ST. MARYS – The St. Marys Flying Dutchmen finally got their ground game on track in the second half, breaking a 7-7 halftime tie to churn out a 20-14 win over visiting Bald Eagle Area Friday night at Dutch Country Stadium.

St. Marys and Bald Eagle Area came out in the first half with defense on the brain.  The Dutch managed 57 rushing yards on 19 carries, a mere 3 yards per carry average.  The Bald Eagles ran the ball with even less effectiveness, gaining 39 yards on 14 carries.  It was the passing game that put the points on the board.

St. Marys (3-0, 2-0 in MAC), struck first scoring on a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Greg Simchick finding Brian Samick open in the corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown pass.  Scott Barber added the PAT to put the Dutch up 7-0 at the 6:59 mark of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Bald Eagle tied the game when Justin Taylor found Kyle Womer on a slant pass that Womer took 74 yards to the house tying the game at 7-7 headed to halftime.

St. Mary came out of the locker room in third quarter, and Coach Joe Schlimm had his mind set on running the ball. 

After holding the Bald Eagles to a three and out to begin the second half, St. Marys went on a 13-play, 70-yard scoring drive, all on the ground.  Kevin Hoy was the main ball carrier, getting 7 carries for 34 yards.  Samick scored his second touchdown of the night on a 5-yard run up the middle to put the Dutch up 14-7 with 2:18 to go in the third quarter.

St. Marys added to that lead on its second possession of the second half.  This time the Dutched used 9 plays to cover 78 yards.  Hoy again did the bulk of the work with runs of 28, 9 and 6 yards.  Those runs setup Simchick’s second touchdown pass of the night, a 9-yard swing pass to Samick with 7:24 remaining in the game. Barber’s kick was blocked, making the score 20-7.

Bald Eagle (0-3, 0-3 in MAC) answered when Coleman Hoffman capped an 8-play drive with a 6 yard touchdown run.  Kyle Kinley’s PAT was good, cutting the lead to six, 20-14.

St. Marys began grinding out the clock following the ensuing kickoff.  But with 2:10 remaining, Hoy lost control of the ball and Bald Eagle recovered the fumble on its own 44-yard line.  But the Dutch defense was up to the challenge, forcing a three and out.

Hoy finished the night with 129 yards on 27 carries.  Samick ran for 34 yards on 6 carries and a score.  He also caught 4 passes for 43 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Simchick went 6 of 11 for 65 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Jon Gingrich lead Bald Eagle Area, rushing for 44 yards on 6 carries.

St. Marys hits the road next Friday night for the first time this year as they travel to Huntington.

Game Notes: After gaining only 59 yards rushing in the first half, they gained 165 in the second half…St. Marys 3-0 start is their best in over 35 years…After returning an interception for a score a week ago, senior all state linebacker Sean Sadosky blocked a punt this week in the first half and added 10 tackles.

Scoring:           1          2          3          4          F

Bald Eagle      0          7          0          7          14

St. Marys         7          0          7          6          20

Scoring Summary:

1^st        SM      6:59     Simchick to Samick 14 yard pass, Barber PAT                      7-0

2^nd        BE       5:24     Taylor to Womer 74 yard pass, Kinley PAT                           7-7

3^rd        SM      2:18     Samick 5 yard run, Barber PAT                                              14-7

4^th        SM      7:24     Simchick to Samick 9 yard pass, PAT blocked                                  20-7

            BE       4:37     Hoffman 6 yard run, Kinley PAT                                           20-14