Undefeated Moon scores workmanlike win over South Fayette

By: Mitch Montani
Saturday, October 2, 2021 | 12:16 AM

The Moon Tigers did what they had to do Friday night.

Their grind-it-out attitude was most on display during the Tigers’ final offensive possession.

Leading 21-13 with 7:16 left in the game, Moon marched 92 yards and took over six minutes off the clock. The drive resulted in a 22-yard touchdown run by Ty McGowan, which capped a conference-opening 28-13 win over South Fayette.

“It was huge” said Moon coach Ryan Linn. “We just grinded it out, and that’s what I hoped we were going to do.”

Dylan Sleva carried the load for the Tigers’ gritty run game. The senior ran the ball 23 times for 131 yards, scoring a touchdown in the second quarter. After falling behind early, the score jump-started a stretch of 21 unanswered points for Moon.

“He always has a forward lane and finds those couple yards,” Linn said. “He won’t break one off for a big one, but he’ll give us enough.”

Taite Beachy also played a big part in the Tigers’ win. He had a 2-yard touchdown run in addition to a 57-yard touchdown reception on a McGowan throw.

Although the Lions had multiple extended drives, points didn’t come easily. South Fayette coach Joe Rossi, citing his young team’s inexperience, was optimistic after the loss.

“That team had a lot of kids back from last year,” Rossi said. “Our team had a lot of guys who had zero experience.”

Despite this inexperience, the Lions still trailed by only one possession up until the final seconds of regulation.

“We went toe to toe with them,” Rossi said. “I was proud of our kids. We had opportunities. We didn’t capitalize on those.”

Two unsuccessful field goal attempts and a late turnover on downs hindered South Fayette.

“Three or four plays is what it comes down to,” Rossi said. “We just didn’t make those plays.”

A major bright spot for South Fayette was quarterback Landon Lutz. The senior was 27 for 38 for nearly 350 yards and a touchdown. Rossi was thrilled with his performance.

“This showed what kind of quarterback he is,” Rossi said. “I’m proud of him.”

South Fayette will continue its conference slate next week against Bethel Park. Though the still-unbeaten Tigers made the Lions pay for their mistakes, Rossi said every game in the Allegheny Six Conference will be tough.

“We have to correct those mistakes,” he said. “We know every week is going to be like this.”

The Tigers are off to a 6-0 start, with each of those wins coming by 14 points or more. They’ll travel to Peters Township next Friday in a continuation of conference play.

“We need to be a little more consistent on offense and eliminate those big plays on defense,” Linn said. “If we play the game we played, we’ll be OK.”

Watch an archived broadcast of this game on Trib HSSN.

Tags: Moon, South Fayette