No. 1 Clairton holds off Springdale’s upset bid with interception return for TD

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 9, 2017 | 12:03 AM

Everyone is fully aware of what Clairton brings to the table as a football program. Even though the Bears had won 40 consecutive games against WPIAL opponents, the winning streak didn't scare the Springdale Dynamos.

The Dynamos had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and 2-point conversion with under five minutes remaining.

But with a 40-yard interception return by senior Tre'sean Howard, the Class A No. 1 Bears (2-0, 2-0) were able to keep the streak alive as they defeated Springdale, 32-16, in Class A Eastern Conference action at Clairton.

“Clairton is a real good team. Don't let anyone kid you. They are No. 2 in the state for a reason. Some things didn't go our way,” Springdale coach Seth Napierkowski said. “Our guys hung in there with the game plan and did what they were taught to do. They played hard, and Clairton made a few more plays than us.”

The Dynamos (1-2, 0-1), who lost to Clairton, 32-0, last year, took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter at Clairton's Neil C. Brown Stadium after a 4-yard run by senior running back Josh Harmon.

The drive started after senior Joey Gedraitis blocked sophomore Aaron Thompson's punt and recovered at the Clairton 11.

Clairton got on the board with a 9-yard run by Howard early in the second quarter.

Earlier in the drive, the Bears converted a fourth-and-long after sophomore quarterback Brendan Parsons connected with Howard on a 14-yard pass.

Thompson, who finished with 108 yards rushing on 17 carries, punched it in from 9 yards out with over four minutes remaining in the second quarter as the Bears grabbed their first lead of the day.

With just over one minute remaining in the half, Jones picked off the Parsons pass at Clairton's 42 and returned it inside the Bears 10.

But the Dynamos were unable to punch it in for a touchdown on multiple tries as the final try looked to cross the goal line as time expired in the first half.

“We knew they were a smash-mouth football team. We knew they would run downhill. Their line did a good job with holding up blocks,” Clairton interim coach Jeff Thompson said. “They just fought hard. I feel like we did a good in stopping it. They controlled the clock a little bit but the guys fought hard with them.”

Thompson will serve as interim coach until Wayne Wade has completed his four-game suspension for his critical comments on the officiating in the PIAA Class A final against Bishop Guilfoyle last season.

Howard, who had three touchdowns, caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Parsons midway through the third quarter to extend the Bears lead to 24-8. Parsons finished 10 of 15 with 142 yards passing with an interception for the Bears.

The Bears, who committed 14 penalties for 147 yards, weren't able to shut the door on the Dynamos due to careless penalties. The Dynamos narrowed the gap with a 5-yard run from senior running back Dylan Hargenrader with over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“We just played hard-nosed football. There were a lot of things going on out there and we kept our cool in the face of adversity,” Napierkowski said. “I couldn't have been more proud of the kids. They did a great job. Effort sometimes can play up against athleticism.”

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

Tags: Clairton