Ligonier Valley football picks up where it left off last season

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 25, 2017 | 10:21 PM

After running roughshod over District 6 Heritage Conference opponents last year on its way to a 14-1 record and berth in the PIAA Class 2A semifinals, Ligonier Valley picked up where it left off. The Rams scored a resounding 62-6 conference-opening win over visiting Marion Center at LV's Weller Field to kick off the 2017 season.

Having shut out seven opponents last year, the Rams nearly added another, holding the Stingers to 7 yards in the first half and 96 on the night. Marion Center avoided the shutout when Garet Wells scored on a 1-yard run at 5 minutes, 30 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Ligonier Valley (1-0, 1-0) coach Roger Beitel praised his team's defensive effort.

“Our defense played really well. That's the staple of this team,” he said. “We got to their quarterback and didn't gave them anything all night. We scored two defensive touchdowns, and that's a big deal for us.”

After a Jackson Daugherty 15-yard touchdown run to open the scoring at 8:23 of the first quarter, the Rams got a 30-yard interception return from Hunter Jones.

“We work on that play,” Beitel said about Jones' interception return. “We had our hands up, and we escorted him to the end zone. That's something we work on. Hunter has been a big part of our program, and I'm glad he got off to the start he did tonight.”

Aaron Tutino added a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Tutino's 40-yard reception from Sam Sheeder, making his first varsity start at quarterback, gave the Rams a 21-0 lead after one quarter.

“Sam managed our offense very well,” Beitel said. “He was tentative running the ball early, but once he settled down he was fine. His first pass went for a pick, but he rebounded well.”

While the Rams' defense permitted the Stingers only two first-half first downs, the offense piled up 200 yards on the ground in the first half, 298 on the night. Aaron Sheeder topped all rushers with 77 yards on eight carries, all in the first half.

Beitel shrugged off the notion that his offense was in midseason form.

“No,” he smiled. “We are in Week 2 form. We know what we have (in Tutino and Aaron Sheeder in the backfield), and we know we have to get the ball in their hands. We have to get them touches, but we know that will come. And our offensive line is an important factor. They started slow, but they came on strong. We may have scored 62 points, but we have a a lot of work to do.”

Marion Center (0-1, 0-1) coach Paul DeHaven knew his Stingers faced a daunting task.

“That's a very talented team, a team with a lot of depth,” DeHaven saids. “They play aggressively on offense and defense, and they execute very well. They have a lot returning from last year, and their talent and depth were evident.”

With his team trailing 49-0 at the half, DeHaven's halftime words were brief and to the point.

“We were not executing and holding our blocks, and we were not tackling well,” he said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and we have to be more physical and our technique must improve, on both sides of the ball, and we have to develop more in terms of leadership. Despite the score, we battled to the end. Our guys never let up.”

Les Harvath is a freelance writer.

Tags: Ligonier Valley