Steel Valley scores late to knock off Avonworth

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 8, 2018 | 12:27 AM

Steel Valley scored a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining to outlast Avonworth, 31-24, and remain undefeated in Class 2A Allegheny Conference play.

Quarterback Ronnell Lawrence found running back Kam Williams on a 7-yard rub-route, and Lawrence connected with fullback Todd Hill on the 2-point conversion to secure the victory.

Steel Valley came into this game having dominated the Antelopes the last two years, outscoring Avonworth, 85-7, in those two victories.

The Ironmen scored on their opening drive of the football game, a 67-yard march that featured six rushing plays. Williams ran the ball the first five times on the drive for a total of 66 yards, but it was Hill who scored on a 1-yard run to give the Ironmen a 7-0 lead.

Avonworth also scored on its first drive to tie the score at the 3:29 mark of the first quarter. Running back Jax Miller scored from 9 yards out.

Avonworth struggled to slow Steel Valley’s running attack and the Ironmen took the lead back late in the first quarter on a Todd Hill 51-yard TD run. After having the extra-point blocked, the Ironmen had the lead, 13-7.

Both teams traded field goals early in the second quarter, and Steel Valley added to the lead late in the first half when Williams scored from 40 yards out to give Steel Valley a 23-10 halftime lead.

Avonworth’s offense found it’s rhythm late in the third quarter. The Antelopes scored with 4:55 to go in the third quarter on a trick play, with Jax Miller taking a pitch and running to the right side of the offensive formation and then flipping the ball deep to Turner Grau in the corner of the end zone to cut the lead to 23-17.

Avonworth took its first lead on the ensuing drive. On second-and-27 on their own 40, Derek Johncour found Ethan Syam down the left sideline and Syam used his speed to elude Ironmen defenders to score and give the Antelopes a 24-23 lead.

Johncour completed 28 of 51 passes for 346 yards and the touchdown to Syam.

Avonworth later drove the ball deep into Ironmen territory and had a first and goal from the 2. But, after a penalty and a 17-yard loss on a fumbled snap, the Lopes turned the ball over on downs.

That’s when Steel Valley embarked on a final scoring drive to win the game. For the second time in as many weeks, both Williams and Hill rushed for more than 100 yards. Williams totaled 165 yards on 24 carries and scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) while Hill ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

“We put a lot of work in the offseason in the weight room and it (our success) comes out on the football field,” Williams said of his and Hill’s performance the first two weeks.

Steve Nagler is a freelance writer.

Tags: Avonworth, Steel Valley