REDBANK VALLEY 41, MARION CENTER 12

Nov. 2, 2007

By Chris Rossetti

NEW BETHLEHEM – On a night when Jake Smith broke of two single-season passing records and tied a career passing mark at Redbank Valley, the Bulldogs used a big second half to blitz visiting Marion Center 41-12 Friday night.

Smith, who was 17-for-26 passing for 269 yards and four touchdowns while running eight times for 33 yards and a score on the night, broke the school record for touchdown passes in a season and yards thrown for in a season while tying the Bulldog mark for career touchdown passes.

The 6-foot-2 senior has 23 touchdown passes and 1,695 passing yards this season bettering marks of 22 and 1,627 set by R.J. Dick in 1996, which was the last time Redbank Valley won a District 9 title (Class AA). The four scoring passes also tied Smith with Dick, who played from 1994-96, for the most scoring passes in a career with 38.

“When you think about the quarterbacks we have had in the 25 years I’ve been associated with the program, it’s really nice,” Redbank Valley head coach Ed Wasilowski said. “The work he put in with Coach (Frank) Fabian and the receivers in the summertime was phenomenal. And to top it all off, he’s just a great kid. To see hard work rewarded to a good kid is just so gratifying.”  

Smith’s big night helped Redbank Valley (9-1) pull away from a pesky Marion Center team (2-8).

The Bulldogs led by just eight points – 14-6 – at halftime but scored the first 27 points of the second half to put the game away.

“We really didn’t make any adjustments in the second half,” Wasilowski said. “The kids finally realized Marion Center had one play on offense, the fullback trap. I think our kids finally got it in their heads that was what they had to stop.”

Smith threw three second-half touchdown passes – one each to Jerrett Magagnotti, Kasey Haines and Nash Rupp – and senior Bill Schrecengost scored the first touchdown of his career on just his third carry to help the Bulldogs take a 41-7 lead late in the game. It was on a 3-yard scoring pass to Magagnotti with 8:12 left in the game that Smith broke the single-season touchdown pass mark and tied the career touchdown pass record.

Smith had accounted for the Bulldogs two first-half touchdowns as well scoring on a 1-yard run and on a 1-yard pass to Magagnotti.

Marion Center’s lone first half score came on the last play of the half when Ryan Lightcap hit Russell Bopp with a 29-yard scoring pass.

The Stingers then scored the game’s final touchdown in the last minute of play on a 1-yard Alex Borst run. Borst ran for a game-high 130 yards for Marion Center.   

Redbank Valley, who had already locked up the No. 2 seed in the District 9 Class A playoffs, found out it will play Elk County Catholic (5-5) in the first round of the playoffs.

REDBANK VALLEY 41, MARION CENTER 12

Score by Quarters

Marion Center 0 6 0 6 – 12

Redbank Valley 6 8 13 14 – 41  

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

RV – Jake Smith 1 run (kick failed), 7:31

Second Quarter

RV – Jerrett Magagnotti 1 pass from Smith (Curtis Lee run), 8:47

MC – Russell Bopp 29 pass from Ryan Lightcap (kick failed), 0:00

Third Quarter

RV – Nash Rupp 9 pass from Smith (kick failed), 6:46

RV – Kasey Haines 7 pass from Smith (Doug Bish kick), 3:52

Fourth Quarter

RV – Magagnotti 3 pass from Smith (Bish kick), 8:12

RV – Bill Schrecengost, 1 run (Bish kick), 5:05

M – Alex Borst 1 run (kick failed), 0:23.6

TEAM STATISTICS

       M         R

First Downs            14        18

Rushes-Yards         47-161 28-156

Passing Yards         75        269

Passing: Comp-Att-Int       4-10-0  17-26-0

Total Yardage        236      425

Fumbles-Lost         1-0       2-0

Penalties-yards       3-10     5-27

Punts-average         3-26.0  0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Marion Center: Borst 23-130, Bopp 11-49, Jed Peterson 7-22, Garrett Wallace 1-3, Lightcap 3-(-15), Alex Patterson 2-(-28). Redbank Valley: Lee 11-73, Smith 8-33, Patrick Goheen 2-25, Magagnotti 2-18, Rupp 3-7, Schrecengost 1-1, Team 1-(-1).  

PASSING – Marion Center: Lightcap 4-for-10, 75 yards, 1 touchdown. Redbank Valley: Smith 17-for-26, 269 yards, 4 touchdowns.

RECEIVING – Marion Center: Bopp 2-50, Peterson 1-13, Jeff Fyock 1-12. Redbank Valley: Craig Hibell 4-70, Magagnotti 4-66, Haines 5-48, Rupp 3-73, Lee 1-12.