Brashear Is Golden in City League Title Game

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 1, 2014 | 5:11 PM

The Brashear Bulls claimed their tenth Pittsburgh City League football championship in a convincing way with a 42-14 victory over the Allderdice Dragons Saturday afternoon at Cupples Stadium. Quarterback Therron Coleman was named the game’s MVP, going six of eight for 56 yards through the air and rushing for 62 yards and a score in the win. The win avenges a 36-0 loss to the Dragons in week 4.

The victory was the Bulls fifth in a row and was also the first title for Brashear since 2008. It started early, as the Bulls scored just under three minutes into the game on a Ty Powe eight-yard run. Brashear added a safety later in the quarter when a snap sailed over Dragons quarterback James Jackson’s head into the end zone. The Bulls added to the scoreboard following the free kick as Coleman went in from 19 yards to put Brashear up 16-0 after one quarter.

The Brashear defense frustrated the Allderdice offense all day, forcing three second quarter turnovers that led to eleven Bulls points. The Dragons went for a fourth down play at their own 42 but, as Jackson stretched the ball for a first down, the ball came out and Brashear’s Joe Bonner picked it up and went 39 yards for a score. Coleman’s two-point run made it 24-0. Jackson would fumble again on the next possession. It was recovered by D’Angelo Spencer and Brashear turned that into a Dom Molinaro 23-yard field goal.

Allderdice coach Jerry Haslett made a chance, placing Dajuan Dugger at quarterback and putting both the Jackson twins at receiver. The Dragons moved down the field to the 12 yard line, but Dugger was intercepted by Ronnie Wilkens to end the half.

Up 27-0, the Bulls saw red and looked for the kill. That happened on the fourth play of the third quarter as Qu’ran Powe stepped in front of a Dugger pass and returned it to the 30 yard line. Khalil Sanders scored up the gut on the next play and the mercy rule kicked in after Ty Powe’s two-point conversion.

Brashear was driving again and Sanders was looking for another score when he was stripped of the football by Jeremiah Hardrick, who reversed the field, going 85 yards for a touchdown, getting Allderdice on the board. The Bulls got the football after a failed onside kick attempt and coach Rick Murphy called Sanders number again. He went 43 yards for a touchdown, finishing with 63 yards on ten carries.

The Dragons scored on the final play of the game when their third quarterback of the afternoon, as Dominic Balsamo scored on a nine yard run.

In all, the Dragons defense forced five turnovers on the day. Murphy said the safety was a huge point of the game and being able to score off of that was key. Brashear is now 6-4 overall, and will sit a week before meeting the winner of the Erie McDowell-General McLaine game in the PIAA playoffs in two weeks.

For Allderdice, the Dragons have not won a City League title since 1967, despite making four trips to the title game in the last five years. James Jackson finished 0-6 passing for the game. Allderdice ends the season at 8-2.

Score by Quarters: 

Brashear Bulls    16 – 11 –  15 –  0  =  42

Allderdice Dragons  0 – 0 – 8 – 6  =  14

Scoring Summary:
First Quarter:
B:  Ty Powe 8 run (Dom Molinaro kick)  9:07
B:  Safety, snap recovered in end zone   4:21
B:  Therron Coleman 19 run (Molinaro kick)   2:12
Second Quarter:
B:  Joe Bonner 89 fumble return (Coleman run)  4:31
B:  Molinaro 23 FG   2:30
Third Quarter:
B:  Khalil Sanders 30 run (Ty Powe run)  10:33
A:  Jeremiah Hardrick 85 fumble return (Dajuan Dugger run)  4:03
B:  Sanders 43 run (Molinaro kick)  3:39
Fourth Quarter: 
A:  Dominic Balsamo 9 run (no conversion attempted)   0:00
 

Tags: Allderdice, Brashear