Greensburg Central Catholic had anticipated that Bishop Canevin might not be at their best, considering the Crusaders had no prior games or scrimmages in the preceding week.
The Crusaders did initially display a lack of momentum, grappling with a flurry of penalties. Nevertheless, they managed to recover from this sluggish start, capitalizing on a strong offensive performance upfront and capitalizing on some turnovers by GCC to secure a 26-6 nonconference victory on Friday night at Centurion Stadium.
Bishop Canevin, who finished as the WPIAL runner-up in Class A last season, currently holds the No. 2 ranking in both the WPIAL and the state, with a WPIAL title under their belt from 2021.
Despite accumulating 100 yards in penalties, the Crusaders amassed an impressive 595 yards of offense, gradually wearing down their opponents, the Centurions.
Thanks to the stellar protection provided by their offensive line, junior quarterback Kole Olszewski managed to throw three touchdown passes in the first half, two of which found senior Azjaun Marshall in the end zone, contributing to Marshall’s three touchdowns in total. This gave the Crusaders a significant 20-0 lead.
Reflecting on their decision to rest the team the previous week, Bishop Canevin’s head coach, Rich Johnson, stated, “When we couldn’t find a game in time, we decided not to play last week and rest our bodies. ‘Rusty’ is an understatement. This essentially served as our Week Zero game. Nonetheless, a win is a win.”
GCC encountered difficulties maintaining possession and struggled to establish a foothold against the Crusaders’ formidable linemen. Despite this, the Centurions had opportunities to shift the momentum, as the lead never appeared insurmountable.
GCC’s first-year coach, JT Thompson, conceded, “They outperformed us upfront. I believe we matched up well with them in terms of skill. However, mistakes against a strong football team proved costly.”
Following a missed early field goal attempt by GCC, the Crusaders embarked on a 10-play drive that resulted in Olszewski connecting with sophomore Daiveon Taylor for a short touchdown pass, even though GCC managed to block the extra point. This put the Crusaders ahead 6-0.
GCC’s senior quarterback, Tyree Turner, lost two fumbles during the game, both of which were recovered by Bishop Canevin. The second fumble led to a score for the Crusaders. Olszewski then found Marshall for a 26-yard touchdown pass, with Marshall securing the 2-point conversion catch to extend the lead to 14-0 late in the second quarter. Just before halftime, another 53-yard pass to Marshall further widened the gap to 20-0.
Olszewski concluded the game with 11 completions on 21 attempts for 180 yards, registering three touchdowns and three interceptions, intercepted by sophomore Samir Crosby, senior Pete Mazowiecki, and freshman Luke Semelka from GCC.
As the game progressed into the fourth quarter, GCC faced a 20-point deficit when Turner sustained an injury while scrambling. Crosby took over as the quarterback and orchestrated a scoring drive, completing 4 of 5 passes for 72 yards, three of which found Landon Honick. Crosby then rushed for a 12-yard touchdown, but the extra point was blocked, leaving GCC trailing 20-6 with 10:20 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Turner returned later in the game but was unable to significantly alter the outcome. Crosby completed 5 of 9 passes for 119 yards and threw a late interception to Tyjer Clayton.
Marshall sealed the victory with a 6-yard rushing touchdown, bringing the score to 26-6 with 3:44 left in the game.
While senior Marquis Carter did not manage to score, he ran for an impressive 150 yards for Bishop Canevin.
Coach Johnson commended the team’s performance but recognized the need for improvement, emphasizing discipline and reducing penalties, as his team committed 13 infractions, nine of which occurred in the first half.
In their previous Week Zero game, Greensburg Central Catholic had secured a 37-24 victory against Mt. Pleasant. In this matchup, Landon Honick stood out with four receptions for 92 yards, while Najeh Austin contributed 54 rushing yards, and Olszewski added 44 rushing yards, matching Turner’s total.
Thompson expressed optimism for the team’s future, stating, “There are numerous correctable mistakes. I am encouraged by our effort, and I anticipate continuous improvement.”
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