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Derry knocks off neighboring Latrobe behind Broadway’s 3 TDs

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 25, 2017 | 11:03 PM

This time, there was no “trickery.”

Derry coach Tim Sweeney, incensed by the reference to last year's eight-point victory over neighboring rival Latrobe on running back Tyler Balega's touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, said his Trojans' storybook season that ended in the WPIAL semifinals didn't happen by tricking anyone.

And it didn't happen Friday night, either, he added.

“Our kids were (upset). We didn't trick our way to 11 wins,” Sweeney said. “They had a lot of motivation tonight because of it.”

The result was a handy 29-14 victory in the season opener.

Shawn Broadway rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns to lead Class 2A Derry over visiting Class 5A Latrobe.

Broadway, the heir apparent at running back to graduated 1,000-yard rusher Balega, scored on runs of 27, 18 and 3 yards for Derry, which notched its second consecutive victory in the series.

“Our kids just kept grinding out there tonight,” Sweeney said. “We need to improve on a number of things, believe me. But our kids played hard, and Latrobe's kids played hard. I salute them.”

Derry (1-0) also scored on an 8-yard fumble recovery by Dom DeLuca and a 30-yard field goal by Will Huss with 2 seconds remaining in the first half, giving Derry 23-7 lead.

The game didn't start well for the Trojans as Latrobe scored first on Reese Mueseler's 15-yard interception return. The Wildcats' other touchdown came on Iven Etienne's 24-yard run, which cut the Derry lead to 23-14 in the third quarter.

“They made a great play on a tipped ball, but it wasn't time to panic,” Sweeney said.

Indeed, there appeared to be no panic in Derry. Even when Latrobe (0-1) closed within nine points in the third quarter.

“The start was everything we were looking for,” Latrobe coach Jason Marucco said. “But we've got to get better at discipline. We can't give teams points. We have to make them earn it.”

Latrobe was penalized 10 times for 91 yards in the first half.

Wildcats quarterback Jason Armstrong, a converted tight end who led Class 5A with 45 receptions last season, completed 16 of 34 passes for 158 yards.

Broadway's third touchdown, a 3-yard run, iced the victory for Derry.

Armstrong recovered a fumble for Latrobe, and the Wildcats took advantage when Etienne danced his way for 24 yards into the end zone to cut their deficit to 23-14.

But Derry's defense kept Latrobe out of the end zone for the rest of the quarter, boosted with less than 1 minute remaining by a 44-yard punt by Ryan Polinsky to the Latrobe 3.

It eventually paid off when Derry, keeping decent field position, found the end zone midway through the fourth quarter on Broadway's 3-yard score.

Latrobe took an early 7-0 lead, capitalizing when Reese Mueseler intercepted Polinsky's pass and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown after the Wildcats failed to move the ball on their first possession.

But it was all Derry the rest of the way until halftime.

The Trojans scored 23 unanswered points, beginning with a 27-yard run by Broadway — the first of his two first-half scores — with 57 seconds left in the first quarter.

Derry went in front 13-7 early in the second quarter on DeLuca's recovery of an Armstrong fumble.

The Trojans stretched their by 10 points in the final 2 minutes and 58 seconds, scoring first on Broadway's 18-yard touchdown run and tacking on Huss' field goal just before intermission.

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

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