Aaron Domanski

On Friday night, the cold weather couldn’t affect one of the hottest teams in District 4, as Mount Carmel Area (8-4) defeated Line Mountain (7-5) 42-6 in the class “AA” semi-finals at the Silver Bowl. The victory advances the Red Tornadoes into the district championship game for the first time since 2012.

The Big Red wasted no time establishing their dominance on the ground Friday, as the offensive line physically imposed their will early and often on the Line Mountain defense. On MCA’s first drive, sophomore running back Shane Weidner opened the scoring with an 18 yard touchdown run. Following the score, the extreme cold and poor footing on the field clearly contributed to senior kicker Rosolino Mangiapane’s point after attempt being unsuccessful, and the Red Tornadoes led 6-0 4:45 into the game.

Defensively, Mount Carmel Area was just as impressive, as Line Mountain, who had been riding the arm of sophomore quarterback Evan Herb, could not establish any sustained movement offensively. Following the Eagles’ punt, the offensive line went right back to work on the Line Mountain defense. With seniors Harrison Rees and Collin Krakowski at guards, junior Billy Anderson at center, and senior Brendan Boris and sophomore Logan Wills at tackle, this front five, along with help from sophomore Jack Champman, Michael Hood, and Nick Troutman at tight end and senior Manus McCracken at fullback, opened more holes on Friday night than they did in the Disney movie (Holes, 2003).

On this drive, MCA’s “Johnny Football” was the beneficiary, as junior running back John Ayres would score on an 8 yard touchdown run with 4:34 left in the first quarter. Ayres, who lined up at QB, would take the conversion to paydirt and the Red Tornadoes would now lead 14-0. Finding themselves in this hole, Line Mountain was driving down the field on its next possession when quarterback Evan Herb was intercepted by MCA defensive back Michael Cuff. The interception was the senior’s third in the last two weeks. Following Cuff’s pick, the Red Tornadoes wasted no time getting the ball to wingback CJ Reichard, who broke a nice run down to the 1 yard line   Reichard’s number was called again and the senior would take it to paydirt. Rosolino Mangiapane and the kicking unit would accommodate for the extreme cold and poor footing conditions and connect on the PAT, making it 21-0.

Mount Carmel Area would not relent in the second quarter, as the offense would continue the punishing ground assault that would finish with 354 rushing yards on the evening. “The line did a really good job opening holes tonight our backs ran hard. Felt really great about our running game tonight,” said head coach John Darrah. In this quarter, MCA would get two touchdowns. The first from Shane Weidner on a 3 yard run and the second from sophomore quarterback Tommy Reisinger on a 7 yard plunge into the end zone. Mangiapane would add PATs on both, and the Red Tornadoes would lead 35-0 before the half.

Before halftime, Line Mountain would add a late touchdown that was aided by consecutive penalties called on Mount Carmel Area. The first, a roughing the passer call, nullified an interception by MCA linebacker John Ayres, who jumped the route and returned the INT to the end zone. As that penalty was being marked off, MCA was flagged for another, and Line Mountain had the ball inside the 5 yard line. Quarterback Evan Herb would find junior wide receiver Breven Derk for a 4 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 35-6 before the break. The extra point was blocked by MCA’s Manus McCracken. The senior linebacker, who is performing at an all-state level, can add this block to season stats that include 118 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

Following halftime, the Red Tornadoes kept their foot on the gas for the early part of the third quarter and Shane Weidner would score his 3rd touchdown of the night with a 4 yard run. Mangiapane would again add the PAT and the Red Tornadoes increased their lead to 42-6, which would be the final score. Following this touchdown the PIAA mercy rule was in effect and many Mount Carmel Area starters were rested for the remainder of the game. They were able to follow the score of the other District IV “AA” semi-final, which had Southern Columbia defeating Central Columbia 59-14.

Friday’s results sets up a rematch from week 3 that many fans in the coal region will be excited to see. John Darrah’s Red Tornadoes, perhaps the hottest team in District IV, will travel to Southern Columbia next Friday to take on Jim Roth’s Tigers, the defending “AA” district champions.

GAME STATS

 

Rushing:

 

Mount Carmel Area:

 

John Ayres 13-140 TD; Tommy Reisinger 10-100; CJ Reichard 4-37; Shane Weidner 7-36

3 TDs; Tyler Owens 5-24; Noah Berkoski 5-15; Manus McCracken 2-3; Zach Rowe 1-4; Connor Krakowski 1- (-2); Reed Witkoski 4 (-3).

 

Line Mountain:

 

Colby Scott 6-16; Evan Herb 1-6; Tyler Boyer 2 (-6); Jacob Feese 2 (-8)

Passing:

 

Mount Carmel Area:

 

Tommy Reisinger 4-8-0; 44 yards; Noah Berkoski 0-1-0, 0 yards.

 

Line Mountain:

 

Evan Herb 9-23-3; 65 yards TD

 

Receiving:

 

Mount Carmel Area:

 

Manus McCracken 3-35; CJ Reichard 1-9.

 

Line Mountain:

 

Breven Derk 3-26 TD; Gage Bowers 2-21; Brenden Cregger 2-6; Cody Ebersole 1-7; Adam Malafi 2-5.

 

Mount Carmel Area Stats Courtesy Jose Gonzalo

As John Darrah’s Red Tornadoes prepared to make the drive through Lycoming County, as they did for last season’s District IV “AA” Quarter-Finals, feelings of deja-vu had to be present. Mount Carmel Area would be facing the same opponent, the South Williamsport Mounties, who defeated MCA in the same round one year ago.

Once this game reached kick-off, any thoughts were quickly erased, as the Red Tornadoes opened up an early 21-0 lead and used a punishing ground attack the rest of the way to defeat the Mounties, by a score of 28-14.   “We definitely played the toughest schedule in District 4,” said Mount Carmel Area head coach John Darrah. “I think going through those games we gutted out a lot together as a team and that made a difference tonight.”

The Red Tornadoes used their opening drive to set the tone of the game, marching 76 yards on the ground, with junior running back John Ayres taking it the final four yards for the touchdown. Senior kicker Rosolino Mangiapane would add the extra point and MCA led 7-0. “Our first stop and that touchdown gave us a lot of momentum, which was a key factor in the game,” said Ayres. “Overall, the line did an amazing job. They opened up some big holes which allowed all of our backs to gain the yards we did.”

South Williamsport, whose dominant running game was held in check on their first two drives, were able to get things going on their third, advancing to the Mount Carmel 10 yard line. After a penalty, the Mounties attempted a “zero-pass” to their junior quarterback AJ Flick.   It was the same pass that the Mounties used to score a touchdown in last year’s District Playoff. This year the pass met a much different fate. Red Tornado senior defensive back CJ Reichard read the play perfectly and stepped in front for an interception that he returned 83 yards for MCA’s second touchdown. Mangiapane once again added the PAT and the Big Red now lead 14-0. “The interception return happened on a play we stressed during practice this week,” said Reichard. “I thought I had a shot to make the play and went for it. I always love getting the ball in the open field and being able to run. It was a great momentum builder.”

