SHAMOKIN-Coming into Friday night’s PIAA first round game at Shamokin, it was no secret that Juniata wasn’t given much of a chance to win. Not only did the Indians prove the so-called “experts” wrong, they did so in convincing fashion. A defense that forced six turnovers and passing game that hit big plays throughout the first three quarters proved to be exactly the formula needed to pull off what many consider a surprise. Juniata advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals for the second consecutive season thanks to a 27-7 win. District 11 champion Southern Lehigh (11-2) awaits the Indians next week.
“We read the newspapers too in Juniata County, and we have the internet,” Juniata coach Kurt Condo said. “Our guys just played their guts out. They deserve a little bit of respect, they have been resilient all year long. No one gave us a chance, and we took advantage of what they gave us, and our playmakers made plays. We have a lot of guys that just went all out tonight, and I love them. I love the commitment they’ve given all season, it’s great.”
Juniata (9-3) converted the first turnover into points midway through the opening quarter. Connor Boreman recovered a fumble, and on the very next play, quarterback Wyatt Ehrenzeller got his huge night underway by connecting with Boreman for a 26-yard touchdown pass against man coverage. Boreman hauled in three passes for 79 yards, while Ehrenzeller finished with 264 yards on 8-of-19 passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
“Boreman is just one of those guys that you trust,” Condo said. “I trust a lot of these guys, and you know they put forth the effort all throughout the offseason, and it shows up in big games like this.”
Shamokin (12-1) looked like it was about to even things up, but the Juniata defense put together an impressive goal-line stand. Quarterback Logan Steele was stopped a yard short of the end zone on a third down play, and then Zakem Clinton was stuffed on fourth-and-goal. Three plays after the Indians got the ball back, Ehrenzeller would strike again. This time, he would find Jasper Shepps, who beat his man, then won a foot race down the right sideline on a 97-yard touchdown pass to give Juniata a 13-0 lead with 3:12 left in the first quarter.
“It might be a school record,” Condo said of the long pass. “We were just trusting our guys. We let the playmakers make plays, I don’t know what else to say. The kids showed a lot of grit, a lot of determination, they’ve been working hard. I really felt like we’ve had a lot of experience the past couple of years in the playoffs, and know what to expect. We knew what it took to keep going this long into the season.”
Early in the second quarter, the lead would extend to 21-0 when Ehrenzeller dropped a beautiful ball into the hands of Shepps from 27 yards out in the left corner of the end zone. Shamokin would promptly respond on its next possession. Facing a 3rd-and-21 situation, Steele threw a short screen pass over the middle to Chase Pensyl, and the speedy receiver did the rest. Pensyl found space and sprinted 92 yards to pay dirt, getting the Indians back in it. Another potential scoring drive before halftime was hampered by a hurdling call in the red zone, and the threat fizzled with a turnover on downs.
Trailing by two scores at halftime, there was plenty of time left for Shamokin to make a second-half push. However, that mindset would change in a matter of seconds. A line-drive kickoff hit a Shamokin player at midfield, and Lane Peiper fell on it to give Juniata an unexpected takeaway. Right after, the Indians took a downfield shot, and it paid off. Shepps put an exclamation point on his huge night with another long-distance connection from Ehrenzeller. The 51-yard scoring strike once again gave Juniata a three-possession lead, and took away any momentum Shamokin had generated. Shepps finished with four receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
“We were talking as we were going into half saying, ‘Listen, it’s going to be 21-14, and we’re going to get the ball back,'” Shamokin coach Marc Persing said. “We’re going to have to claw our way out of it, but if there’s a team around that can do it, it’s us. But it was just one thing after another, after another, but that’s why you play the game.”
Using an effective running game, Shamokin once again looked like it would make things interesting, but the mistake-prone Indians coughed it up again. Hunter Erb recovered a fumble at the 1-yard line to halt yet another scoring opportunity. Shamokin would commit four turnovers in the second half, and Juniata was effectively able to play keep away with some time-consuming possessions.
“Six turnovers, it doesn’t matter how good of a season you’ve had,” Persing said. “We tried to emphasize all week that Juniata doesn’t care what our record is. Juniata doesn’t care that we beat Jersey Shore last week or that we won the Coal Bucket. They weren’t bigger than us. They weren’t stronger than us, and they dominated us. So we have to look ourselves in the mirror and just say for tonight, they were the better football team. Coach (Condo) did a tremendous job game planning against us. We’ve survived by big plays all year, and it’s just the nature of how we lost tonight. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not indicative of this football team or the success we’ve had this year.”
Juniata 13 8 6 0-27
Shamokin 0 7 0 0-7
Individual Scoring
First Quarter
J-Connor Boreman 26 pass from Wyatt Ehrenzeller (Andel Lopez kick) 6:22
J-Jasper Shepps 97 pass from Ehrenzeller (run failed) 3:12
Second Quarter
J-Shepps 27 pass from Ehrenzeller (Lane Peiper run) 9:50
S-Chase Pensyl 92 pass from Logan Steele (Colin Steinhart kick) 6:19
Third Quarter
J-Shepps 51 pass from Ehrenzeller (kick failed) 11:50
Team Statistics
………………………J…………………S
1st downs………13……………….13
rush-yds……….41-119………….36-204
comp-att-int…8-19-2……………5-22-2
pass yds………264……………….129
total yds………..383…………….333
fumb-lost………2-0……………….5-4
pen-yds………….7-44…………….9-65
Individual Statistics
Rushing-Juniata: Lane Peiper 13-57; Wyatt Ehrenzeller 8-51; Isaac Ramirez 2-13; Ayden Dowling 13-9; Javier Lopez 2-0; Team 1-(-1); Gage Harlon 2-(-10). Shamokin: Zakem Clinton 12-102; Logan Steele 11-58; Jayce Ginck 11-44; Chase Pensyl 2-0.
Passing-Juniata: Ehrenzeller 8-19-2, 264 yds., 4 TDs. Shamokin: Steele 5-22-2, 129 yds., TD.
Receiving-Juniata: Jasper Shepps 4-177, 3 TDs; Connor Boreman 3-79, TD; Peiper 1-8. Shamokin: Pensyl 4-115, TD; Ben Delbaugh 1-14.
