Throughout the week of practice leading up to the 19th Lezzer Lumber Classic, the three Golden Eagles kept saying how sweet it would be to walk of the Gray Field one last time a winner. With two minutes to go, it didn’t look good for the home team, but Tyrone quarterback Tyler Mertiff and Altoona receiver Brendan Perretta changed all of that with one hook and go on the final South offensive play that ended in the endzone.
The comparisons are endless. Michael Jordan hitting the final shot in the NBA Championship. Joe Carter hitting the game winning home run to win the World Series. The game may not have been at that scale, but to a high school kid in Central Pennsylvania, the Lezzer Lumber game is big.
“I told our trainer (Craig Sechler) on the sideline that with 1:51 left, there was still plenty of time left,” said Mertiff on the final drive. “Coach (John) Franco called a hitch and go. I came out and Perretta was in one-on-one coverage, I pump faked and he was wide open and made the catch. That is why he is All-State and going to the Big 33 game.”
To finish your high school career on your home field with the final throw to be a touchdown pass to win the game had to be special for Mertiff.
“This is the best thing to ever happen to me in football besides winning the State Championship,” said Mertiff. “Not many kids can say they won their last game on their home field, let alone an All-Star game on the last pass they ever threw in their high school career. It is pretty special.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Punxsutawney quarterback Joe Martin led the North All-Stars on a five-play 35-yard drive, culminating with Martin hitting Justin Wilson of Central Mountain for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Adam Andrasko of West Branch added the PAT and the North had a 7-0 lead.
With the clock winding down in the second quarter and the South offense struggling, Sean Pacifico brought the South squad into the huddle with :55 seconds remaining in the half. On the first play, Pacifico fired deep to All-State wide receiver Brendan Perretta. After the catch, Perretta, who will be walking on at Penn State this fall, side-stepped two North defenders and easily trotted into the endzone. Tom Foor, a Notre Dame walk-on, booted the PAT to tie the score at 7-7 to end the scoring in the first half.
After a scoreless third quarter, it was Foor who would give the South their first lead. The Bishop Guilfoyle kicker booted a 43-yard field goal to give the South a 10-7 lead.
The North came rumbling right back.
Dave Richards, who ran for over 2,000 at Clearfield last season broke through the line, spun off a tough hit in the South secondary and cruised in for a 46–yard touchdown run. Andrasko added the PAT and the North held a 14-10 lead.
Pacifico tried to lead the South squad down the field, but was sacked on a fourth down pass attempt to turnover the ball to the North.
North head coach Chris Dworek tried to run the clock out. Martin was dropped for a loss of one on first down. Richards gained six on second down to bring up a third and five with just over two minutes remaining. Richards came through the line and was stopped by the penetrating South defense for no gain and the North had to punt with 1:45 remaining.
North punter Andrasko had the snap sail over his head and roll 20-yards behind him. Andrasko reached down grabbed the ball and punted the ball to the South 42-yard line to set up the final drive for the South.
Offensive coordinator John Franco, Tyrone’s head coach sent Mertiff on the field to lead the final chance for the South squad.
After an incomplete pass to Foor on first down and a center screen for a loss of three yards to Perretta on second down, Mertiff threw for Huntingdon’s Jon Riley down the seem. Riley didn’t look back for the ball and the pass fell incomplete setting up a fourth down and 13. Mertiff, dropped in the shotgun, looked right and found Forr on for a 15-yard gain to move the chains and keep the drive alive. On first down, Mertiff hit Perretta on a hitch for seven yards to set up the final offensive play of his high school career. After receiving the shotgun snap, Mertiff pumped right as Perretta hitched then fired deep to Perretta who made the catch in the endzone to give the South the lead. Foor added the PAT to give the South a 17-14 lead with :36 seconds left.
The North tried to make a comeback, but Cole Cook of Brookville’s pass was intercepted by Altoona’s Joey Kleiner to put the final nail in the coffin. Mertiff would take a knee twice and the South would walk off of Gray-Veterans Memorial Field 17-14 winners in the final high school football game for most of the players.
Tyrone head coach John Franco was happy to see the Lezzer Classic played at Gray Field.