Mount Carmel Area increased that lead to 21-0 on a 26-yard second quarter touchdown run by junior wingback Shane Weidner. After Mangiapane added the PAT, the Mounties were facing a three score deficit on their home field. On the ensuing drive, which was aided by an awkward sideline violation penalty called on Mount Carmel, senior running back Gideon Green finally found some running room. Green carried on five of the drive’s eight plays and took it the final four yards for the score. Senior kicker Dean Seman added the PAT making the score 21-7, where it would stay at halftime.

Green continued his running momentum after half. On South’s first possession he ran for 62 of the drive’s 64 yards, capping it with a two- yard touchdown run. Seman added the PAT and the lead was cut to 21-14. “That was definitely a momentum booster,” said Green, who would finish with 175 yards on the night. Whatever momentum was gained, it was taken away on Mount Carmel’s next offensive possession. The Red Tornadoes masterfully controlled the game flow and time of possession and put together a ten-play, 64-yard drive culminating with a four-yard touchdown run by Shane Weidner.   “I’m very proud of our kids. They have the know how to respond when things get hairy,” said Coach John Darrah. After Mangiapane’s 4th PAT, the Red Tornadoes led 28-14.

The fourth quarter found South Williamsport trying to stage a comeback, but Mount Carmel’s defense stifled the drives, with two ended by interceptions by senior Red Tornado cornerback Michael Cuff. “Our defense really stepped it up tonight,” said Reichard. “Michael Cuff and I made sure to hold our ground. Our D-line and linebackers did an excellent job on Green the entire night, so we knew they would have to take some shots on our secondary. We were prepared.”

After the turnovers, Mount Carmel Area was able to continue to run the ball and run down the clock to seal the 28-14 victory. The win advances the Red Tornadoes into the District IV “AA” semi-finals next Friday night at The Silver Bowl against Line Mountain, a 14-13 winner over Wellsboro. South Williamsport finishes their season at 9-2.

GAME STATS

Rushing:

Mount Carmel

John Ayres 24- 147 TD; Shane Weidner 9-30; CJ Reichard 3-21; Manus McCracken 1-2; Tom Reisinger 5-15.

South Williamsport

Gideon Green 35-175 2 TDS; AJ Flick 3-9; Luke Winner 2-9; Ashton Martin 5-8.

Passing:

Mount Carmel

Tom Reisinger 0-3-0; 0 yards.

South Williamsport

A.J. Flick 2-14-2; 84 yards. Hunter Finn 0-1-1; 0 yards.

Receiving:

Mount Carmel

None.

South Williamsport

Chevy Boley 1-52; Ashton Martin 1-32.

Mount Carmel Area Stats Courtesy of Jose Gonzalo

Building off of last week’s 70-28 victory at Milton, Mount Carmel Area stayed hot and fired on all cylinders in an impressive 58-20 win over Lewisburg in a PHAC Division II game at the Silver Bowl.

The Red Tornadoes wasted no time getting on the score board as senior CJ Reichard scored on the second play from scrimmage with a 70 yard touchdown run. Rosolino Mangiapane would add the PAT and the Tornadoes would lead 7-0 less than a minute into the game. Mount Carmel Area’s defense would also set the tone early forcing a three and out on Lewisburg’s first possession, which was highlighted by senior linebacker Manus McCracken’s third down sack of Lewisburg sophomore quarterback Nicholas Shedleski. McCracken, who is having an all-state caliber season, now has 81 tackles and 4.5 sacks through eight weeks.

After the change of possession, the Big Red would once again capitalize with Sophomore quarterback Tommy Reisinger finding CJ Reichard on a 28 yard scoring strike. Rosolino Mangiapane would once again add the PAT and Mount Carmel Area would lead 14-0. With their backs to the wall following the Red Tornadoes fast start, Lewisburg needed an answer on their next drive and they got it when Nicholas Shedleski would connect with junior Andrew Ramirez on a 52 yard pass down to the three yard line. Freshman running back Max Moyers followed shortly after with a 1 yard touchdown run. Senior kicker Nate Liscum would add the PAT and the score deficit would be cut in half 14-7.

Lewisburg would continue their late first quarter momentum by recovering a Mount Carmel fumble and capitalizing when Nick Shedleski would find junior wide receiver Dylan Farronato for a 33 yard touchdown pass. Nate Liscum would again add the PAT and the game was tied 14-14. Although Lewisburg had tied the game, it was at the start of the second quarter when Mount Carmel Area would begin an onslaught that would blow the game wide open. “When they tied it, we told everyone to stay calm. We have been in situations like this before and have a lot of veterans on this team and I think they did a great job keeping their composure,” said Red Tornadoes head coach John Darrah.

Following a Lewisburg punt, quarterback Tom Reisinger executed a play action pass to perfection and connected with CJ Reichard for an 86 yard touchdown pass. “It all starts up front with the line, they have been doing great all season, but these last two games were their best performances. They open up the run game for us, so then, when we keep pounding the ball, we can hit them with some pass plays,” said Reisinger.

Mangiapane would add the PAT and the Red Tornadoes would lead 21-14. Throughout the quarter, the Big Red would not relent and would score twice more before the halftime break.

Junior back Shane Weidner would notch the first of the two with a 3 yard run with 3:42 left in the second quarter . Mangiapane would again add the PAT and increase the lead to 28-14. For the second, Tom Reisinger would connect with CJ Reichard once again on a 30 yard pass with 1:26 left in the half. It would be Reichard, who has been white hot the past two weeks, set the school record for punt return yardage in a game last week against Milton, and followed that up with a 4 touchdowns against the Green Dragons. “We are going to start calling him ‘Al Bundy’,” head coach John Darrah said of Reichard’s touchdown performance, referencing the Married with Children character who boasted of scoring 4 touchdowns while playing for Polk High. “C.J. has a lot of talent. I think he was overdue and tonight he more than made up for it.” Reichard added, “This feels great…I just want to thank my offensive linemen. They did a heck of a job opening things up.”

Following Reichard’s score, Rosolino Mangiapane would add his fifth PAT of the night to increase the Red Tornado lead to 35-14, which is where the score would remain at the half.  With that kick, Mangiapane would set a record for most consecutive PATs in school history, with 35.  “No one told me I was going to break the record so I was just doing what I normally do,” said Mangiapane. Adding, “After they told me I broke the record, it didn’t really change anything. I know what my job is out there and I know I can do it, but there are some things that happen sometimes that aren’t directly in your control, but are still cool.” The senior kicker has now set two records in back-to-back weeks and his performance against Lewisburg followed an all-time school best 10 extra points last week at Milton.

After half, the Tornadoes stayed on the gas and would score twice in the third quarter. For the first, Reisinger joined Reichard in the “Bundy Club” and threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, a 19-yard strike to sophomore tight end Logan Wills. “The Lewisburg game was our best offensive game yet i think,” said Reisinger.  The pass game really opened up and we took advantage of it and the score proves what we can do.”  Wills added, “It felt great to find the end zone, but it wouldn’t of happened without the protection from the line. Those guys played great, which opened up big holes for the backs and gave Reis time to find the open receivers.” After the score, Mangiapane would add the PAT and the Tornadoes increase their lead to 42-14. The senior kicker would also add the second score of the quarter, connecting on a 22 yard field goal, his 4th of the season, making the score 45-14.

