Slaters Wing it, run past Rough Riders

FROM THE MORNING CALL

It was about this time last year when Josh Wing was thrust into the spotlight.

He was asked to replace star senior Scott LaValva, who was injured.

Wing did his best to adjust to a new position. He ran for 867 yards and helped Bangor make it to the Eastern Conference playoffs.

This season, he is the go-to guy with LaValva, the school's career rushing yardage and scoring leader, now running at Franklin & Marshall College.

With LaValva on hand to watch, Wing completely stepped out of the former standout's shadow Friday night with a school and Colonial League-record 337 yards and three touchdowns as Bangor remained unbeaten and took a step closer toward a District 11 Class 3A playoff berth with a 34-13 win over visiting Catasauqua.

Wing dazzled the Paul Farnan Field crowd with his ability to break tackles, make sharp cuts and burst out of the pack for big gainers. The senior tailback scored on runs of 60, 34 and 53 yards. He also ran for a pair of two-point conversions for the Slaters (6-0).

"We ran the right side the whole night," Wing said. "The cutbacks were there because [linemen Austin] Getz and [Robert] Naylor were still blocking, and I just ran to the openings."

Wing's mark breaks the previous CL record of 304 yards set by Notre Dame-Green Pond's Dan Tavani in a 2003 game against Salisbury.

"For a guy who couldn't line up two years ago to now, he did a great job," Bangor coach Frank Scagliotta said of Wing, who now has 1,035 yards rushing this season.

For Catasauqua (5-1), it was further proof that coach Tom Falzone's crew is keeping the team's medical staff busy.

Already without their best player (RB-LB Luke Garner), their biggest lineman (Nick Sell) and another skill player (Alex Parker) because of injuries, the Rough Riders lost starting QB Jake Bloszinsky in the second quarter to a hip injury and defensive back Foli Creppy to a leg problem.

Without that group, Catty's chances of winning significantly decreased.

When the Rough Riders didn't finish drives in the first half when the Slaters led just 14-7 at the break, the visiting club had no chance.

Wing made sure of that by scoring on a 53-yard burst on the first offensive play of the third quarter.

"We were only down a score at half," Falzone said. "But we were deflated on Wing's run. We got exposed. Wing runs great in space. He found the gaps, and they are physical and huge."

Before Wing got going and Catasauqua still had Bloszinsky, the Rough Riders scored on their first possession.

Bloszinsky hit Vince Pellechia for a 14-yard TD pass at 7:29 for a 7-0 lead.

Catty, despite coming up empty on a 4th-and-1 from the Bangor 41-yard line, led until midway through the second quarter.

Wing's 34-yard TD run and two-point conversion gave the Slaters a 14-7 lead.

The teams combined for four turnovers in the second quarter, preventing further scoring.

But it was on the fifth play of the second quarter that Bloszinsky took a helmet to the exposed part of the hip when his hip pad shifted. He didn't return.

"Our game plan changed," Falzone admitted. "Things went from bad to worse when we lost Jake."

Michael Onjack, starting in place of FB-LB Josh Pensyl, who had season-ending surgery on his left ankle earlier in the week, scored on 2-yard run and Bryan Pearson ran in from 15 yards out on a reverse as the Slaters scored on three of their first four series of the second half.

"You have to credit our offensive line," Scagliotta said. "They really controlled the line of scrimmage from the middle of the second quarter on. We were real physical and just wore them down."

Pearson had two interceptions to go with his rushing TD for Bangor, which visits Palmerton next Friday night.

Catasauqua, which hosts Pen Argyl next Friday, had zero yards rushing in the first half and got 65 of its 82 for the game on the final drive against second-teamers.

Pellechia had six receptions for 69 yards and the one score, plus an interception he returned 73 yards in the second quarter to give the Rough Riders a chance to tie the game just before halftime. But Pearson got his second pick of the quarter on the next play to end the threat and the half.

thousenick@mcall.com

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Catasauqua, 7, 0, 0, 6 --- 13

Bangor, 6, 8, 14, 6 --- 34

ORDER OF SCORING

FIRST QUARTER

C-Vince Pellechia 14 pass from Jake Bloszinsky (Zach Pattison kick), 7:29

B-Josh Wing 60 run (kick failed), 5:07

SECOND QUARTER

B-Wing 34 run (Wing run), 6:18

THIRD QUARTER

B-Wing 53 run (pass failed), 11:43

B-Michael Onjack 2 run (Wing run), 3:11

FOURTH QUARTER

B-Bryan Pearson 15 run (kick failed), 4:25

C-Ra'Von Burton 4 run (kick failed), 1:14

TEAM STATISTICS, CAT, BAN

First downs, 11, 17

Rushing att.-Yards, 29-82, 45-377

Passing yards, 114, 61

Comp-Att-INTs, 9-21-2, 3-10-1

Penalties-Yds, 2-16, 5-45

Fumbles-lost, 1-0, 2-1

Punts-Avg., 4-34.8, 2-36.5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Catasauqua: Shakur Lester 1-4; Sa'Quon Burton 1-(-1); Jake Bloszinsky 5-2; Ra'Von Burton 16-80, TD; Zack Bradley 6-(-3). Bangor: Josh Wing 25-337, 3 TDs; Michael Onjack 10-29, TD; Ryan Hydock 4-0; Brett Albinson 1-(-1); Bryan Pearson 1-15, TD; Tim Vicario 1-(-3); team 1-(-1); Robert Hendershot 1-1; Nick Tudge 1-0.

PASSING — Catasauqua: Bloszinsky 6-11-0, 86 yards, TD; Bradley 3-10-2, 28 yards. Bangor: Hydock 2-91-, 44 yards; Albinson 1-1-0, 17 yards.

RECEIVING — Catasauqua: S. Burton 1-1; Zach Stopay 2-44; Vince Pellechia 6-69, TD. Bangor: Ryan Hester 3-61.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/mc-bangor-football-1007-20111007,0,3935537.story?page=1