“It was really nice to play here,” said Franco. “It is a nice setting and it is centrally located. We have such a great facility and I hope we can keep it.
Franco had the tough task of juggling three great quarterbacks in Altoona’s Kleiner, BG’s Pacifico and Mertiff.
“We had three great quarterbacks who all deserved to play quarterback,” said Franco. “Juggling three QB’s isn’t conducive to a consistent offense. The thing that was amazing was that we didn’t throw an interception or have any fumbles by our backs or receivers. The offensive line came through when we needed them to provide protection.”
Mertiff along with Brian McManigal and Dan Grazier played their final game on Gray Field and Franco had plenty of praise for all three.
“These kids are winners,” said Franco. “I was so privileged to coach them one more time. They made it so much fun last year. If I was going to diagram what I wanted in a football player, Tyler, Danny and Brian would be the role models I would use. They are what football players in high school should be.”
Bellwood-Antis receiver Ryan Myers had one catch for the South squad for 13 yards.
Notes: Shippensburg recruit Dave Richards, ran for 111 yards on 12 carries to win the offensive MVP for the North. Perretta hauled in eight passes for 130 yards to win the South offensive MVP… John Altemus of Clearfield (North) and Matt Davis of Hollidaysburg (South) were named defensive MVP’s by the media who covered the classic… Kerry Blaisure of Punxsutawney (North) and Tom Forr of Bishop Guilfoyle (South) were winners of scholarships. Nick Yocum of State College and Dimitri Patitsas of Huntingdon, were winners of the co-Sponsor scholarships. Cory Bailor of Curwensville and Drew Aurand of Mount Union, were awarded scholarships from the Central Pennsylvania Coaches Association scholarship. The first Lezzer Lumber Classic at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field, attendance was estimated at nearly 4,000. There were over 5,000 tickets sold for the game, but with Saturday’s afternoon rain, many stayed home.
Lezzer Lumber Classic
at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field, Tyrone
South 17, North 14
Score by quarters
South – 0 7 0 10 – 17
North – 0 7 0 7 – 14
Scoring summary
Second quarter
North – Justin Wilson (CM) 14 pass from Joe Martin (P). Adam Andrasko (WB) PAT. N 7-0.
South – Brendan Perretta (A) 52 pass from Sean Pacifico (BG). Tom Forr (BG) PAT. 7-7.
Fourth quarter
South – Tom Forr (BG) 43 Field Goal. S 10-7
North – Dave Richards (C) 46 run. Andrasko (WB) PAT. N 14-10
South – Perretta (A) 36 pass from Tyler Mertiff (T). Forr (BG) PAT. S 17-14/
Individual Statistics
Rushing
South: Matt Fetzer (IV) 7-26, Thad Mitchell (A) 4-13, Jon Riley (H) 3-8, Joey Kleiner (A) 4-4, Tyler Mertiff (T) 1-(-4), Sean Pacifico (BG) 2-(-14).
North: Dave Richards (C) 12-111, Curt Varner (SC) 11-58, Jason Ganter (SC) 1-3, Cole Cook (B) 6-1, Joe Martin (P) 3-(-3).
Passing
South: Tyler Mertiff (T) 9-18 95 1 TD, 0 Int.; Sean Pacifico (BG) 7-15 132 1 TD, O Int.; Joey Kleiner (A) 1-6 (-4) O TD, 0 Int.
North: Cole Cook (B) 9-17 92, 0 TD 1 Int.; Joe Martin (P) 8-13 87 1 TD, 0 Int.; Curt Varner (SC) 0-1 0, 0 TD, 1 Int.
Receiving
South: Brendan Perretta (A) 8-130, Tom Forr (BG) 4-59, Dan Grazier (T) 2-13, Ryan Myers (BA) 1-13, Tim Lee (PC) 1-7, Thad Mitchell (A) 1-3.
North: Justin Wilson (CM) 6-89, Corey Santoriello (B) 6-62, Todd Passmore (MV) 2-7, Ryan Smeltzer (BE) 2-7, Curt Varner (SC) 1-13.