Lewisburg could not get anything going offensively after half as the Red Tornadoes defense was stifling and aggressive.  “This was a game where some former players (from junior high) and coaches (Marc Persing and Carm DeFrancesco) were coming back and we knew it was going to get physical, said sophomore defensive back Nick Troutman, who had perhaps the hardest it of the night. He added, “our defense went out hitting hard from the start and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Leading 45-14 as the game entered the fourth quarter, Coach John Darrah was able to rest his starters and get many new Red Tornadoes some valuable reps and they did not disappoint. Both Sophomore Noah Berkoski and Senior Tommy McDonald did a great job running the offense in the fourth quarter at quarterback and both would find paydirt. Berkoski scored on a 6 yard run with 8:16 left to make the score 51-14 (PAT was no good), while McDonald turned on the jets and coasted 45 yards for a touchdown run with 4:40remaining. Freshman Connor Krakowski would add the PAT making the score 58-14. Lewisburg would close out the scoring for the night with 2:55 left on a 51 yard run by sophomore Broghan Persun, making the score 58-20, (PAT was no good).

“This was a great team win,” said Coach Darrah, “The kids wanted it and got it done.” Junior running back and linebacker John Ayres added, “Our offense the last two weeks has been doing what it’s capable of. With the offense we run, it all starts up front in the trenches on the line. On defense, we wanted to bring back the gang tackling mentality. With some big games coming up, we need to keep getting better on both sides of the ball moving forward.”

Mount Carmel (5-3) will look to continue to stay hot in the playoff push as they travel to Selinsgrove to take on the Seals, while Lewisburg (3-5) will try to get back on track next week as they host Bloomsburg.

 

Statistics:

RUSHING:

 

Lewisburg:

Max Moyers 11-91 TD; Broghan Persun 2-45 TD; Gavin Sheriff 8-31; Charlie Blough 2-11; Draven Doebler 2-3; Dylan Farronato 1-0; Kameron Schreffler 1- (-1).

 

Mount Carmel:

CJ Reichard 2-72 TD; Tommy McDonald 2-53 TD; Tyler Owens 3-20; Noah Berkoski 8-64 TD; John Ayres 16-84; Tommy Reisinger 4-12; Shane Weidner 6-25; Connor Krakowski 3-23; Damon Dowkus 1-2; Reed Witkoski 2-5; Zachary Rowe 1-2.

 

PASSING:

 

Lewisburg:

Nick Shedleski 6-12-1, 107 yards, TD

 

Mount Carmel:

Tommy Reisinger 4-9-0, 163 yards, 4 TDs; John Ayres 1-2-0, 3 yards; Noah Berkoski 1-1-0, 10 yards.

 

RECEIVING:

 

Lewisburg:

Dylan Farronato 2-45 TD; Max Moyers 2 – (-9); Andrew Ramirez 1-52; Brett Newcomb 1-19

 

Mount Carmel:

CJ Reichard 3-144; Logan Wills 1-19; Connor Krakowski 1-10; Damon Dowkus 1-3.

After suffering close losses last Friday, both Jim Keiser’s Danville Ironmen and John Darrah’s Mount Carmel Red Tornadoes were each looking for a rebound victory at the Silver Bowl on Friday night. This coupled with the fact that the last two games in this series were not decided until late in the game had fans on both sides expecting a close matchup. Jim Keiser’s and John Darrah’s squads provided exactly that, with the Ironmen edging the Red Tornadoes,13-9 in a defensive slugfest.  “I thought tonight they played fantastic,” said Keiser of his team. “Played with a lot of heart.”

Danville would get on the scoreboard first early in the second quarter with a 46-yard touchdown from running back Austin Millar.  The Red Tornadoes would block the extra point attempt and the Ironmen would hold a 6-0 lead.

Mount Carmel Area would respond on their next possession when junior running back John Ayres found a seam in the defense and accelerated 67 yards to the end zone for the score. Senior kicker Rosolino Mangiapane would add the extra point for the Red Tornadoes who would lead 7-6.

Mount Carmel’s defense, which played exceptional all evening, forced Danville to punt on their next possession. With their backs to the end zone, the ball was snapped over the head of senior punter Jared Mowry, resulting in a safety and the Red Tornadoes would increase their lead to 9-6, which is where the score would remain as the teams headed into the locker rooms at the half.

Halftime brought much fanfare as Mount Carmel Area celebrated its homecoming, but perhaps the biggest celebration of the night happened on the second half opening kickoff.  Danville senior Peyton Persing showcased his remarkable speed and returned the kick 87 yards for the go-ahead score. Senior Peyton Riley would add the extra point and Danville would now lead 13-9 just seconds into the second half.

Persing’s kickoff would prove to be the difference maker as neither team could mount an offensive threat for the remainder of the game. This can be attributed primarily to the lights-out play of both defensive units, with senior linebacker Manus McCracken leading the charge for Mount Carmel Area with 20 tackles and 1 sack. Sophomore linebacker Jack Chapman also notched 8 tackles and junior defensive tackle Billy Anderson finished with 7 tackles and a sack.

On the Danville side, the Ironmen defense was lead by junior defensive lineman Preston Fausnaught, who notched multiple tackles and senior safety Ryan Palm who notched two interceptions, including the game clincher, with seconds remaining. Danville would benefit from 4 interceptions on the evening as sloppy conditions erupted in the second half.  Mother Nature brought a sudden downpour and both teams and fans had to endure the heavy rain at the Silver Bowl.

Danville improved to (5-1) on the season and will host Lewisburg (3-3) while Mount Carmel Area will look to get back on track as they travel to Milton (0-6) next Friday night.

Statistics:

 

RUSHING:

 

Danville:

Austin Millar 11-62 TD; Gannon Feldman 9-45; Peyton Riley 7-33; Ryan Palm 6-10; Peyton Persing 1- (-2).

 

Mount Carmel:

John Ayres 19-149 TD; Shane Weidner 6-9; Tommy Reisinger 5-2; CJ Reinhard 3-3.

 

PASSING:

 

Danville:

Riley 4-4, 33 yards; Feldman 1-5, 4 yards.

 

Mount Carmel:

Reisinger 8-27, 86 yards, 4 INT.

 

RECEIVING:

 

Danville:

Eric Sees 4-33; Ryan Palm 1-4.

 

Mount Carmel:

CJ Reichard 3-35; Jack Chapman 2-27; Logan Wills 2-16; Noah Berkoski 1-8.

 

Mount Carmel Area Statistics compiled by Jose Gonzalo. 

Coming off of an emotional win over arch-rival Shamokin last week, Mount Carmel Area was excited to make a return to the District IV “AA” playoffs.  As the #6 seed Red Tornadoes made the hour plus drive north on Interstate 180, they also knew near perfect execution was needed to upset the #3 seed South Williamsport Mounties. That, coupled with the fact that starting junior quarterback John Ayres only played a few snaps due to an injury sustained in the Shamokin game, made it a very long evening for the Big Red at Rodney K. Morgan Stadium.  South Williamsport, firing on all cylinders, scored 20 points in each half en route to a 40-0 shutout victory.

