BY JUSTIN AMBRISCO
For The Tribune-Democrat
PATTON
October 11, 2008 12:02 am
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Turnovers and penalties will be the undoing of any high school football team.
Cambria Heights and Bedford each came into Friday night’s game having had problems with both all year. On Friday, Bedford capitalized on four turnovers and nine penalties by the Highlanders in a 26-6 victory, Dan Smith’s first as a head coach.
“I’m not sure even how many turnovers we had,” Cambria Heights coach Justin Myers said. “The fact is you can’t make as many mistakes as we did and expect to win.”
The game started with a series of turnovers by each team.
The teams traded turnovers before the Bisons got on the board with a nine-play, 64-yard drive. It was capped by Cody Shippey’s 3-yard touchdown run, for a 6-0 lead with 4:32 left in the first quarter.
Bedford then capitalized with ZachHess’ interception of Caleb Vescovi at the Highlanders 37-yard line. After a 36-yard pass fromMike Short to Hess, Shippey took it in from a yard out to put Bedford up 14-0.
“My staff really did a nice job with the play-calling,” Smith said. “Turnovers are killers. We haven’t been able to capitalize on them in the past, but give them credit. They did it.”
On the ensuing Highlanders possession, Nick Dubyak fumbled and Bedford’s Justin Clapper recovered at the Highlanders 37.
The Bisons capitalized with an eight-play drive capped by Kyle Deneen’s touchdown reception to put Bedford up 20-0 at halftime.
Cambria Heights got on the board with a 49-yard scoring pass from Vescovi to Bryon Stanek in the third quarter, and Bedford finished the scoring with Short running in from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter.
“I give all the credit to the kids and my staff,” Smith said “The have hung with me the whole way this year.”
The Bisons were led by Short, who finished 5-of-14 for 96 yards and a touchdown while carrying nine times for 64 yards and a touchdown. The Highlanders were led by Stanek, who finished with six receptions for 117 yards.
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