DUNMORE, Pa. - Ben Tolerico dissected the game film just like he would any opponent.
Admittedly, the
Holy Cross (Dunmore, Pa.) head coach didn't know much about Bucktail.
Three things he quickly learned after watching tape.
No. 1, he knew the Bucks had some speed.
No. 2, he understood that quarterback A.J. Morgan was a true leader and able of taking over a game.
"And I saw that we were going to have a size advantage," he said.
That the Crusaders did.
Holy Cross only attempted three passes in the Eastern Conference Single-A semifinal, and rode the legs of junior backs
Robert Heyen and
Tyler Hinkley. Heyen carried the ball 26 times for 281 yards and four scores en route to a 37-14 victory over
Bucktail (Farwell, Pa.) at St. Anthony's Park in Dunmore, Lackawanna County.
Heyen finished with five touchdowns -- adding a second-quarter pick-six to his four rushing touchdowns.
Holy Cross (6-5) moves into the finals against Schuylkill League member Mahoney Area, which eliminated Tri-Valley.
"It's tough because you've been around these kids since they've been in seventh grade," said Bucktail head coach Bruce Ransom as the Bucks lose seven seniors off the 2010 squad. "These are great kids. You can't say enough about the way they are, and their character. It's tough when the season comes to an end because you have to say good-bye to your seniors."
Heyen was a one-man wrecking crew.
Although listed as 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Heyen seemed a lot bigger in person.
Running behind a good-sized offensive line that probably outweighed Bucktail's defensive front by 30 pounds at each spot, Holy Cross' front opened huge seams.
The Crusaders needed just three plays to put points on the green scoreboard, driving 63 yards in less than one minute, capped off by a Heyen 21-yard dash.
Heyen had two rushing touchdowns in the first half on runs of 21 and 10 yards, respectively, and added his third score when he picked off a Morgan pass and went 20 yards untouched to the end zone.
Up 24-0 at halftime, Holy Cross forced a Bucktail three-and-out to start the second half, and its first offensive play, Heyen hit a seam, busted through the middle of the defense and rumbled 87 yards.
He finished off the Crusaders' scoring, rushing in from 28 yards out with less than eight minutes remaining.
"I knew that we were going to have a size advantage," Tolerico said. "We've used three backs this year, but our leading rusher wasn't able to go in this one. We knew that they (Hinkley and Heyen) would need to step up a little more in this game.
"He (Heyen) is a nice runner. He's a strong kid, plus he can make some nice moves in the opening field. He had a great game."
Holy Cross ran for 376 yards on 45 attempts, and didn't throw a pass after its first series in the second quarter. Hinkley, a 215-pound fullback, also hit the century mark -- running for 103 yards on 14 carries.
"They were big, and we knew that coming into the game," Ransom said. "Heyen was a huge back. We saw him when we went out for the coin toss, and I told someone that he was bigger than anyone on our line. Give Ben credit because he knew what was working for them. After that long series where they missed the field goal, he stuck with the running game, and it worked out for him."
Bucktail didn't quit.
Down 30-0, the Bucks answered Heyen's 87-yard score with a 10-play, 64-yard drive where the locals converted three times on third down. The final conversion was a 9-yard quarterback keeper where Morgan alluded a Crusader in the backfield, and made a nice move around another at the 4-yard line before crossing the goal line.
Morgan, a junior who has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this season, completed his first seven passes Saturday and finished 14 of 20 for 144 yards.
The Bucks' second score came with less than four minutes remaining when Zach Stewart darted in from 3 yards out.
"Our kids never quit," Ransom said. "It's tough because you know that you are down 30-0, but our kids kept believing. That drive after the long touchdown run shows that. We knew this was going to be a tough game, and we would be outmanned -- and definitely outsized.
"This is a great group, and we've had a real nice season. It's always hard to say good-bye to the seniors, but we have a good group of juniors, sophomores and freshmen coming back."
In their final scholastic games, senior Brad Shearer finished with five receptions for 101 yards, while classmate Brock Peck had a team-high 59 yards on the ground and caught two passes for three yards. Ryan McGregor added 21 yards on two receptions.
Holy Cross quarterback Dane Addley completed two of his three passes for 29 yards.
"We're making progress here," Tolerico said. "The last two years, we finished 1-9 and now, we are 6-5 and have a chance to capture a championship. It's something we could continue to build on as we head into the offseason."
Tom Fox is sports editor at The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania for MaxPreps.com. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.