The Mounties put together a balanced offensive attack, gaining 183 yards on the ground, but also 126 through the air, and wasted no time showcasing their bruising running back junior Gideon Green, who finished with 152 yards and 3 touchdowns and will undoubtedly make South Williamsport a tough out in the District IV playoffs.  It was Green who got the scoring started with a 3 yard plunge in the first quarter.  Senior kicker Kyle Betz would add the PAT and the Mounties would lead 7-0 with 6:19 left in the period.

As good as Green was on the ground, South Williamsport was also effective through the air and showcased their ability to throw it when needed throughout the first half. The Mounties would go aerial on their next score with sophomore quarterback A.J. Flick hitting senior tight end Patrick West for 21 yard strike with 9:57 left in the second quarter.  Betz would again add the PAT and South Side would lead 14-0.  Green, running behind a physically dominant offensive line, would continue to punish the Red Tornado defense and add a second quarter score of his own.  The 2 yard touchdown dive would come with 2:04 left in the half.  “Our line wanted to be the bully in this game,” said Green. “We didn’t want to get bullied, so we physically kept going and grinding them up.” Betz would miss the PAT, but the Mounties would increase their lead to 20-0, one they would take into the locker room.

The second half, was much like the first, as Mount Carmel Area could not find a rhythm offensively without Ayres, and could not catch a break either. On the first play from scrimmage after the halftime break, senior running back Zach Zarkowski fumbled, giving South Williamsport good field position.  They would capitalize and lean on the running of Green for most of the drive, however, head coach Chris Eisworth dialed up a well-timed reverse pass from senior receiver Aaron Guerrisky to quarterback A.J. Flick for 18 yard score with 7:24 left in the 3^rd quarter.  Betz converted on the PAT and the Mounties were now ahead 27-0.

South Side would continue inflicting their will throughout the period, as Green would add a third touchdown, a 1 yard run, with 2:04 left.  Leading 33-0, South Williamsport elected to go for two, but the conversion failed.  The Mounties would also get some help from their special teams.  The Red Tornadoes attempted to punt on their next possession and South Williamsport’s aggressive front line got through the Mount Carmel protection and blocked the kick. Sophomore tight end/linebacker Chevy Bolay would recover and score for the touchdown.  Betz would add the PAT and the Mounties would lead 40-0, one they would hold until the final whistle.

With the victory, South Williamsport (10-1) advances to the District IV “AA” semi-finals and will travel to #2 seed Wellsboro (11-0).  Mount Carmel Area will finish its season at (5-6) with the loss. Some highlighted bright spots for the Red Tornadoes, was senior wingback Lane Tanney tying the single game school record with 9 receptions and the staunch play of linebacker Manus McCracken who led all tacklers with 17 stops on the evening. “It was a tough game. I hoped that we could of pulled this one out for our seniors,” said a disappointed McCracken after the game. The Red Tornadoes will graduate six players: Wes Shurock, Lane Tanney, Zach Zarkowski, Tom Pastucha, Trevor Shuder, and Michael Anzulavich.

Although not being able to send the seniors out on top, his relentless play allowed McCracken to achieve 100 tackles on the season and leaves him just 1 tackle shy of 200 for his career.  The junior, will undoubtedly be a candidate for post-season award teams and be a vital component and leader for John Darrah’s Red Tornadoes for the 2017 season. Upon being told of his achievement McCracken said, “It was a personal goal of mine this season and a lot of hard work to get it.”  It is the hard work that McCracken speaks of that will allow these young Red Tornadoes to continue to improve and press toward a breakout season next year.

MCA: 0 -0 -0-0 = 0
SW:   7-13-20-0 = 40

MOUNT CARMEL (5-6)

RUSHING:

John Ayres  3-10; Lane Tanney 10-53; Zach Zarkowski 9-44; Tanner Karycki 4-8; Shane Weidner 1- (-5); Tommy Reisinger 3 – (-15).

PASSING:

John Ayres 1-3-1, (-2 yds); Tommy Reisinger 9-21-0, 74 yds.

RECEIVING:

Lane Tanney 9-81; Wes Shurock 1- (-9).

Mount Carmel Area Stats complied by Jose Gonzalo

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT (10-1)

RUSHING:

Gideon Green 27- 152, 3TDS; Ashton Martin 8- 29; Luke Winner 2-11; Gannon Guerrisky 1-2; Brian Whither 1-0.

PASSING:

A.J. Flick 5-10-0, 108 yds TD; Aaron Guerrisky 1-1, 18 yds, TD.

RECEIVING:

Aaron Guerrisky 5-87; Patrick West 1-21 TD; A.J. Flick 1-18, TD

As the rain was pummeling the Silver Bowl on Dan Ficca night during early pre-game, non-uniformed walk throughs, both teams decided to cut it short and head back to their locker rooms. Except for one group of players that stayed on the field as the rain was intensifying.

There was no doubt who the leader of this group was, Selinsgrove’s Logan Leiby, as he was barking out cadences in a manner that would have made Peyton Manning proud. The junior quarterback, who also wears #18 during games, was joined by his center and receiver group and fired passes through the raindrops with razor-like precision.

As Leiby completed his final pre-game passing route, he didn’t head back inside to get dry, but decided to also work on something else in the rain, his punting.   This pre-game workmanlike dedication clearly carried over to the field of play on Friday night as Leiby put on an absolute clinic at the Silver Bowl in a 42-21 victory for the Seals (7-2) over the Red Tornadoes (4-5).

In all, Leiby passed for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns, also ran for a 56 yard score, and, much to the chagrin of Mount Carmel Area, only had to showcase his punting skills once, in the second half.  “Have to take your hat off to him,” said Tornadoes head coach John Darrah. “We prepared for their passing attack, but Leiby and their receivers came in here on a rainy night and executed.”   Mount Carmel Area did not have as much luck with Mother Nature Friday evening. On their first possession, the Red Tornadoes were forced to punt. With field conditions continually worsening,

The Red Tornadoes bobbled the snap, and gave Selinsgrove excellent field position on the 30-yard line. Leiby immediately went to work and completed two passes to the three-yard line. Senior running back Garrett Campbell would take it the rest of the way for the score. Senior kicker Dawson Klinger would add the PAT and the Seals had an early 7-0 lead.

The Tornadoes would counter with a quick strike of their own as on their next possession senior wingback Lane Tanney took it the distance for a 60-yard score on an inside run.  Tanney was sprung by some excellent initial blocks by junior fullback Manus McCracken, junior guard Collin Krakowski, and senior running back Zack Zarkowski, who would finish with 97 hard earned yards on the ground himself on which was, more than likely, his final night playing at the Silver Bowl. Junior Kicker Rosolino Mangiapane would add the PAT and the Tornadoes had it tied early at 7-7.

There was plenty scoring left in the first quarter as Leiby and Co. would continue marching through the monsoon in Mount Carmel.  Less than a minute after Tanney’s scoring run, it was Leiby himself sprinting down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown.  Klinger would again add the PAT and Selinsgrove would lead 14-7.

