Information for this story courtesy of the Bradford Era

SLIPPERY ROCK – Up 20 in the second quarter it looked like all that was left between Port Allegany and its first PIAA playoff win was for the fat lady to sing.

But she never got off the bus, as Sharpsville stormed back from a 26-6 second-quarter deficit to defeat the District 9 champion Gators 35-33 Friday night at Slippery Rock University’s N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

“I wish we would’ve had one more (touchdown pass),” Port Allegany head coach Mike Bodamer told the Bradford Era.. “Our kids knew it wasn’t over. (Sharpsville) took advantage of our mistakes and scored off them.”

Port Allegany (12-2) and junior quarterback Matt Bodamer looked unstoppable through 24 minutes rolling up the 26 points with Bodamer passing for 199 yards on 16 of 26 passing in the half with three touchdowns tying him with Clearfield’s Chad Kroell for the District 9 single-season passing touchdown mark with 49. And it looked like he was a shoe in to break the state record of 50 set by Lancaster Catholic’s Kyle Smith in 2009 while also knocking off the District 9 and PIAA passing yards mark of 3,823 set by Brockway’s Derek Buganza in 2009.

But then, for the first time all season, Bodamer looked human in the second half going just 3 of 13 for 15 yards to finish the game 19 of 39 for 214 yards giving him 3,744 yards on the season, 79 behind Buganza’s mark.

Meanwhile, while Buganza was having trouble finding the mark, Sharpsville was using a couple of big special teams plays to not only get back into the game but to take control of the contest.

After the Blue Devils (13-0) cut the deficit to 26-13 at halftime with a touchdown pass 44 seconds prior to the half, they used a pair of long returns by Dersean Alberty-Brown in the second half to take the lead.

First, Alberty-Brown returned the second-half kickoff 58 yards to set up a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jake Henwood to Joey Pagliaroli, and then Alberty-Brown returned a punt 34 yards for a touchdown to give Sharpsville a 27-26 lead late in the third quarter.

Things continued to roll downhill for Port Allegany early in the fourth quarter when Spencer Bland scored on a 2-yard run to put the Blue Devils ahead 35-26.

Port Allegany, though, rallied thanks to a 45-yard quarterback scramble by Bodamer that set up a 3-yard Bodamer touchdown run with 9:30 left in the game to cut the Sharpsville lead to 35-33.

The Gators then had a chance late in the game following a Sharpsville punt that put the ball at the Blue Devil 44 with 4:33 to play. A 15-yard pass to Tyce Miller followed by a 15-yard late hit penalty moved the ball to the Sharpsville 19-yard line, but Port Allegany got no closer and a Bodamer heave into the end zone on fourth down from the 21 fell incomplete.

Sharpsville then ran the clock out behind five runs for 19 yards from Bland.

The game was tied at six at the end of the first quarter with Bodamer scoring on a 2-yard run for Port Allegany following a Sharpsville fumble at its own 12-yard line that was recovered by Tyler Burr.

The Blue Devils answered with a 12-yard Bland run that capped an 11-play, 77-yard scoring drive.

Port Allegany, though, took control in the second quarter thanks to three Bodamer scoring passes.

First, he hit Nick Conway with a 17-yard pass to put the Gators ahead 12-6. Then, he found Trevor Neal from 28 yards out to make it 19-6 and then he hit Conway again with a 27-yard scoring toss to make it 26-6. The second Conway touchdown came following a Victor Bandish fumble recovery at midfield.

Sharpsville, though, scored the late first-half touchdown on a 2-yard Bland run ending a 7-play, 58-yard drive that gave the Blue Devils the spark they needed going into the lockerroom.

Individual stats will be added to this story when they are received

Notes – District 10 has now won four straight playoff games in Class A over District 9. This follows a five-game District 9 win streak over District 10. Bodamer will enter his senior season with 6,976 yards passing and 85 career touchdowns. He trails Buganza’s District 9 and Pennsylvania record of 9,752 yards by 2,776 yards and he is 10 touchdowns behind Buganza’s District 9 record of 95.

Sharpsville now faces two-time defending state champion Clairton, who has won 45 straight games, in semifinals next week at a date, site and time to be determined.

SHARPSVILLE 35, PORT ALLEGANY 33

Score by Quarters

Port Allegany 6 20 0 7 – 33

Sharpsville 6 7 14 8 – 35

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

PA – Matt Bodamer 2 run (Kick blocked), 7:27

S – Spencer Bland 12 run (kick failed), 2:23

Second Quarter

PA – Nick Conway 17 pass from Bodamer (pass failed), 11:53

PA – Trevor Neal 28 pass from Bodamer (Scott Brookens kick), 7:28

PA – Conway 27 pass from Bodamer (Brookens kick), 3:19

S – Bland 2 run (Joey Pagliaroli kick), 0:44

Third Quarter

S – Pagliaroli 27 pass from Jake Henwood (Kick failed)

S – Dersean Alberty-Brown 34 punt return (Bryan Stafford pass from Henwood), 3:43

Fourth Quarter

S – Bland 2 run (Bland run), 11:21

PA – Bodamer 3 run (Brookens kick), 9:30

TEAM STATISTICS

                                    PA                   S

First Downs                20                    21

Rushes-Yards              27-136             52-194

Passing Yards             214                  86

Comp-Att-Int              19-39-0            4-10-0

Total Yards                 350                  280

Punts-Avg.                  4-29.0              3-23.0

Fumbles-Lost              2-1                   4-2

Penalties-Yards           6-53                 4-40    

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Will be posted when received