Cedar Crest’s Gristick is Player of the Week

October 28th, 2009 8:51 am · 0 comments

Falcons’ QB leads Cedar Crest to wild come-from-behind win vs. McCaskey

Cedar Crest was due.

And looking up at a four-game losing skid, and at a 22-6 deficit at McCaskey on Monday night, the Falcons were probably thinking, uh-oh, here we go again.

But Gary Gristick wasn’t going to let it happen.

Cedar Crest’s senior QB put the Falcons’ under his sturdy right arm and helped his team pull off a wild 27-22 come-from-behind win over McCaskey, snapping Cedar Crest’s four-game losing streak in the process.

It was a crazy game – a game that was originally slated for last Friday night, but was postponed until Monday because of a sinkhole in McCaskey’s south end zone.

Once the game was finally played, it was McCaskey that grabbed all the momentum, zooming to a 16-6 lead at the half, then to a 22-6 lead in the third quarter.

That’s when the Falcons got hot.

First, Gristick tossed a laser-beam 9-yard slant to Nate Horn for a touchdown, and the comeback was on.

After Cedar Crest’s Dustin McFarland slammed in from the 4 to cut into McCaskey’s lead again, Gristick gave the Falcons the lead for good when he found RB Charles Kyeremeh over the middle, and Kyeremeh gathered in the pass, bounced off a couple of Red Tornado defenders, and rumbled 80 yards for the go-ahead TD.

Cedar Crest did fumble late, but survived when McCaskey, facing a second-and-goal at the Falcons’ 1 with just over a minute to play, turned the ball back over on a fumble.

It was a crushing defeat for McCaskey, which saw its losing streak hit 19 games in a row.

Gristick’s efficient line: 10-for-15 for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns. And, as become his specialty, he was not intercepted.

For his efforts – and for helping Cedar Crest snap its four-game losing streak and earn its first Section 1 win this season – Gristick is the LancSports.com Player of the Week.

Gristick is enjoyed a fine season in the pocket for the Falcons, who were without first-year head coach Tom Waranavage (flu) on Monday. Cedar Crest is 3-5 overall, and if it wins out, will complete a .500 season – after going just 2-8 last year.

Gristick has been ultra steady in the passing department, completing 59 percent of his throws – 58-of-98 – for 928 yards and eight touchdowns. He is the fifth-ranked passer in the L-L League.

But here is where Gristick has shined – he has not been intercepted through eight games.

Gristick is also one of the top punters in the L-L League. The former all-star punter selection leads the league’s top-ranked punting unit this season, averaging 39.9 yards per boot.

Cedar Crest takes on Reading on Friday in Lebanon.

I caught up with Mr. Gristick after the thrill-a-minute victory over McCaskey. We chatted about the Falcons’ mad comeback, about how the team has hung in there this season despite a losing streak, and about his prowess for not throwing picks.