The Seals would add two more touchdowns before the quarter was over, both coming through the air and both were to junior wide receiver Jarrett Inch.    The first came at 3:48 left in the period and was an 18-yard hook-up, while the second was 47 yard connection coming on the first play of the Selinsgrove drive. Klinger would add the PATs after both scores and the Seals would lead 28-7.

Leiby’s aerial accuracy would continue in the second quarter with two more touchdown passes. The first was 12-yard strike to Jarrett Inch, which would be his third scoring reception of the game, and the second was a 26-yard connection to Ricky Cope.  Klinger would again add the PAT’s, making him a perfect 6-6 on the evening, and Selinsgrove would lead 42-7 with 6:17 left in the half.

Mount Carmel Area’s first half misfortunes would continue on their last drive before the break. Following the last Selinsgrove touchdown, the Tornadoes drove deep into Seal territory, taking the ball to the 28-yard line. On second down, the wet field was not forgiving to quarterback John Ayres, as he fell awkwardly to the turf on a passing attempt.  On fourth down, Ayres would connect with senior Wes Shurock, however, as the tight end was attempting to score, the ball was knocked free by Selinsgrove senior defensive back Ryan Bucher and was recovered in the end zone by junior defensive back Kody Showers. The Red Tornadoes would hold the Seals on their final drive of the quarter and at halftime the score was 42-7.

Credit to the Red Tornadoes, they did not throw in their rain soaked towels at the break, as they came back onto the Jazz Diminick Field with a strong second half effort. The Tornadoes would add two second half touchdowns to cut the scoring deficit in half.  In the 3^rd quarter sophomore quarterback John Ayres would find freshman tight end Logan Wills for a 29 yard touchdown pass.

The score would be the first career end-zone trip for Wills who is becoming a rising star on both sides of the ball for the Big Red. Rosolino Mangipane would add the PAT and Mount Carmel Area now trailed 42-14.  The Tornadoes would add a final touchdown with under a minute left to play as freshman quarterback Tommy Reisinger would connect with and send-off senior tight end Wes Shurock with a final Silver Bowl touchdown on an 11 yard pass.  Mangiapane would again add the PAT and the Selinsgrove lead was cut to 42-21, which would be the final score.   “I’m glad we came out with energy and showed great effort in the second half.  Being down 42-7, our guys didn’t pack it in. I’m proud of the way we played down the home stretch tonight,” said Darrah.

His Red Tornadoes, very much in the District IV “AA” playoff race, will be on the road next Friday at Shamokin (1-8) for the annual backyard coal bucket rivalry game with the Indians.  Head Coach Derek Hicks and Selinsgrove, who currently are first in the District IV “AAAA” playoff standings, will also be in a grudge match next Friday as they will travel to undefeated Southern Columbia (9-0).

The Tigers are fresh off their 50^th consecutive regular season victory dating back to 2011, but will have to account for the Seals’ and their signal caller.  If Logan Leiby and Co. continue their spectacular play, Peyton Manning will not only be impressed, he will also be penciling them in for a Tuesday.        

 

Game Side Notes:  Prior to kickoff, Mount Carmel Area honored Mr. Dan Ficca on his 60th anniversary as a player from Mount Carmel.  Ficca, a 1957 graduate, played collegiality for USC and was drafted into the NFL by the Eagles and into the AFL by the San Diego Chargers.  He was traded to the Oakland Raiders where he played in 1962 before being traded to the New York Jets, playing from 1963 to 1966, becoming an All Pro in 1965.  Ficca returned to the Mount Carmel Area after retiring and is still active today in pursuing scholarships for Mount Carmel Area graduates through the MC4A organization.  The Red Tornadoes made Ficca an honorary captain for Friday Night’s game against Selinsgrove.  Interestingly enough, Ficca had a great nephew playing in the game for Selinsgrove, two-way starter Junior Tight End/Defensive End Tony Dressler who had some  amazing blocks on offense and tackles on defense.  

 

MCA: 7 -0 -7 -7 = 21

SEL:   28-14-0-0 = 42

MOUNT CARMEL (4-5)

RUSHING: John Ayres  10-11; Lane Tanney 6-86 TD; Zach Zarkowski 13-97; CJ Reichard 2-9; Tanner Karycki 1-(-1); Tommy McDonald 2-6; Shane Weidner 4-19.

PASSING: John Ayres 5-12-0, 74 yds TD; Tommy Reisinger 1-1-0, 11 yds TD

RECEIVING: Lane Tanney 1-6; Shurock 2-38  TD; Logan Wills 2-38 TD; Tanner Karycki 1-3

Mount Carmel Area Stats complied by Jose Gonzalo

SELINSGROVE (7-2)

RUSHING: Logan Leiby 3-66, TD; Garrett Campbell 8-34, TD; Max Charles 2 (-2).

PASSING: Logan Leiby 18-27, 306 yards, 4 TD.

RECEIVING: Jarrett Inch 4-85 3 TDS; Ricky Cope 5-116 TD; Kody Showers 5-65; Garrett Campbell 2-26;  Ryan Bucher 2-14

 

Warriors and Tornadoes give fans a heart-racing Division II Heartland Battle 

As the harvest moon shone brightly above the field, Heartland Conference Division II foes Mount Carmel and Montoursville battled to the final minute of play on it. The Warriors would need one final first down on a 3^rd and 4, with under a minute to play, to clinch the victory in a hard fought 31-29 win. J.C. Keefer’s Warriors are now (4-0) on the season and, at this point in the season, must be considered the early favorite in District 4 “AAA” race.  Mount Carmel Area falls to (1-3), but John Darrah’s Tornadoes are unquestionably playing good football and have impressed in the past two weeks, but continually stymied themselves with penalties throughout the evening.   “Montoursville is good football team,” said Darrah, “but we also beat ourselves tonight. Numerous times when we got something going we would kill ourselves with a penalty. Way too many penalties that were our own fault out there tonight.”

In total, the Red Tornadoes would commit 13 penalties for 100 yards, many on offense for procedure calls that affected momentum, at times, throughout the game.  Aside from the penalties, the Red Tornadoes racked up 460 yards of offense and the game served as a coming out party for Mount Carmel Area senior running back “Night Train” Lane Tanney who would catch 8 passes for 123 yards, while also rushing for 99 yards on the ground. “Getting a win would have been better, but getting 200 yards on offense is a good achievement,” Tanney said after the game.  “There is no way I could have accomplished it without the way my team played.  Our linemen did great blocking and Ayres did a great job throwing and keeping people guessing with his running too.”  It was the Night Train who would get the scoring going for the Big Red in the first quarter, as Tanney took it 34 yards to pay dirt.  Junior kicker Rosolino Mangiapane would add the PAT and Mount Carmel would hold an early 7-0 lead.

