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Clairton makes it look easy in Monessen win
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By Keith Barnes
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 10:40 p.m.
Updated: Monday, December 10, 2012
Clairton senior Tyler Boyd stood at the 45-yard line and stared Monessen players down as they were introduced.
“I wanted them to know who I was and to try to stop me because ain't nobody stopping me,” Boyd said. “I let them know I'm here, and I'm ready.”
If the Greyhounds didn't know what Boyd was about before the game, they quickly found out. Clairton broke open a close game before halftime and rolled to a 52-7 victory Thursday, extending its WPIAL-record and nation-leading winning streak to 51.
The Bears (4-0, 4-0) scored 26 consecutive points in the final 6 minutes, 8 seconds of the first half, including two touchdowns in a 17-second span during the final minute, to brush aside Monessen (3-1, 3-1) and earn the 601st win in school history.
Clairton entered the game as the top-ranked Class A team in the Trib Total Media rankings, and Monessen was No. 4.
“We've been getting hyped since we won our last game,” Clairton senior Titus Howard said. “We've been looking forward to this game all season because everybody kept saying that this was going to be the team to end our streak, and we wanted to make sure that didn't happen.”
Boyd, a top Division I prospect, rolled up 257 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns. He carried 12 times for 154 yards and two scores, chipped in two catches for 52 and another TD and completed both of his passes for 51 yards.
This also was the first time all season Clairton had its full team. Ten players sat out the first three games because of injuries and disciplinary issues.
“Our offensive line had almost a perfect game blocking for me, so I know that if they played strong, we'd be cool after that,” Boyd said. “It definitely sends a message across the WPIAL that we're the most talented team, but we're just going to go game by game and dominate every opponent.”
Clairton started the rolling clock 12 seconds into the third quarter when Vinny Moody returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to put the Bears ahead, 46-7.
Monessen, the first team Clairton defeated to start its winning streak Sept. 11, 2009, appeared to be one of the few WPIAL teams that could challenge the Bears during Black Hills Conference play. But the Greyhounds could not keep up once Clairton got going late in the second quarter following a 33-yard touchdown scramble by Monessen quarterback Chavas Rawlins.
“We made errors and, when you make errors against this team, they're going to grab you around the neck because that's what they do,” Monessen coach Andy Pacak said. “Every single thing we did wrong, they took advantage of it. We had some (bad) snaps and a fumble and, they're a great team and great teams do that.”
Keith Barnes is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at kbarnes@tribweb.com or 412-664-9161 Ext. 1977.
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