmore is well aware that the going is going to get tougher for the Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic football team.
And, Fulmore said, that's OK.
“We're in the playoffs right now. Every team we're going to play is going to be good,” said the senior running back, who churned out 173 yards on 31 carries in the Trojans' 20-6 win over South Side Beaver in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals at Reeves Stadium on the campus of Geneva College Friday night.
“Those 65-0 games,” Fulmore added, “they aren't going to come anymore.”
It certainly wasn't that type of game for Cardinal Wuerl against the Rams (7-4), who took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 73-yard touchdown run by Nathan Block.
That lead stood until Fulmore scored the first of his three touchdowns, this one on a 5-yard run with 5:44 remaining in the second quarter, for a 7-6 lead at halftime.
In the locker room at halftime, Fulmore said the Trojans regrouped and learned a valuable lesson.
“First off, I think we overlooked this team a little bit,” Fulmore said. “We didn't realize how good a team this is. They are scrappy and well-coached, too. They got a lead on us and we realized we had to buckle down, play our kind of ball and come back. That was really it.”
Fulmore scored on runs of 8 and 7 yards in the second half and gained 98 of his rushing yards in the final two quarters to help Cardinal Wuerl, the defending Class A WPIAL and PIAA champions, to its 27th consecutive win.
Fulmore ran the Wildcat for most of the fourth quarter because of a knee injury to quarterback Adam Sharlow.
The injury isn't thought to be serious, said Trojans' coach Bob Ravenstahl.
“Looks like he got a little nicked up there,” the coach said. “I'm sure he'll be alright. He's a competitor, too.”
Cardinal Wuerl was already playing without its other 1,000-yard rusher and Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy winner Jerome Turner because of a back injury.Fulmore also surpassed 1,000 yards this season and 4,000 in his career and showed why with tough running between the tackles as well as explosive speed to the outside.“He thrives in situations like that,” Ravenstahl said of Fulmore. “He's a ballplayer. He has the biggest heart in the world and he thrives in big games.”After a slow start, Mario Latronica also had a big game for the Trojans, rushing for 86 yards on eight carries.“Mario was a little fresher and he has some speed,” Ravenstahl said. “(Fulmore and Latronica) compliment each other well.”The Trojans' defense was also staunch.Other than the big 73-yard run, Cardinal Wuerl limited South Side to 64 yards of offense and just five first downs.Block finished with 105 yards rushing on 18 carries, but only 24 yards in the second half.Darian Mercurio intercepted two passes for Cardinal Wuerl as the Rams' two passers, Block and Robert Heberle, were a combined 0-for-6 with one interception each.“We went into a six-man front and it seemed to slow them down a little bit,” Ravenstahl said. “They really didn't have a passing threat, so that worked out for us.”Cardinal Wuerl gets a rematch with Avonworth in the Class A semifinals next week at a site and time to be determined.It will be the fourth meeting in the last two seasons between the two schools.Avonworth has three losses in the last two years — all three to the Trojans.To Fulmore, though, the opponent doesn't matter.It's the playoffs, after all.“We've had the bullseye on our backs all season,” Fulmore said. “In the playoffs, everyone has a bull's eye on their backs.”
South Side 6 0 0 0 — 6Cardinal Wuerl 0 7 14 0 — 20SSB CW6 First Downs 1225-128 Rushes-Yards 50-2800 Passing Yards 450-6-2 Comp.-Att.-Int 4-10-1128 Total Yards 3252-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-13-20 Penalty Yards 10-85First QuarterSSB — Nathan Black 73 run (kick failed), 4:18Second QuarterCW — PJ Fulmore 5 run (Mike Tarasovich kick), 5:44Third QuarterCW — Fulmore 8 run (run failed), 4:59CW — Fulmore 7 run (Tarasovich kick), 1:52Individual StatisticsRushing: South Side Beaver, Nathan Block 18-105, Anthony Crider 5-29, Quae'Shawn Thompson 1-0, Robert Heberle 1-(-6). Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, PJ Fulmore 31-173, Mario Latronica 8-86, Adam Sharlow 11-21Passing: South Side Beaver, Nathan Block 0-3-0-1, Robert Heberle 0-3-0-1. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Adam Sharlow 4-9-45-1, Rashard Bolden 0-1-0-0.Receiving: Cardinal Wuerl, Vashon Graham 2-27, PJ Fulmore 1-9, Rashard Bolden 1-9.
