SLIPPERY ROCK – Coudersport High School’s history-making
schedule added another subject Friday night – drama.

David Babcock’s 3-yard run in double-overtime lifted the Falcons
to a thrilling 48-42 victory over Kennedy Catholic in the PIAA
Class A quarterfinals.

It was the first-ever state playoff win for the sixth-ranked
Falcons (13-0) and they did it the hard way on the frozen tundra of
Slippery Rock University’s Thompson Stadium.

“We will remember this for a long time,” said Paul Simcoe, Coudy
head coach. “I told the kids afterwards that they didn’t quit. We
gave them (Golden Eagles) a couple of easy scores on mistakes and
you can’t do that in a big game.”

Coudy never trailed in the contest and used an early mistake by
the Golden Eagles (9-3) to jump in front 7-0.

After Ike Cary recovered a fumble at the Kennedy Catholic 35,
four plays later Sam Decker scored from two yards out and Caleb
Morris booted the extra point with 7:49 left in the first
quarter.

District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic tied it on its next
possession with a nearly 10-minute, 18-play ground attack that
culminated with a seven-yard TD by Ross Gargano. Mike Muckain then
squeaked the PAT over the crossbar with 10:07 remaining in the
half.

Coudy’s Chris Cavallari then fielded the ensuing kickoff at his
own 16, broke a tackle at the 27 and raced down the right sideline
for the 84-yard score. Morris boomed the PAT halfway to Interstate
79 and it was 14-7 Falcons with 9:52 showing.

“Chris (Cavallari) is unbelievable at picking his way,” Simcoe
declared. “He is very patient and finally broke out of the pack and
they weren’t going to catch him because he runs a 4.7.”

Following a Kennedy Catholic punt, the Golden Eagles gave
quarterback Boomer Wetzel a bad time on two successive plays with a
sack and then a 54-yard interception return by Lee Shimshock to the
Coudy 11.

Gargano tallied his second TD of the night on the very next snap
and Muckian’s kick knotted the affair with 2:52 left in the
half.

The Falcons then moved into the red zone on a 14-yard run by
Decker and a 28-yard jaunt by Babcock.

On a second-and-10 from the 15, Wetzel fired a perfect strike to
Logan Hathaway at the back of the endzone with 59 seconds left in
the half. Morris’ kick was good and it was 21-14 Coudy at the
break.

“We had an alternate pattern we could’ve run,” Simcoe said of
the TD pass. “Not only was it a great pass by Wetzel, Hathaway ran
a post pattern and got vertical so his defender didn’t have a
chance to recover.”

The Falcons failed to move the frosty chains to start the third
quarter as the Golden Eagles took over at the Coudy 46.

Two plays later Lee Plotts eluded a tackle at the line of
scrimmage and rumbled 42 yards to paydirt. Muckian split the
uprights and it was 21-all with 8:41 showing in the third.

Coudy’s next two possessions ended in a fumble and a punt, but
the third was golden as a 38-yard screen pass from Wetzel to
Babcock and the PAT by Morris put the D-9 champs ahead 28-21 with
52 ticks left in the period.

“The weather wasn’t a factor for us throwing the ball,” Simcoe
noted. “When we had time to throw we took advantage of some
things.”

Coudy got a break on its subsequent kickoff when Hathaway
pounced on the icy fumbled pigskin at the Kennedy Catholic 27.

On a second-and-13 from the 30, Babcock spiraled a 25-yard
halfback pass to Blair Heimel, who made a leaping grab between two
defenders.

“He (Heimel) went up and caught it with both hands,” Simcoe
observed. “That was a key catch that led to a touchdown.”

Babcock then crossed the goal line from three yards away and the
lead was a seemingly secure 35-21 with 11:00 left in the game.

Kennedy Catholic then utilized their potent rushing attack to
travel 69-yards in 10 plays with Plotts plunging over from the one.
Muckian’s extra point attempt doinked off the left goal post and
back onto the field of play but the Golden Eagles had cut their
deficit to 35-27 at the 5:55 juncture.

Coudy then moved the sticks twice and forced Kennedy Catholic to
take its last timeout with 3:23 remaining. The drive stalled on a
fourth-and-8 at the Golden Eagle 39 and then the worst possible
event occurred for the Coudy faithful, who actually outnumbered the
Kennedy Catholic fans.

The Golden Eagles’ George Kovac snuck through the line and
blocked Morris’ punt and it was finally recovered at the Falcons’
13 with 1:01 left.

“There was no excuse for the blocked punt,” Simcoe lamented.
“When you look back at it we should’ve gone for it with a running
play. I’m not sure where the guy (Kovac) came through. We had the
game won if we got the punt off.”

With 29 seconds left, Gargano scored on a four-yard TD run and
also carried in the game-tying two-pointer to force overtime.

Coudy had first dibs in the OT and Wetzel hit Hathaway on a
10-yard slant on the very first play. Morris drilled the PAT and it
was 42-35.

It took Kennedy Catholic four plays, but a three-yard run by
Gargano off left tackle and Muckian’s kick made it 42-all.

In the second OT, Plotts was stopped just short of the goal line
by a host of Falcons on a fourth-and-goal from the 3.

Then it was Coudy’s turn from the Kennedy Catholic 10. Babcock
ran it down to the two, and then after one-yard loss, Babcock
bobbled the handoff but blasted through a huge hole into the end
zone for the game-winner.

“That was a great run,” Simcoe declared. “I told him (Babcock)
not to bounce it outside because if he got tackled, we wanted it
right in front of the goal post.

“Who would’ve thought we would score 48 points against Kennedy
Catholic,” Simcoe added. “They are big and they are fast, and they
come right at you. But we thought we had the better athletes.”

Coudy will now face District 7 champion Duquesne (13-0) most
likely in Clarion next week.