Tigers' Garcia toughness never in question
Dec. 10—MECHANICSBURG — Two weeks ago, before Southern Columbia's state quarterfinal win over Bald Eagle Area, Tigers coach Jim Roth called Garrett Garcia's injury from the Mount Carmel district playoff game significant.
"When you see the replay you'd think there is no way this guy is playing, he's done for the season," Roth said two weeks ago.
Fast forward to Friday's 21-20 win over Westinghouse that claimed the Tigers' seventh straight PIAA Class 2A state championship, and Garcia was still making key plays — and still walking like a fawn on ice when he wasn't on the field.
"I'm good. I'm real good," Garcia laughed after the game. "My ankle's really sore, my knee really hurts, but it doesn't matter ... we got the dub."
After missing all but one play of his junior season, Garcia wasn't missing another state championship game. Although he didn't have the rushing numbers he's used to Friday (15 carries, 71 yards), his 27-yard run on first-and-10 from the Westinghouse 1, jump-started Southern's game-winning, 99-yard drive.
Garcia also finished with a game-high 15 tackles against Westinghouse's physical run offense.
Third-down success
One of Westinghouse's big shortcomings in last season's state final loss to Southern Columbia was a 1-of-10 performance on third down.
That certainly changed in Friday's game as the Bulldogs were 7-for-12 on third downs, and made some outstanding plays for those conversions.
Receiver Donald Penn made an over-the-shoulder catch on which he had to adjust to a ball thrown to his wrong shoulder to convert in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Tymir O'Neal hit a burst as the ball left quarterback Khalil Greene's hand to get by Tigers cornerback Brayden Andrews. O'Neal made a diving, finger-tip catch to keep a drive alive.
"Their long ball, they converted. ... Their quarterback threw the ball right on the money," Southern coach Jim Roth said. "Those kids laid out and made some great plays."
Basketball experience
Southern Columbia defensive lineman Isaac Carter wasn't sure how he caught the interception he returned for a touchdown. The senior was playing on instinct.
He pointed out he knew what play was coming, so he didn't rush the passer. He stayed at the line of scrimmage, and, like the good post defender he is in basketball, he looked like was denying the ball in the post. The screen pass bounced off his forearm, while he was looking at the receiver, he caught the bobble and returned it 68 yards for a score to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead.
Strange game
Southern Columbia ran 50 offensive plays, punted just once, and scored just one offensive touchdown before Carter Madden's game-winning TD run with less than a minute to play.
The Tigers had 266 yards on the ground, but they were stopped inside the 20 on downs twice and also turned over the ball twice.
"It was an odd game. I can't remember a game where we punted just one time and still only had one offensive touchdown," Roth said "Moved the ball well enough to get field position and not punt, but not well enough to put the ball in the end zone."