Montoursville wasted no time answering, as within two minutes, freshman running back Logan Ott would finish a Warrior drive and take it 6 yards into the end zone.  Senior kicker Ethan Lazorka would add the PAT to tie it 7-7.  It would only take Mount Carmel a minute to answer, as Tanney would haul in a 52 yard pass from sophomore quarterback John Ayres and take it to the end zone for his second touchdown of the game.  Mangiapane would add the PAT and MCA would lead 14-7.  The Warriors would answer quickly again as senior quarterback Brycen Mussina would connect with senior tight end Mitchell Rothrock for a 64 yard scoring strike.  Lazorka would add his second PAT to tie the game at 14-14, where the score would stand at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter would prove as entertaining as the first with the teams continuing to trade blows back and forth in this Heartland battle. Montoursville would recover a costly fumble by Mount Carmel Area and capitalize on the short field given by the Tornado turnover. Logan Ott would take it the final 9 yards into the end zoned and, after Lazorka’s PAT,  the Warriors would lead 21-14.  The Tornadoes would move the ball on their next drive, with back to back catches by Tanney, but would have to eventually punt.  On the next Warrior drive, Mount Carmel Area would also be gifted with a fumble recovery of their own as the Warriors would turn the ball over.  This time, the Tornadoes would capitalize, as quarterback John Ayres would hit junior wingback/receiver  CJ Reichard for a 26 yard pass to the 3 yard line. Ayres would take it the final 3 yards into the end zone. On the PAT, the snap took unusually long and the timing may have affected the kick, as it was missed.  The Warriors would hold a slim 21-20 lead with a minute left in the half.  That minute would prove useful to Montoursville as they would be able to move the ball enough for Lazorka to add a 27 yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make the score Montoursville 24, Mount Carmel 20.

The Warriors would receive the second half kick-off and wasted no time continuing the scoring pace of this game. On the second play from scrimmage, Brycen Mussina would once again connect with tight end Mitchell Rothrock on a seam route down the middle of the field.  This one would hit for 74 yards and would, after Lazorka’s PAT, put the Warriors ahead 31-20, only 1 minute into the second half.  Mount Carmel Area would not go away quietly and the Tornadoes, relying on the hard running of quarterback John Ayres, would respond with a touchdown. It was Ayres who would take it the final 13 yards. The two-point conversion pass, intended for MCA junior fullback Manus McCracken, would be batted down at the line of scrimmage, and Montoursville would hold a 31-26 lead.  On the next drive, the Red Tornado defense would come up big; causing and recovering a second Montoursville fumble and subsequently drive into Warrior territory.  Mount Carmel Area would have to settle for a field goal, as Mangiapne split the uprights from 28 yards out to cut Montoursville’s lead to 31-29, which is how the score would remain after 3 quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Warrior quarterback Brycen Mussina, who played brilliantly all night, made his only mistake of the game, throwing an interception that was picked off by the Tornadoes’ CJ Reichard.  The error would not be that costly as Mount Carmel Area would go nowhere on their next possession.  The Warriors would take over and were helped by a Tornado facemask penalty that brought the ball deep into MCA territory.  Kicker Ethan Lazorka would attempt a 30 yard field goal, but it would not connect.  Mount Carmel Area would get one final chance, as Ayres commandeered a 13 play drive to put to the Tornadoes in position to win the game.  On the series, he would run for 2 first downs, while connecting with fullback Manus McCracken on another. The drive was also highlighted by a huge run by Lane Tanney down the left sideline which took the ball to the 10 yard line. Mount Carmel Area would ultimately get to the 4 yard line, but no closer, as a 3^rd down pass fell incomplete.  From the left hash, Mangiapane would set up for a 21 yard field goal attempt.  Kicking from this difficult angle would not be forgiving, as Mangiapane’s attempt went wide left and the Warriors would hold on to their 31-29 lead.

Montoursville would have to fight for a first down on its next series to preserve the hard fought 31-29 victory.  The (4-0) Warriors will travel to Jersey Shore next Friday, while the Red Tornadoes (1-3) will be hosting backyard rival North Schuylkill at the Silver Bowl for Mount Carmel Area’s homecoming game. A game that is very important to Tornadoes’ 2016 playoff hopes.  “We can’t look back now. We have to keep looking forward and continue playing hard. We got to treat every game like a playoff game for the rest of the season to be successful, said a determined Lane Tanney after the game.  With senior tight end Wes Shurock adding, “We basically shot ourselves in the foot tonight against Montoursville with the penalties, but we are going to fix that this week at practice. We have to. North Schuylkill is a tough team. We need to have a solid week of practice, fix our mistakes, and come ready to play next Friday night.”

 

MCA:    14-6-9-0 = 29
MONT: 14-10-7-0= 31

MOUNT CARMEL (1-3)

RUSHING:

John Ayres 21-115 2 TD; Lane Tanney 12-99 TD; Zach Zarkowski 8-23; CJ Reichard 1-0; Tanner Karycki 1-(-1).

PASSING:

John Ayres 16-21-0, 224 yds TD

RECEIVING:

Lane Tanney 8- 123  TD; Shurock 3- 60; Manus McCracken 3-15; CJ Reichard 1-26; Shane Weidner 1-0.

Mount Carmel Area Stats complied by Jose Gonzalo

MONTOURSVILLE  (4-0)

RUSHING:

Torin Lewis 14- 49; Logan Ott 7-21 2 TDS; Tom Shea 2-7; Keegan Leahy 1-5; Brycen Mussina 1 (-3).

PASSING:

Brycen Mussina 11-23-1, 253 yards  2 TDS

RECEIVING:

Tom Shea 5 -78; Mitchell Rothrock 2- 138 2 TDS; Riley Conboy 2-22; Torin Lewis 2-15.

 

 

Mangiapane delivers 6th XP in overtime as Mount Carmel Area outduels Loyalsock 42-41.

Shortly after ten-o’clock Friday evening, Mount Carmel Area heard a boom that ranks up there with any that have been heard throughout the history of this coal region community. Now this boom was not dynamite blasting its way through a mountain of coal, but rather from a football that was just kicked by Mount Carmel Area junior Rosolino Mangiapane. It was the kicker’s sixth extra point on the evening and was a culmination of a remarkable comeback waged by John Darrah’s Red Tornadoes who outdueled Justin Van Fleet’s Lancers, 42-41, in overtime. The game would become an instant classic and will rank as one of the best ever to be played at the historic Silver Bowl.

Loyalsock wasted no time early and got on the scoreboard on a first possession touchdown run by senior Marcus Williams, who exhibited his sheer athleticism on the way to the end zone on a 59 yard inside reverse. The PAT would be no good and the Lancers would lead 6-0 early. After Mount Carmel Area was forced to punt, Loyalsock put together a second scoring drive in the first quarter that was highlighted by the gritty play of sophomore quarterback Connor Watkins. He would connect with senior wide receiver Alec Little for a 6 yard touchdown pass. Senior Andrew Czap would add the extra point and put the Lancers up 13-0, which is how the score would stay through the end of the first quarter.

