BRADFORD — Maybe it’s the way the game was supposed to turn out.
When Pennsylvania and New York played to a 27-27 tie Saturday night in the 46th annual Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic at Parkway Field, it ended an inartistic but exciting matchup.
There was a blown punt return touchdown, a failed fourth down run off a fake field goal by one of the area’s top soccer players, near-game-long chippiness on both sides and a plethora of penalties that nudged all too close to setting a Charities Classic record.
But there was also justice of the poetic variety for two rookie coordinators who had never even worked in that capacity for their own teams.
Pennsylvania’s Andy Reid, new offensive coordinator for Bradford, has not yet served as OC for the Owls … his previous experience with the JV squad.
New York’s Jake Burkholder will be Southwestern’s defensive coordinator this season after prepping for that role working with the Trojans’ modified team.
That the game ended up tied seemed fitting for two young coaches just about to step into their first coordinator responsibilities on the varsity level.
Of course, for the first 42 ½ minutes it appeared Reid had won the battle of rookie coordinators.
Pennsylvania led 27-6 late in the third quarter. At halftime it had rushed for a glittering 225 yards on 35 carries and when Ridgway’s Cole Secco went 65 yards with 2:26 left in period three, Pennsy’s 21-point margin seemed insurmountable.
New York’s only answer to that point was one spectacular play, a 77-yard touchdown pass from Pioneer’s Nick Rinker to Southwestern’s Alex Card, a wide receiver bound for Div. II St. Anselm in New Hampshire.
But over the final 17 minutes, New York found its defense. Pennsy, minus Secco’s run, totaled only 64 yards on 20 carries.
“It was a combination of a couple of different things,” Reid said. “We struggled to pick up some line stunts in the second half and we weren’t able to get into our effective between-the-tackles run game.
“We had to rely on some perimeter stuff and when you do that you become one-dimensional and you can’t do that in any football game, let alone and all-star game. That really hurts what you’re able to do and I think you saw that in the second half.”
Burkholder admitted, “We made some adjustments and the kids kept their heads in it. We stayed calm, we did our jobs … that’s the biggest thing, nobody panicked.
“It’s a testament to these kids … not giving up and fighting our way through it.”
Still Reid wasn’t unhappy with his unit’s play.
“I felt it was a good back-and-forth game … I knew when they’d get it, we’d get it back,” he said. “So I never felt that would be our issue, it was simply fundamentals. Could we get a hat on a hat and get the blocks we needed to move the ball. Ultimately in the fourth quarter we weren’t able to do that.
“We got a little hesitant on the runs in the second half, going laterally, rather than north and south. Second-and-7 is better than 2nd-and-11 … not every play is going to be a big play.”
Of his defense, Burkholder pointed out, “All week long we were going against each other but were not full go … so you never know (how they’ll respond in game conditions). We’re also short (20 players instead of 22), so we were rotating a couple of kids and a couple of kids were hurt … sore knee, bumps and bruises because they haven’t hit in awhile.”
There’s also the mandated defense with its limitations on where players line up and how they stunt.
“It makes it a little tougher because we can’t make the adjustments we would during the regular season so it makes for some nerves but we were confident in what we were doing and that helps take the nerves out of it.”
But itdidn’t take the officiating out of it.
The New York-based crew flagged Pennbsylvania 13 times for 120 yards. The game records for one team are 16 and 165. New York got nine flags for 97 yards. That’s a total of 22 penalties for 217 yards … the game records are 25 and 234.
In fairness, the chippiness contributed as did substitution violations. But there were also times a penalty was assessed without a flag ever being thrown and other occasions where the officials seemed confused.
The 14 second-half penalties drew their share of boos from both rooting sections, especially during a segment where a flag seemed to be thrown every other play.
Still, the game ended in a draw and it’s not as if the officiating crew singled out one team or decided the outcome.
When it was over, Reid noted, “Our struggles in the second half are on me … not the kids. I’ve got to do a better job of putting them in position (to be successful). They’re all-stars, and I didn’t do a good enough job in the second half to win this game.”
To which Burkholder added, “We were down (27-6) and I’m glad we were able to pull it back. But it’s also an all star game and we’re here to have fun and take chances (like having the placekicker, Allegany-Limestone’s Conner Golley, run a fake field goal). So to end up 27-27, it’s not the outcome we wanted but it’s a nice comeback.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
