CLYMER, Pa. – Tempers flared and flags flew often in Penns Manor’s 40-14 slugging of Northern Cambria to maintain the Comets undefeated in a showdown involving the Heritage Conference’s top rated two teams at Pat Corrigan Field on Friday night time.
“We understood we were being in for a fight with this group,” Penns Manor mentor Bill Packer reported. “Northern (Cambria) is hard. They’re athletic. They have a lot of seniors on that workforce. We just understood we have been in for a struggle. We’re neighbors to each and every other, and you could just inform at instances they received a small chippy and stuff.”
The 6- Comets overcame 9 penalties for a decline of 80 yards with a pair of landing runs from quarterback Max Hill, a sneak by Ashton Courvina and a quick grab from Justin Marshall, who capped off the night time with a 90-garden interception return.
Meanwhile, the Colts’ typically explosive offense was held to just 153 yards, together with a floor recreation that dipped into the negatives with Northern Cambria quarterbacks becoming dropped in the backfield on 5 separate instances. Quarterback Owen Bougher was chased from the match following throwing two touchdown passes – a 65-property Hail Mary on the Colts’ first offensive enjoy of the recreation and a speedy 5-property shot to Ty Dumm in the 3rd quarter.
The sport seemed to be a shut a person in the opening minutes. Penns Manor place together an 8-perform, four-minute push that observed Hill link with Marshall 41 yards out before the quarterback snuck up the center for a 2-property landing at 7:20 in the initial to make it 6-. Colton Shields strike the point-after try for a 7- lead.
Bougher, a 5-foot-10 senior, identified Myers for the 65-garden shot considerably less than 30 seconds right after Hill’s 1st rating. Trey Pershing’s kick went as a result of the uprights, and the Colts (4-2) tied the sport at 7 with just below seven minutes left in the very first.
The Comets rose to the Colts’ problem. A 65-yard travel downfield, highlighted by Marshall’s 36-property run to get Penns Manor to the Northern 13, was capped off by Courvina slipping into the close zone on 2nd-and-inches. Shields’ kick missed, but the Comets pushed their direct to 13-7 at 2:43.
Which is when Northern Cambria began to tumble aside.
Bougher linked on quick passes to Myers and Ty Dumm but could not shift the ball, struggling with third-and-2 and acquiring sacked by Penns Manor’s Hill and Carter Smith to make it fourth-and-20. The Colts took a personalized foul penalty on the punt return, providing the Comets key set up at Northern Cambria’s 14.
Marshall went on an 8-lawn spurt to get his group to the 5, and Hill ran it in on the subsequent perform for a 5-property rating. Hill located Smith in the end zone for the two-level conversion, and Penns Manor went up 21-7 6 seconds into the second quarter.
The Comets scored at the time extra in the initial fifty percent, completing a 10-participate in, five-minute and 70-property push on Hill’s 9-lawn shot Marshall to go up 27-7 with 3 minutes left in the 2nd following Shield’s kick was blocked.
Northern Cambria came into the second 50 % seeking for gritty points.
Bougher connected up with Xander Dolansky two times in a row for passes of 18 and 10 yards, but the Colts confronted fourth-and-11 at the Comets’ 39. Ben Janosko fumbled a bad snap on the punt, but recovered and carried for what would have been a initial down, if wanted. As a substitute, the Comets dedicated back again-to-back again unsportsmanlike penalties to all but hand more than Northern Cambria’s 2nd touchdown of the evening – a quick 5-yard pass to Dumm.
Bougher, who was changed by Ethan Donatelli in the fourth quarter, finished his night time 11-for-20 for 169 yards and an interception. His prime receivers were Dolansky, who tallied 78 yards, and Myers, who set up 76 yards on 4 completions.
“(Bougher) is these kinds of a fantastic athlete,” Packer mentioned. “We fearful all 7 days. We viewed him. We received to see a whole lot of their film, and all year he’s been rolling. … He releases the ball rapid, so we understood we had to get stress on him. But he can just throw the ball so swift. We have been concerned.”
Any momentum received was promptly missing, as the Colts returned the favor with a confront mask connect with and individual foul of their have that gave Penns Manor two 1st downs by penalty on the future drive as tempers flared and gamers ended up pulled apart immediately after virtually every whistle.
“What we did was we known as a timeout and attempted to carry them and calm them down,” Packer reported of the scrums. “We told the, ‘Play the recreation, and you can glimpse at the scoreboard later on. Retain your mouths shut. Do not talk again.”
The Comets could not capitalize even though, with Hill’s move supposed for Smith falling incomplete and turning the ball around on downs at the Colts’ 8.
Penns Manor’s protection, which has held opponents to just five touchdowns, pushed the Colts out in 4 performs, and Courvina located a gap for a 34-property touchdown have. Hill’s move for the two-level conversion failed, but their gain was extended to 33-14 with 11:39 to go in the 3rd.
In an try to regain moment, Bougher observed Dolansky all over again for a 40-property completion and give the Colts a very first down at the Comets’ 15. Bougher attempted to repeat the engage in, but Marshall arrived up with the interception and went the distance for a 90-garden choose 6 with 9 minutes remaining in the third. Shields nailed the PAT to give Penns Manor its last rating of 40-17.
“When (Marshall) receives open and there is green in entrance of him,” Packer laughed, “he’s speedy. When we saw him go up and get going, it felt very superior.”
Hill went 3-for-4 for 57 yards and additional 45 rushing yards for a quieter night time than normal.
“He’s just a great athlete and does very good factors for us,” Packer claimed. “What else can I say about him?”
Courvina rushed for 106 yards on 12 carries, though Marshall gathered 47 yards on the floor and 57 as the Comets’ only receiver. Collectively, Penns Manor had 348 complete offensive yards, with 291 coming on the hurry.
“(Courvina) is just one of people children that doesn’t glimpse like he has a good deal of speed,” Packer explained, “but he has so quite a few moves. He cuts back and will get skinny by the holes. He puts yardage on when you really don’t imagine there is everything there.”
Northern Cambria heads back again home to host West Shamokin following week, although Penns Manor visits Heritage newcomer Portage.