Mount Carmel Area got some offensive momentum on its next possession with the drive highlighted by an amazing catch by the Tornadoes’ junior CJ Reichard. The Red Tornadoes would march deep into Lancer territory but were turned away when sophomore quarterback John Ayres was intercepted in the endzone by Loyalsock’s Cole Cavanaugh. The Lancers would capitalize on the turnover as Marcus Williams engineered a scoring drive, connecting with junior wide receiver Brock Hepler on a 33 yard touchdown pass. Czap’s PAT would put the Lancers up 20-0. The Tornadoes would not be denied on their next possession. Facing a critical 4th down from the Lancer 23 yard line, John Ayres would find Red Tornado senior tight end Wes Shurock for a 23 yard touchdown pass. Rosolino Mangiapane would add the PAT and cut the deficit to 20-7, which is where the score would remain at the half.

As the sun set at the Silver Bowl prior to the second half, the heat and humidity let up a little bit, but the game play on the field did not. Mount Carmel Area opened up the third quarter with a drive that marched into Loyalsock territory, but the Tornadoes turned the ball over on downs after back-to-back incomplete passes. The Lancers would take over and continue using their no-huddle offense and drive to pay dirt, with Marcus Williams taking it the final 9 yards for the score. Czap’s PAT would make the score 27-7. A score that eerily reflected a second half deficit faced by Mount Carmel Area in their 2015 Season Opener at Loyalsock in which the Red Tornadoes were still developing as a team learning a new system. Perhaps the Lancers had wished it was 2015, as these Red Tornadoes fought back with reckless abandon for the remainder of the second half.

Mount Carmel Area’s next drive, led by the running of QB John Ayres, found the end zone, with the Red Tornado signal caller taking it the final yard across the goal line. Rosolino Mangiapane would add the extra point, making it 27-14, where the score would stay through the end of the 3rd quarter. Mount Carmel Area would continue its momentum to the start the 4th quarter when Ayres once again found Wes Shurock, connecting on a 27 yard scoring strike. Mangiapane would add the PAT making it 27-21 with 11:30 left to play.

On Loyalsock’s ensuing drive the Red Tornadoes would force a fumble, as Lancer quarterback Connor Watkins was stripped as he was fighting for first down yardage. The fumble was recovered by Red Tornado freshman Shane Weidner. Mount Carmel Area would take over and run a punishing ground attack out of their shotgun single-wing offense, with Johnny Ayres taking it the final 10 yards for the touchdown, his second rushing TD of the night. Ayres added, “The biggest thing I want to talk about is our line. Our line dominated the line of scrimmage and had a push every time. They had great protection the whole night. We knew we were in for a game and just went out and played.” The line would also allow Mangiapane time to remain perfect on PAT attempts and his 4th of the game would give the Tornadoes their first lead, 28-27.

Loyalsock attempted to regain control on their next possession. Quarterback Connor Watkins was flushed from the pocket and attempted to hit junior wide receiver Brock Hepler on a long pass but was intercepted by the Red Tornadoes’ junior cornerback Tommy McDonald. Mount Carmel would capitalize on the turnover as Lane Tanney would score on a 3 yard run to culminate the drive. Mangiapane would add his fifth PAT and MCA would extend its lead to 35-27. However, Loyalsock was not finished. The Lancers took over near mid-field with 29 seconds remaining in regulation. Quarterback Connor Watkins engineered a hurry-up drive to precision and connected with Marcus Williams for a touchdown as time expired. Watkins would rush for the two-point conversion and Loyalsock and Mount Carmel were tied at 35-35 to end regulation.

The Lancers would begin overtime on offense. On 3rd and goal, Marcus Williams would continue his amazing evening, taking it 6 yards for the score, his third rushing TD of the game and fifth TD overall. Kicker Andrew Czap did not get an opportunity for a true PAT, as the snap was low and the holder was touched down before Czap could connect on the attempt. Loyalsock would lead 41-35. Mount Carmel would then take over on offense needing a touchdown. On fourth down they would get it. From the 8 yard line, quarterback John Ayres maintained his composure and found Wes Shurock in the back corner of the end zone for the game tying touchdown. The TD reception was Shurock’s third on the evening. As a happy Shurock responded, “It was an amazing feeling knowing the team trusted me to put the ball in my hands.” Ayres added, “When the ball was snapped our line had great protection which allowed me to move around a little bit and find Wes running across the field. I threw the ball, which I knew was a 50-50 ball, but I had confidence in Wes. Sure enough Wes won that 50-50 ball to score in OT. That touchdown was one of the most amazing feelings ever.”

At 41-41, kicker Rosolino Mangiapane would enter the field to attempt the game winning PAT. Loyalsock took its overtime timeout to try and ice the junior kicker, but it would be to no avail. “Golden Leg” Mangiapane nailed it and his kick sent the Mount Carmel Area faithful into a frenzy celebrating a hard fought overtime win over a quality opponent. “I knew I had everyone counting on me, “stated Mangiapane. “I kept my composure and just did what I normally did. When I made it I was so pumped and excited.” He was a perfect 6 for 6 kicking extra points on the night, with that last one being the biggest. “I was very prepared. I was nowhere near as nervous as I was last year. I now know in my head that I can do it.” So do the Red Tornadoes as a team, who after trailing 27-7, maintained their composure for the hard fought overtime victory. “We willed it out,” said head coach John Darrah. “We played sloppy in the first half but we came out and gutted it out in the second half. Johnny Ayres really showed us what he is made of out there leading us in the second half; All of our guys did.” Ayres added, “It was a whole team effort.” Shurock responded, “I hope this performance propels us the rest of our season.” If the Tornadoes play their remaining games like they did in the second half against Loyalsock it surely will.

Next Friday the Red Tornadoes will be on the road at Shikellamy while Loyalsock will be hosting the Shamokin Indians.

STATISTICS
Loyalsock: 13-7- 7- 8- 6 = 41
Mount Carmel: 0- 7-7-21-7 = 42

LOYALSOCK (0-1)

RUSHING:
Marcus Williams 7-122, 3TDS; Cole Cavanaugh 11-41; Connor Watkins 10-74; Alden Mileto 4-10; Hunter Webb 3-5.

PASSING:
Connor Watkins 9-16-1, 123 yards, 2TDS; Marcus Williams 1-1-0, 33 yards, 1 TD.

RECEIVING:
Brock Hepler 3-51, 1 TD; Marcus Williams 2-28, 1 TD; Hunter Webb 1-45; Jaiden Cioffi 1-13; Gerald Ross 1-8; Sam Newton 1-6.

MOUNT CARMEL (1-0)

RUSHING:
John Ayres 25-115, 2 TDS; Lane Tanney 13-62, 1TD; Shane Weidner 6-32; Tanner Karycki 5-24; C.J. Reichard 1-3.

PASSING:
John Ayres 11-20-1, 141 yards, 3 TDS

RECEIVING:
Wes Shurock 3-58 3TDS; Lane Tanney 4-35; C.J. Reichard 2-39; Tanner Karycki 1-10; Michael Hood 1 (-1).

