KNOX — Dom Corcetti accounted for over 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns as No. 4 Ridgway ended No. 5 Ridgway’s season with a 42-21 in the District 9 Class 1A quarterfinals.
Corcetti threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and ran for 203 yards and three scores. The Panthers (5-5) also had three interceptions — two by Drew Keth — in a game that was far different than the 22-20 win by the Panthers over the Elkers back on Oct. 11.
For the game, Keystone had 527 yards of total offense compared to 217 for Ridgway (4-7).
It was the Eli Nellis show early for Keystone, as an interception on Ridgway’s opening drive led to a 50-yard run by Nellis on the very next play to make it 6-0
On the ensuing Ridgway drive, the Elkers took their only lead of the game, with Rocco Delhunty capping a 10-play, 50-yard drive that made it 7-6 after the extra point.
It was Nellis again on the next possession for Keystone, however, as he hauled in a 63-yard touchdown pass from Coretti to make it 12-7.
Corectti called his own number late in the second quarter, scoring the first of his three touchdown runs that, coupled with the 2-point conversion, made it 20-7 Panthers at halftime.
Corcetti also had an interception on defense in the game, and it came on Ridway’s first drive of the second half. It led to his second touchdown run of the game to make it 28-7.
Ridgway took advantage of a Keystone fumble, pouncing on the ball at the Panthers 8-yard line after their ensuing drive stalled out. The result was a Michael Gerg 3-yard touchdown run that made it 27-14.
The momentum for the Elkers was short-lived, however, as Nellis capped a 5-play, 49-yard drive for the Elkers with a 26-yard touchdown run to make it 34-14 with 2:10 to play in the third quarter.
Gerg again cut it to a two-score game with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, by Corcetti put the finishing touches on his game on the next Keystone possession, scoring on a 46-yard touchdown run to put it away.
The Elkers did nearly all of their damage offensively on the ground. Delhunty finished with 17 carries for 64 yards, while Gerg had 12 carries for 57 yards and Nate Steger 13 carries for 53 yards.
With the win, Keystone advances to play No. 1 seed Port Allegany in the semifinals. The Gators had a first-round bye. The two teams met in Week 1 of the the season, with Port Allegany (10-0) coming away with a 35-18.
That game will be next week at a site and time to be determined, with the most likely locations being either Bradford or Kane.