By Brian Ptashinski @BPtashinski on Twitter
ORWIGSBURG- The last remaining undefeated football team in all of District 11 was the Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes as they ventured into the Eagles nest to face rival Blue Mountain Friday night before a standing-room-only crowd. When the dust settled, the Eagles came a way with a 28-24 win.
Eagles quarterback David Krewson connected with his tight end Danny Greenawalt with a 15-yard scoring pass with 3:38 left in the contest to give his team the final margin of victory. The defense had to make a last second stand as Chase Sincavage came up with a interception with 26 seconds left to seal the deal.
Lozada pass picked off and @BMEFootball knock off Schuylkill Haven 28-24 @EPAFootball @BadgleyBruce @HSPNSports @69SportsBT #lvvarsity pic.twitter.com/MzL8mjJYXK
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 29, 2016
The game started out with Schuylkill Haven jumping out to a 14-0 lead when Danny Lozada raced 42 yards for a score just four plays into the contest. Lozada rushed for 107 yards on 19 tallies for the game. The Hurricanes then took advantage of a muffed punt at the Eagles 27. Mike Kaylen capped the drive with a one-yard run. Blue Mountain had an answer, when Brayden Lewis took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards to pay dirt and cut the lead in half.
“I was happy just to get some points on the board there. They had the momentum, we wanted to get it back. It was huge,” stated Lewis afterwards.
The Eagles tied the game late in the second quarter as Cameron Umbenhauer got behind the defense and hauled in a 50 yard pass from Krewson. That lead did not stand for long, however, as Dawson Evitts connected on a 28-yard field goal at the close of the half giving Schuylkill Haven a 17-14 lead.
Both teams benefitted from defensive touchdowns to begin the second half of play. On an errant snap by Haven to start the quarter, Aaron Bensinger scooped up the ball at the two and waltzed in for a score giving the Eagles’ their first lead at 21-17.
A Hurricane punt pinned Blue Mountain their own two yard line. Umbenhaur, was being tackled in his endzone, and he fumbled the ball as he was going down. Austin Yoder recovered it giving the lead back to Schuylkill Haven at 24-21 with 2:25 left in the quarter.
The game winning drive began as the Eagles stopped Lozada on a fourth and one at the Eagles 36 with about eight minutes left to play. The big play was a 44-yard connection from Krewson to Nate Calderone on third down from the Eagles 29. The drive seemed to have stalled at the hurricane 15 with 3:43 left to play when Blue Mountain called a timeout to setup the game winning score. Coming out with a full house backfield disguised what ended up being the touchdown to win the game as Greenawalt slipped out in the flat to catch the scoring dart.
The Hurricanes down, but not out as a Lozada completion to Luckenbill and and 19 yard run by Lozada setup up Haven in Eagles territory. Lozada then tried a fade route pass from the 19. Sincavage had perfect coverage, came down with the ball and took a knee to secure the win.
“Our kids never ever quit. Throughout this season we were down and they just kept fighting all season. They have so much heart. They are never out of the game,” exclaimed an elected Cory Mabry Head coach of Blue Mountain.
Blue Mountain(8-2) was disappointed to find out that they were eliminated from district play as Pottsville defeated North Schuylkill 15-9 and Saucon Valley knocked off Palisades Friday night. The Eagles will face Northwestern Lehigh in Eastern Conference playoffs at a date and site to be determined.
Schuylkill Haven(9-1) will qualify for Districts in 2A bracket and will face Mahanoy Area at home next Saturday night.
