Gallery by Karen Akers
Shady Spring – Shady Spring coach Vince Culicerto was happy to get the win Tuesday night.
That’s about all that he was happy with.
The veteran coach chided his team after a penalty-marred contest against the visitors from Summers County, one that ultimately resulted in a 19-12 win for the Tigers.
“It was stupid,” Culicerto said. “It’s worrying about yourself before the team. We’ve been good with this up to this point and I just think early in the game they let things go where I think they should’ve cleaned it up and made a statement and that stuff would’ve stopped. And that’s what I’m not happy about. That and us retaliating and doing stupid stuff. We can’t do it. We did it all night and it about cost us the game.”
Throughout the night the Tigers were their own worst enemy with miscues on special teams and penalties plaguing them.
Despite the mistakes when Shady needed quarterback Cameron Manns to answer the bell, he did, but the Bobcats’ own star that turned the tide early.
Summers running back Andre Merriam-Harshaw drew first blood with 15 seconds left in the first quarter as he trucked a Shady defender to cap off a five-yard touchdown run that staked the visitors to a 6-0 lead.
The score was double-edged as Harshaw hurt his ankle on the play and moved gingerly throughout the rest of the evening.
With 15 seconds left in the first quarter Andre Merriam-Harshaw bowls in from 5 yards out. A punishing truck. Summers County leads Shady Spring 6-0 #wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/84S5x37tMX
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 28, 2021
Later in the second quarter Summers head coach Josh Evans rolled the dice on a fourth-and-2 on his own 29 but came up short. Manns, who started the game 0-for-4 passing after three drops, worked with his legs, leading the Tigers 29 yards down the field and scoring on a nine-yard run.
Five minutes later it was Manns again as he rolled right and fired a 10-yard scoring strike to Tyler Mackey, making it a 13-6 game before the break.
Manns rolls right and connects with Tyler Mackey for a 10-yard TD pass. Shady leads Summers County 13-6 with 3:58 left in the first half.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/GeLtxC0KtZ
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 28, 2021
After regrouping at the break, the Bobcats responded when Kalob Black raced down the left edge on a 15-yard scoring jaunt at the 7:13 mark of the third quarter. A failed conversion attempt left the hosts clinging to a one-point lead.
It made the play of Manns even more critical.
After a 65-yard run from Caleb Whittaker set the Tigers up at the Summers County 5 midway through the fourth quarter, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed them to the edge of the red zone in a goal-to-go situation.
On third-and-goal from the Summers 16, Manns lofted a pass to Jacob Showalter down the left sideline that was hauled in for a score with 6:23 left in the game.
Manns tosses a 16-yard TD pass on a long 3rd and goal. Tigers up 19-12 with 6:23 left in the game.#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/HcR7yU6NZ6
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 29, 2021
“He’s calmed down and he’s really clicking,” Culicerto said. “We’re going to be playing in a couple days so we’re hoping he’ll keep progressing. I think he’s doing a good job and tonight I think he just took control. Mistakes happen and he’s kind of taken those now and is just moving onto the next play. We drop a ball and he’s not losing his mind because he can make it up on the next one.”
The Bobcats had one last hurrah.
On their next possession they took the ball and drove to the Shady 3, helped largely by a 23-yard run by Duke Dodson. A third-down tackle for a loss made it fourth-and-goal at the Shady 5 with 2:22 left. A slant to Drake Cole fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs and allowing the Tigers to burn the clock.
On 4th down at the 5, down 7 Summers comes up empty. Tigers take possession with 2:22 left#wvprepfb pic.twitter.com/sJPqlefwK9
— Tyler Jackson (@TJack94) September 29, 2021
Shady punted it with 14 seconds left but a hail mary attempt was picked off by Showalter with four seconds left, ending the game.
“The extra point, we fumbled the snap before that, we fumbled a punt,” Vince Culicerto said. “We just kept doing things to make it interesting. Us and Summers County seem to do that every time. But we got the win. We’re going to fix those mistakes. There’s not going to be any personal fouls on Friday, I can promise you that after what we do with them tomorrow.”
“We made some good plays offensively and defensively,” Evans said. “On fourth down we had a good play and it hit him in the hands. He’s going to make those plays though. He’s a sophomore. Next year he’s going to make those plays. Next week he’s going to make those plays. I’ve got all the faith in the world in him. I wouldn’t change the call. When Harshaw went down everybody stood up. You can’t ask no more of them. They played their butts off.”
Manns was 3-of-9 passing for 31 yards, tossing two touchdowns. Caleb Whittaker led the Tigers with 136 yards on 15 carries. Andre Merriam-Harhsaw led the Bobcats with 81 yards on 23 carries.
Summers County will host Independence on Friday while Shady Spring will travel to Westside that same night.
SC (1-3): 6 0 6 0 – 12
SS (2-2): 0 13 0 6 – 19
Scoring plays
First quarter
SC: Andre-Meriam Harshaw 5 rush (PAT blocked), 0:15
Second quarter
SS: Manns 9 rush (Harmon Kick), 8:56
SS: Mackey 10-yard pass from Manns (Kick fails), 3:58
Third quarter
SC: Kalob Black 15 rush (Conversion fails), 7:13
Fourth quarter
SS: Showalter 16-yard pass from Manns (Conversion fails), 6:23