Wyalusing survives late Canton threat for 25-21 win
By: Ed Weaver | PIAA District IV | September 3, 2017
The Wyalusing Rams improved to 2-0 after fending off a late surge by Canton as time expired in the fourth quarter.
After two early touchdowns by Canton's Timmy Ward, one on a pass from Michael Smithers and the other on a 67-yard fumble recovery, the Rams eventually found the scoreboard on a Carl Gowin 5-yard touchdown run. Then, a 51-yard pass from Calvin Burke to Connor Barton tied it up at 13-13.
Burke put the Rams up 19-13 on a 9-yard pass to Riley God before the end of the first half. Burke later caught a touchdown pass, a 9-yarder from Shane Fuhrey to go up 25-13.
Smithers and Ward would later connect from 13 yards out to pull within 25-21 following a two-point pass.
Canton had one final drive late in the game from their own 10-yard line. The Warriors made it down to the Wyalusing 5 but ran out of time before they could find the end zone.
Smithers was 15-for-39 for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns and Ward caught 13 passes for 255 yards and 2 scores For the Warriors.
For Wyalusing, Burke was 9-for-20 passing for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns and Fuhrey gained 72 yards on 9 carries.
Athens 26, North Penn-Mansfield 12
Zack Jayne rushed for 283 yards on 37 attempts and scored all four of the Wildcats' touchdowns in the NTL Large School win over the Panthers. The Panthers scored first with 4:12 remaining in the first quarter as Brendan Hill took a draw handoff and raced 69 untouched for the score. The kick failed and the Panthers led 6-0.
Jayne then took over and rushed for a 19 yard score to put Athens up 7-6 after Aric Westbrook's extra point in the second. North Penn battled back later in the quarter, as Brent Burleigh connected with Hunter May down inside the 20, then Burleigh found Dylan Wesneski from 15 yards out for the score. The following two-point conversion attempt was no good, and the Panthers led 12-6.
Jayne gave Athens a 14-12 lead as time ran out in the first half to put the Wildcats up for good. The third quarter was scoreless before Jayne scored twice more in the fourth to close the game out.
Kaden Rude finished 5-for-9 with 81 yards though the air for Athens, and Burleigh was 14-for-24 for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Wellsboro 48, Sayre 14
The Hornets scored 42 first-half points en route to their second win of the season.
Wellsboro scored early and often as Aidan Hauser punched the ball across the goal line from 4 yards out with 5:43 left in the opening frame. Just over a minute later, Chase Moser intercepted a Corbin Brown pass and took it 45 yards for the score to make it 14-0.
Hauser scored his second rushing touchdown with 1:42 left in the first to make it 22-0, then Dalton Prough caught a 29 yard pass from Quinn Henry just under a minute into the second quarter, and a 49 yard run by Henry pushed the lead to 35-0 midway through the second.
The Hornets scored once more in the first half. With just over two minutes remaining, Moser spun out of a tackle then outraced the Redskins from 65 yards out to pay dirt.
Moser scored Wellsboro's final points early in the third quarter to make it 48-0 before Sayre scored late in the third and late in the fourth.
Moser rushed for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 carriers, Henry had 112 yards & a touchdown on 6 carries and was 4-for-5 passing for 58 yards and a touchdown. Hauser scored twice and had 59 yards rushing, and Prough caught 2 passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively Hunter Brown had 10 tackles, Robert Brown recorded 6 tackles, and Zach Florio recorded 4 tackles and 2 sacks, giving him 5 sacks on the year as Wellsboro held Sayre to just 116 yards of total offense.
Muncy 31, Troy 21
The Indians improved to 2-0 with a home win over the Trojans on Friday. After an early Troy touchdown, Muncy's Colby Alpaugh raced 19 yards into the end zone to tie the game, but then the Trojans answered right back to retake the lead on a 6 yard run by Bailey Cohick. Muncy cut Troy's lead to 14-10 on a 32-yard Nate Paisley field goal, then took the lead on a 17-yard pass from Coleman Good to Dylan Wilt before the half to make it 17-14.
The Indians scored two more times on runs by Michael Kustanbauter and Alpaugh to make it 31-14 before Troy scored their final points.
Alpaugh led all rushers with 140 yards and two scores on 27 carries. Good passed for 159 yards and a score. Jackson led Troy with 103 yards rushing and one score.
Next week Troy travels to take on Jersey Shore, while Muncy hosts Cowanesque Valley.
Warrior Run 34, Milton 14
The Defenders picked up a PHAC win over the rival Black Panthers. Warrior Run got on the board first with a defensive touchdown, but Milton tied it right back up. Warrior Run put the game away with 21 unanswered points points in the second quarter. The Defenders added 6 more points in the fourth and Milton scored for the final time in the fourth.
Pacey Howard rushed for a game-high 181 yards and 2 touchdowns on 30 carries while Gage Anzulavich was 9-for-14 for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Other Friday Scores
Towanda 47, Bucktail 20
Hughesville 31, Central Mountain 13
Loyalsock 27, Shamokin 7
Line Mountain 56, Millersburg 7
Danville 34, South Williamsport 33
Selinsgrove 48, Montoursville 21
Central Columbia 45, Lewisburg 6
Upper Dauphin 33, East Juniata 14
Mount Carmel 31, Shikellamy 14
Southern Columbia 49, Bloomsburg 0
Jersey Shore 38, Mifflinburg 0
Greater Nanticoke 50, CMVT 13
Montgomery 27, Cowanesque Valley 6
Ed Weaver is the owner of Circle W Sports in Wellsboro, PA, is the Sports Director for The Home Page Network and the creator of WellsboroAthletics.com and WellsboroFootball.com. You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
