H.S FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Tigers learn important early lesson
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The Daily Item
WILLIAMSTOWN — Southern Columbia’s 30-12 victory over Williams Valley on Saturday was much closer than the final score indicated.
The Tigers led 8-6 until taking control of the game in the third quarter, and halfback Grady Garcia said Southern Columbia learned a lesson in the victory.
It’s a lesson certainly better learned in Week 2.
“That’s what we were talking about on the sideline. We definitely seemed flat in the locker room before the game,” Garcia said. “You could tell in the first half when we really didn’t do much.”
Perhaps the best thing that happened to the Tigers was Williams Valley taking an early lead.
“It snapped us out of it,” Garcia said. “It was a wake-up call.”
—Todd Hummel
Garcia’s good dayGrady Garcia had 283 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Vikings. His older brother, Gavin, had a big day on Saturday at his new college, The Citadel.
The FCS Bulldogs beat FBS Charlotte 43-41 in three overtimes.
Gavin Garcia, a transfer from Kent State, carried the ball 21 times for 137 yards and three scores.
—Todd Hummel
Bad luckThere wasn’t much Selinsgrove quarterback Rocco Amato could do about the first interception he threw in Friday night’s 28-10 loss to Mifflinburg.
The ball went off the hands of his intended receiver, Isaac Thomas, and another Seal had his hands on the ball as well. It finally ended up an interception when Grady Brubaker caught the second ricochet for an interception.
—Todd Hummel
Heads-up playWilliams Valley punted in the fourth quarter, and Mason Bower was letting the ball roll to a stop. Before the play could be blown dead, however, Grady Garcia picked up the ball on the right sideline and returned the punt 29 yards across the field to the Vikings 35.
“The other team just thinks the ball is going to be dead; he was just going to let the ball roll dead,” Grady Garcia said. “I noticed he shaded to one side (to down the ball), and I just picked it up and ran to the other side.”
—Todd Hummel
Good on goodTwo of the area’s best receivers — Shikellamy’s Thomas Pollock and Lewisburg’s Jaylen Walker — matched up against each other for most of Friday’s game on each side of the ball, with each standout making big plays.
Pollock hauled in a perfectly thrown pass from sophomore Bobby Felmy for the game’s first touchdown, then got behind the defense for another score. The Shikellamy senior got loose in the fourth quarter on a trick play, taking a reverse to the end zone to create some separation in a game the Braves controlled throughout.
In the second quarter, Walker covered Pollock man-to-man on a corner route. He snagged the pass for an interception right in front of Pollock and returned it for more than 20 yards.
—Bill Bowman
TrustWhile Shikellamy was in control most of the game Friday, it was still 14-0 late in the third quarter when the Braves lined up to punt from inside their own 20 in a heavy rainstorm.
Instead, Pollock took off on a fake punt, running for more than 10 yards and a first down, allowing the Braves to flip the field and chew up more clock.
“That punt was pretty crazy. We were planning on punting,” Shikellamy coach Mike Hoover said. “I whispered to him, ‘Be smart here. If you’ve got it, take it.’ Heck of a play.”
—Bill Bowman
Young QBs shineMidd-West’s Witten Carter and Milton’s Kamryn Wilson both showed out to lead their respective teams to their first wins of the season.
Carter tossed all four of his touchdown passes in the opening half, with two going to D’Angelo Drumheller. Carter was 7-for-9 for 184 yards and the four TDs, throwing more touchdowns than incompletions.
“Guys were wide open,” Carter said. “They made plays; that’s all it is.”
The Mustangs finished with 448 offensive yards, including 264 through the air. Eight plays resulted in gains of 20 or more yards against a disheartened Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech group.
Wilson, a sophomore for the Black Panthers, also threw four touchdown passes, including three to Jacori Brown, in Milton’s dominant win over Hughesville on Friday.
The Black Panthers defense held the Spartans to just 27 total yards and two first downs.
Wilson and Brown connected twice for scores in the second quarter — for 27 and 7 yards. They capped the second score with a two-point pass as well.
Jhemzuel Feliciano led Milton with five receptions and 82 yards. Half of Wilson’s eight completions went for touchdowns.
—Bill Bowman
Big-time performanceShamokin senior Logan Steele, a Wake Forest commit, was big as the Indians overwhelmed Danville with 31 first-quarter points Friday for their 22nd consecutive regular-season win.
Steele made a handful of big plays as he was responsible for four different types of touchdowns. He threw for one, ran for another, and returned both an interception and a fumble for scores. He threw for 150 yards on just three completions and also ran seven times for 38 yards.
“Logan Steele is amazing. He’s probably one of the best athletes I’ve ever had the opportunity to compete against,” Danville coach Shawn Sheptock said. “There’s no doubt why he’s a Division I player. He’s got great speed, great football mind, (and) his instincts are tremendous.”
—Matt Beltz
2-and-ohLogan Stevenson continues to grow as Warrior Run’s starting quarterback, throwing two touchdowns and running for another in the Defenders’ 42-19 win over Central Mountain.
Stevenson threw TDs to Bryson Weigel and Liam Moore.
Denyn Beachel offered some balance with 180 yards on 26 carries, and the Defenders’ defense allowed just two first downs.
—Bill Bowman
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