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Fox Chapel trounces Shaler for 1st win
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By Stephen Catanese
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12:34 a.m.
Updated: Saturday, September 29, 2012
After going winless in its first four games, Fox Chapel was looking for anyone to give its offense a spark. Instead, three running backs provided the impetus that let the Foxes end their slide.
Identical twins Nigel and Chad Garnett and Carrington Vaughn each ran for more than 100 yards as Fox Chapel earned its first win of the season, a 49-14 victory against Shaler in Quad North play Friday night in Fox Chapel.
“They deserve it. They've been working hard,” Fox Chapel coach Eric Ravotti said. “It's a testament to the offensive line for blocking better than they had the first four games. Hopefully this gives them the confidence to continue to get better each week, because the opponents we have are good every week.”
The Fox Chapel offensive line was assertive all night, creating big holes from the opening drive. After forcing a three-and-out on Shaler's opening possession, Fox Chapel (1-4, 1-3) went 71 yards on three plays and took an early lead on Chad Garnett's 34-yard run.
The Shaler offense flowed through senior quarterback Brad Good, who threw for 100 yards and ran for 45. With his team trailing, 21-0, in the second quarter, he gave the Titans (0-4, 0-5) a boost by carrying the ball 40 yards before lateraling to lineman Nick Carey.
Carey barreled the final 2 yards into the end zone for the first of his two rushing touchdowns.
“Brad's just an athletic kid who makes plays, and he's getting better,” Shaler coach Chris Siegle said. “I don't know if (Carey) has ever scored a touchdown in his life before tonight. When it was his chance to make a play and his time to take advantage of an opportunity, he did.”
Fox Chapel contained Good for the most part, particularly on option plays. The Foxes' offense, meanwhile, continued to rack up huge chunks of yardage.
By halftime, the Garnett brothers had rushed for 171 of Fox Chapel's 222 yards of offense and scored three of its four touchdowns. For the game, Nigel finished with nine carries for 123 yards and a touchdown, and Chad carried the ball 10 times for 101 yards and two scores.
“They're incredibly quick and fast, and they have great vision,” Ravotti said. “Carrington Vaughn is a downhill, smash-mouth type of running back. It gives you a good combination.”
Vaughn, typically one of Fox Chapel's two starting running backs, didn't get his first carry until the second half. But when it came — on the first snap of the third quarter — he made it count. His 61-yard run down the right sideline set up the first of his three rushing touchdowns three plays later.
He finished with 105 yards on 10 carries, all in the second half.
“We changed a few things up to try to take advantage of some of the offense we have,” Ravotti said. “We played better this week offensively than we have in the past.”
Stephen Catanese is a freelance writer.
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