Plum battles its way into playoffs with win over Greensburg Salem

By: Wes Crosby
Friday, October 29, 2021 | 10:37 PM

Plum took advantage of four Greensburg Salem fumbles to overcome a 13-point deficit and book a ticket to the Class 4A WPIAL playoffs with a 30-27 win at home Friday.

The Mustangs (4-6, 4-3) won four of their final six games in the Greater Allegheny conference to clinch the playoff spot.

“It means the world to all of us coaches,” Plum coach Matt Morgan said. “We’ve been through so much this year with injuries, illnesses, the forfeit. All that stuff just weighed on this team all year. They finally got an opportunity to finish one off and have something good and positive happen for them. Couldn’t be happier for these kids.”

The third fumble of the game for Greensburg Salem, recovered by Kaden Thomas, set Plum up at their own 47 with 11:03 left in the fourth quarter.

After a 15-yard run from Eryck Moore made it first-and-goal at the 3 six plays into a 10-play drive, the Mustangs were pushed back to the 12 for fourth down. Angelo Baleno snuck a 29-yard field goal just over the crossbar for a 30-27 Plum lead with 4:45 remaining.

Moore finished with 142 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

Greensburg Salem muffed the ensuing kick with Plum recovering at the Golden Lions 42. The Mustangs took the clock down to 1:51 before turning the ball over on downs.

Two fourth-down conversions kept Greensburg Salem alive on its final drive, but quarterback Hayden Teska was intercepted by Nicholas Lamia, sealing it with 32 seconds left. Teska was held to 87 yards on 6-of-18 passing.

“Especially for Nick, he had a couple drops last week. He was in good position against Armstrong, and he missed an interception last week,” Morgan said. “I know it ate him up. … I’m so happy for that kid. In a moment like that, to come up with a game-winning interception, I’m so proud of that kid.”

Greensburg Salem (5-5, 3-4) lost four of its final five games to end up eliminated.

“They’re about as good a group of kids you could possibly want to surround yourself with,” Greensburg Salem coach Dave Keefer said. “You want to raise your family around them because your kids get to see what quality people are about in terms of caring for one another. … My heart’s broken for them.”

Sean Franzi’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yard dump off that Logan Brooks carried in, put Plum up 27-20 just 39 seconds into the second half. The drive was set up by a 48-yard kick return from Darin Nelson that put it at Greensburg Salem 26.

Teska knotted it up at 27 when he found Donavin Waller in the middle of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 10 with 1:29 remaining in the third.

A second quarter full of mistakes ultimately resulted in a 20-all tie entering halftime.

The Mustangs turned the ball over at the Greensburg Salem 11 when a pass went through Domenic Beyer’s hands on fourth down. Plum then got a gift when a snap went over punter Cody Rubrecht’s head following a three-and-out.

Franzi then hit Brooks for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth-and-5, cutting a Greensburg Salem lead to 13-7.

A fumbled handoff on the first play of the ensuing drive gave the Mustangs the ball at the Greensburg Salem 33. Moore drove forward 4 yards for a touchdown, tying it at 13 with 5:32 left in the second.

Rubrecht immediately silenced the crowd with an 82-yard kick return, putting the Golden Lions back on top 20-13.

Greensburg Salem had a chance to take full control when Christian Hostetler recovered a fumble at the Plum 36. But on the very next play, Mustangs defensive lineman Kaden Thomas jumped on a botched snap.

Plum converted one fourth down and had a 13-play drive extended when Greensburg Salem jumped offside on another. Franzi found Thomas over the middle for 30 yards, tying it at 20 with 18.6 seconds left in the half.

A 13-0 Greensburg Salem lead was built almost entirely on the ground in the first quarter. The Golden Lions ran 13 times for a combined 90 yards on their first two drives, while Teska completed just one pass for 32 yards.

“We finished tonight like we started the year,” Keefer said. “We turned the ball over in critical situations. Had so many opportunities just to totally take control of the game. Didn’t do that.”

Watch an archived broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.

Tags: Greensburg Salem, Plum