By Marion Valanoski
MOUNT CARMEL — It’s often been said you can’t live on past performances, but for one night Mount Carmel took a step back in time and ripped out a page from its fabled football history to come up golden.
The Red Tornadoes (7-5) resurrected their famous “Red Death” defense from their state championship run of the 1990’s Friday at the Silver Bowl, downing Hanover Area, 14-7, to capture the Eastern Conference Division II title.
On a night when star running back Justin Pellowski was sidelined for breaking team rules and not in uniform, the visiting Hawkeyes were held to 32 yards rushing as the Red Tornadoes literally dominated the line of scrimmage and never allowed Hanover to generate anything that resembled a scoring drive.
“We had to overcome some adversity and I believe in firmly enforcing the rules,” first-year head coach Bob Chesney said. “Our young kids picked up the slack offensively and the defense was just fantastic.”
The Red Tornadoes took just three plays to get on the scoreboard as Meyrick Lamb and Tyler Hodge advanced the ball from the 45 to the Hanover 38 where quarterback Eddy Stewart faked a dive into the line, tucked the ball away and raced 38 yards for the score, putting the Red Tornadoes in front in two minutes.
“We had our opening series scripted and I told our statistician we’d have at least 50 yards,” Chesney said. “Stewart made a great run and we ended with 55 and a touchdown.”
The euphoria lasted but a few seconds as Tomas Cabrera took the ensuing kickoff and raced directly up the middle of the field, surviving an ankle grabbing attempt at midfield, before completing a 90-yard scamper to paydirt.
With the contest deadlocked in the second quarter, Mount Carmel embarked on a 16-play, 83-yard drive culminating with Stewart racing eight yards through the heart of the Hawkeyes’ defense for what would be the game-winning points.
Stewart, who would leave the game in the third quarter with an injury to his jaw, collected 52 yards on seven carries on the drive and hit fullback Cody Shustack with a clutch third-down screen pass for 16 yards to keep the offense on the field and Hodge added 12 more on two carries.
“Our howitzer was unavailable so we came at them with our machine guns in the backfield and our young runners did a great job of moving the ball,” Chesney said. “We also did a good job of opening holes and Stewart exhibited why he’s so dangerous with the football in his hands.”
Neither team really put together an impressive offensive series in the second half although Cabrera, running out of the Wildcat formation, broke off a run for 60 yards with T.J. Heromin saving a touchdown by tripping up the 6-2 receiver at the 20.
The Red Tornadoes never flinched, eventually pushing the Hawkeyes back to the 26. On their next three possessions Hanover punted, lost a fumble with Trevor Demko recovering, and the defense forcing 27 yards in losses and handing the ball over to the offense at the nine.
“We could not handle their line on either side of the ball,” Hawkeyes’ head coach Rob Hummer said. “They dominated us in every way possible and we had no answer for it.”
Stewart finished the game with 92 yards while Hodge contributed 70.
“I know not many people gave us a chance to do much this year after graduating 29 seniors,” Chesney said. “But the people on this field and the coaches knew and never gave up. We had a lot of young people playing tonight and look at all of those sophomores in the backfield.
“This was a team effort and the championship is for those seniors who believed.”
