WPIAL Class 5A final notebook: Gateway QB’s foot makes key play

By: George Guido
Saturday, November 23, 2019 | 10:31 PM

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Gateway quarterback Bryson Venanzio had a spectacular game from a passing standpoint, but his biggest play of the night might have come with his foot, not his arm.

A pooch punt on fourth down from the Peters Township 40-yard line to the 1 with 3 minutes, 52 seconds left in the game allowed Gateway to maintain dominant field position the rest of the way in a 21-20 win over Peters Township in the WPIAL Class 5A championship game Saturday night at Norwin.

“That’s something I started last year,” Venenzio said. “Coach Holl said you might have to do this, so start working on it a little bit.

“(Coach Holl) always tells me to get it down where our guys can go touch it and we’re not going to get a return. We got a good roll on that. Downed at the 1? Are you kidding? That’s great. I’ve already got a text on my phone that says punt of the year.”

Peters Township couldn’t get moving and punted from deep in its own end zone.

Later, a punt by Jayson Jenkins from midfield went to the Indians’ 5. Television replays, however, showed Jenkins knee hit the ground, and the Indians should have taken over at midfield.

Peters got to the 16 before losing the ball on downs when Kelvon Nelson stopped Logan Pfeuffer and Gateway was able to run out the clock.

7th heaven

The victory gave the Gators their seventh WPIAL title, placing the school eighth on the all-time list. Glassport, Washington, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair also have seven.

The Gators are 52-27-2 overall in WPIAL playoff games.

This also is the 50th anniversary of Gateway’s 1969 title, won over Altoona by a 22-15 score.

Saturday’s game was Peters Township’s first championship game appearance.

The Indians are 7-15 in playoff games.

Peters Township first made the playoffs in 1972. The school did not sponsor football from 1932 to 1962.

Piling up the yardage

Venanzio’s 242 passing yards gave the senior 2,617 yards and 28 touchdowns this season.

Derrick Davis, despite sitting out much of the second half, went over the 1,500-yard rushing plateau on the season with a 71-yard run that led to Gateway’s final touchdown.

Peters Township quarterback Logan Pfeuffer passed for 247 yards to finish his junior season with 2,368.

Ryan Magiske came into the game with 1,276 rushing yards, but was held to 34 yards. He also tallied 19 touchdowns.

Up next

Gateway will be in the PIAA playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

The Gators will face eastern Pennsylvania powerhouse Archbishop Wood, winner of five state titles, bnext weekend in the PIAA semifinals.

The school gets its name from the Most. Rev. James F. Wood, the first bishop of the Philadelphia archdiocese.

•••

Gateway 21, Peters Township 20

Gateway 7-7-7-0 — 21

Peters Twp. 7-3-7-3 — 20

How they scored:

G: Chamor Price 35 pass from Bryson Venanzio (Jayson Jenkins kick)

PT: Ryan Magiske 16 pass from Logan Pfeuffer (Andrew Massucci kick)

G: Patrick Body 61 pass from Venanzio (Jenkins kick)

PT: Massucci 24 field goal

G: Jay Johnson 1 run (Jenkins kick)

PT: Magiske 1 run (Massucci kick

PT: Massucci 3 field goal

Team statistics

Gateway Peters Township

First downs 14 12

Rushes-Yards 36-109 24-41

Passing yards 242 247

Passing Att-Comp-Int 29-18-1 19-10-1

Total offense Plays-yards 61-356 47-288

Punts (number-avg.) 4-35.5 4-34.0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 9-87 5-25

Individual statistics

Rushing: G: Derrick Davis 10-87, Jay Johnson 13-33-1TD, Chamor Price 2 1-4, Bryson Venanzio 11-minus 25. PT: Ryan Magiske 12-34, Adrian Williams 5-11, Josh Casilli 4-12, Logan Pfeuffer 4-0.

Passing: G: Venanzio 18-29-242-1INT-2TD; PT: Pfeuffer 10-19-247-1TD

Receiving: G: Patrick Body 5-118-1TD, Tui Brown 6-48, Chamor Price 4-34-1TD, Jayden Hurt 2-25, Johnson 1-17; PT: Aidan McCall 3-69, Josh Casilli 2-73, Corban Hondru 2-67, Adrian Williams 2-35, Ryan Magiske 1-3.

Tags: Gateway, Peters Township