Central Catholic totals 12 sacks, avoids upset vs. Hempfield

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 14, 2018 | 10:48 PM

Behind a defense that produced 12 sacks, No. 4 Central Catholic toppled WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference foe Hempfield, 28-13, on Friday.

Defensive tackle Elliot Morgan had three sacks, and Richard Tillman and Amaar Allen recorded two sacks apiece for Central Catholic (3-1, 2-1).

The Vikings limited Hempfield (1-3, 0-3) to 24 rushing yards on 21 attempts.

“We liked our effort up front very much,” Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. “We got a little tired. We were out there a long time, but we found some subs that could keep it up.

“We’ll have to try to keep doing the same thing with those guys.”

In sophomore Alex Arledge’s first career start at quarterback, Central Catholic utilized a ground and pound strategy. Sophomore running back Edward Tillman broke off big chunks of yardage, finishing with 22 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns.

“We were just riding the hot hand,” Totten said of Tillman. “He had a good week of practice and did great for us tonight.

Wide receiver Gavin Thomson scored the other touchdown for Central Catholic on a 3-yard rush. Thomson added five catches for 52 yards.

Arledge completed 7 of 13 passes for 71 yards.

Despite facing constant pressure, Hempfield quarterback Blake Remaley went 15 of 27 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Running back Mario Perkins and wide receiver Roman Pellis caught the touchdowns

Spartans wideout Zach Cielso had a game-high seven receptions for 126 yards.

Hempfield coach Rich Bowen said he liked the way his team rallied after gaining 60 yards of offense in the first half. Bowen’s team has faced a tough schedule thus far, including Pine-Richland and Norwin. However, Bowen said he’s ready to start turning his team’s tough-luck losses into victories.

“I thought we played really well,” Bowen said. “The effort of our kids was excellent. We have to clean up some things. We gave up way too many sacks. But again, we were playing against a great defensive football team with a strong defensive front.

“I’m proud of the way we played, but we have got to find some ways to win these games. No more moral victories. We’re tired of that. We’re getting better, but we have to find a way to win. We have to start winning. I’m proud of the way we’re playing, and we’ll keep plugging away at it.”

Kevin Lohman is a freelance writer.

Tags: Central Catholic, Hempfield