Late first-half blocked FG sparks Central Valley's 36-7 win over Laurel Highlands

CENTER TWP.  — Central Valley senior Deniro Simpson couldn’t see the clock at Sarge Alberts Stadium, but he knew time wouldn’t be the problem. He also knew there would be no second chances.

Simpson, though, didn’t need a second chance as he scooped up a loose football after the Warriors had blocked a Laurel Highlands field goal and raced the final 56 yards for the score on the final play of the first half in a driving rainstorm. He was running to the end zone away from the clock but it didn’t matter – it read all zeroes by the time he scored so there wouldn’t have been time for another play.

“The coaches had been putting a lot into trying to get a field goal block,” said Simpson, whose touchdown put Central Valley up 14-0. “I knew Rylan Jeter was coming in from the other side so when I saw the ball, I just picked it up and ran with it.

“I knew there were 16 seconds left when the play started so I knew I had time and no one was going to catch me, but I never played in weather like this.”

The wet field didn’t slow Jeter or Simpson and, after that momentum change, the Warriors scored 22 points to get the clock running. Central Valley won 36-7 and advances to the WPIAL Class 4A semifinal against Thomas Jefferson next week at a site and time to be determined.

“That touchdown won the game for us,” said senior running back Bret FitzSimmons. “That put us up 14-0 with all the momentum. After that, we felt things going our way.”

FitzSimmons also made a serious contribution to the win, gaining 161 yards on 27 carries before sitting in the fourth quarter with the game decided. He scored three touchdowns despite the Warriors getting off to a slow start, coming off a bye after their first regular season loss in three years. A Laurel Highlands team led by West Virginia recruit Rodney Gallagher contributed, too, along with the weather.

“I think it was all three factors affecting us at first,” said senior defensive end Jackson Tonya. “I had never played in weather like this – it was fun but I think it would have been more fun to play on grass and in the mud.

“I think the bye helped us heal up, too. We had guys banged up and the week off helped. We had watched four or five games of Gallagher and knew we had to emphasize team contain on him at the point of attack.”

Gallagher did rush for 135 yards on 22 carries and pass for 24 more, completing six of 11, but only had two plays of 10 yards or more. The rest of the Mustangs accounted for negative yards while FitzSimmons' teammates accounted for 125 more yards – and, obviously, Simpson’s touchdown.

“I saw them reaching into their ball bag for a dry ball so I knew they were either going to pass or kick it,” said Central Valley coach Mark Lyons. “So, I wasn’t surprised they tried a field goal but the snap wasn’t clean in this weather and getting the block, that was big.

“In the second half, we got our rhythm going and the guys settled in. I think the bye was perfect for us mentally to relax and get focused. Sometimes, we have to remember they’re high school kids and not demand too much but we responded well.”

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Late first-half blocked FG sparks Central Valley's 36-7 win over Laurel Highlands