Although the Tunkhannock Tigers lost the game to Berwick, 42-20, they proved to everyone that they wouldn’t go down to any team without a fight. Before the game started, you could see from the program that Tunkhannock was at a huge disadvantage. Tunkhannock had a compact list on the back of the program with decent sized font, hosting about 25 names. However, Berwick had a 2 page insert with a list of their roster, filling up a page an a half of names on their varsity squad.
Berwick also has a great reputation as a powerhouse in the District, while Tunkhannock has been an after thought in the league for quite a few years now. Apparently someone forgot to tell the Tigers that. From opening kickoff the the ending buzzer, Tunkhannock play non-stop, relentless football.
Early on in the game, it looked as though Berwick would take advantage of this depth-ridden team, as they started off the game with a 21-0 lead. But, towards the end of the half, Tunkhannock put up two impressive drives and scored both time times, making the score 28-12, thanks to great team play on both defense and special teams. After what seemed to be a blowout, it looked as though Tunkhannock was coming back. But, with under a minute left in the half, quarterback AJ Mihaly threw a 70 yard bomb to his receiver, and scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half, putting the Dawgs up 35-12. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Tunkhannock bobbled the return, and Berwick scooped it up and ran it in for another score, putting them up even more, 40-12, to end the half. After what looked so promising for this young Tiger team, seemed to go all down the drain by the end of the half.
But, the second half rolls around, and instead of seeing an unmotivated Tiger team, they seem to storm out of the locker room, showing that they are still hungry for more. After starting the game, then being relieved by Tunkhannock’s other QB, quarterback TJ Jenkins came back in the game, and drove the team on a 75 yard drive in his third possession after halftime. The drive included a 60 yard, on the run pass, to his receiver. It’s too bad that this would be Tunkhannock’s final score of the game.
After looking at the score, 42-20, you would think that Berwick was by far the superior team, but if those two costly mistakes did not happen at the end of the 1st half, the Tigers may have had a shot in this one. With new coach Frank Bernardeli, Tunkhannock looks to be on it’s way to a solid season and solid foundation, and expect big things from them going forward. But, Berwick really looked like a high power offense, and could very well go deep into the playoffs once again this season.