Green leads Riverside to 39-19 victory over Mount Carmel

By: Aaron Domanski  (Twitter: @AaronDomanski)

With the advent of the PIAA playoffs, the Eastern Conference is no longer viewed as the premiere post- season event in eastern Pennsylvania but do not try telling that to the Riverside Vikings or the Mount Carmel Area Red Tornadoes. Both squads battled four full quarters Friday evening at Mount Carmel’s Jazz Diminick Field at the Silver Bowl.  Riverside would eventually pull away, behind the running of senior running back Mikell Green, to defeat Mount Carmel Area 39-19.  The Vikings (6-5) will advance to face District 2 rival Elmer L. Meyers (8-3) in the Eastern Conference AA Final next Friday evening in Wilkes Barre.  The game will be a rematch from week 3, won by Meyers 7-6.  Mount Carmel Area will end its season at (6-5).  The Red Tornadoes exceeded expectations in the inaugural campaign of Head Coach John Darrah, producing a winning season and earning a playoff berth.

As noted above, the main story line of this EC semi-final was the running of the Vikings’ Mikell Green, who showcased speed and power skill set all night and accumulated 313 yards from scrimmage, had 257 yards rushing and scored 5 touchdowns.  “We knew the game was going to come down to whether or not we could tackle Green on the edges. We did alright, but it was just one or two of those that he would bust out in the open (that cost us),” said Mount Carmel head coach John Darrah. One of those runs occurred in the first quarter as Green scampered 20 yards to the end zone for his first score of the night.  Nicholas Sotille would add the PAT making it 7-0. The Tornadoes would immediately answer, with freshman quarterback John Ayres capping the drive with a 3 yard touchdown run. Sophomore Rosolino Mangiapne would add the PAT making it 7-7.  Darrah added, “I was happy with the way our guys fought all night.  I felt like we continued to fight back throughout the whole game.”

The Red Tornadoes effort was clearly evident as the Big Red stayed within 8 points of the Vikings until there were only 8 minutes remaining in the game.  The effort was highlighted by a gritty performance by senior running back Kyle Karycki, who sustained a blow to his already injured ribs on the third play of the game, but still managed to rush for 200 yards on 15 carries, which included a 42 yard scoring run in the second quarter.  Karycki’s run cut the deficit to 21-13 and came after two Riverside scores by Green.  The first was off of a 56 yard screen pass from senior quarterback Kenneth Kielar and the second was a 14 yard run. Nicholas Sotille would add PAT’s after both of Green’s touchdowns.  The Vikings would carry their 21-13 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After the half, the Red Tornadoes would get closer as MCA quarterback John Ayres produced some electricity of his own in the third quarter.  The Freshman signal caller ripped off an 80 yard run to the Vikings’ 2 yard line, with the touchdown saving tackle being made by Riverside’s Kishod Stanton.  Ayres would finish off the drive and take it the final 2 yards to make it 21-19.  Karycki would be stopped on the conversion attempt, but the Tornadoes found themselves down only by 2 points. Riverside, however, would not be denied.  On the ensuing kickoff, Kishod Stanton, perhaps warmed up by running down Ayres on the previous drive, returned the kickoff 27 yards and set-up the Vikings with excellent field position at mid-field.  Two plays later Green scored his 4^th touchdown of the game and took it to the end zone from 28 yards out to give Riverside a 27-19. On the conversion it seemed like a Friday the 13^th jinx grabbed hold of the Vikings as they lined up to kick the extra point, but holder Cody Glogowski seemed somewhat spooked and threw an incomplete pass instead.

The miscalculation on the conversion would not matter as the fourth quarter would belong to Riverside.  Green would score his 5^th touchdown with 8:00 remaining to give the Vikings a 33-19 lead. The score was a culmination of a 14 play drive that covered 86 yards.  The lengthy possession not only chewed up 8 minutes of game clock, but also exhibited Riverside’s discipline as a team, which made Viking head coach John Fox proud.  “We knew it was going to be tough to come down here and play in the Silver Bowl.  I can’t say enough about the way my team responded. I’m so happy right now.”  To close out the scoring, Junior running back Paul Coleman, who quietly had a nice game (64 yards on 12 carries), scored from 2 yards out to make it 39-19.

On Mount Carmel’s final possession, Karycki would give the home fans one more memorable run for 2015, gaining 35 yards on the second to last play of the game.  Karycki would also get a final carry as time expired, closing out a great career for Mount Carmel.  The senior running back will undoubtedly be a favorite for post-season awards, including all-state, as he produced one of the best seasons in MCA history.  “I feel like our team had a great year, we came a long way from our scrimmages to week 11. We had kids that played with heart and pride and I think that showed in a lot of games.  I’m proud of every single guy on our team and I wouldn’t have wanted to play my senior year with anyone else,” Karycki said after the game. “Hats off to Riverside, they are a great team, but I’m proud of what we accomplished too and I got to give one final shout out to my offensive line. They were great this year.”

One of the anchors of that line was senior center Ethan Bartos, who was asked to reflect on the 2015 season after the game. “Coming into the season we had a new coach and a young team so I really didn’t know a lot of the guys. Since then a lot has changed and I’m glad to have played with these guys.  Playing both ways was necessary for a lot of us and spending that time allowed us to become a team both on and off the field.”  Senior fullback/linebacker Allen Yancoskie, who had 14 tackles on the night, added, “All in all this was a great year. We had a lot of things change: coaches, quarterbacks, and the creature bleachers (MCA’s famous end zone section which was removed prior to this season), and for a team that wasn’t supposed to win many games, we came a long way.  Coach Darrah and all of our coaches are going to do great things here in the near future and I’m proud to say I was part of bringing back the Red Death mentality to Mount Carmel.”

Of Mount Carmel’s 29 players, the Red Tornadoes will lose 7 seniors to graduation. Aside from Karycki, Yancoskie, and Bartos, other Big Red graduates are: defensive back Michael Bergamo, offensive lineman and captain Dylan Fiamoncini, fullback/linebacker Marcus English, and tight end/defensive end Mason Duran, whose motor simply would not quit as the game wound down Friday night and is the type of effort needed for a team with a small roster to succeed.  As Coach Darrah added, “I feel like we laid the foundation this year. We had a group of guys establish what is needed here at Mount Carmel for our program to be successful in the future.”

EASTERN CONFERENCE AA SEMI-FINAL  STATISTICS

Riverside:                 7-14-6-12 = 39
Mount Carmel:        7- 6 – 6 -0 = 19

RIVERSIDE (6-5)

RUSHING:

Mikell Green 35- 257 4 TDS; Paul Coleman 12- 64 TD; Kishod Stanton 1-0; Kenneth Kielar 1- (-9)

PASSING:

Kenneth Kielar 4-7-0, 84 yds TD

RECEIVING:

Nicholas Sotille 3-28; Mikell Green 1-56 TD

MOUNT CARMEL (6-5)

RUSHING:

Kyle Karycki 15- 200 TD;  John Ayres 16-77; Lane Tanney 5-36; Allen Yankoskie 6- 64; Zach Zarkowski 1-8

PASSING:

John Ayres 1-5-0, (-1) yds

RECEIVING:

Lane Tanney 1-(-1)

Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tornadoes Dispatch Defenders 41-13
It was very fitting for Mount Carmel Area that week 8 of the high school football season contained “Back to the Future” day. On Friday night, the Red Tornadoes looked like a team that climbed into Doc Brown’s DeLorean time machine, erased all memories of the past two weeks, and cruised to a 41-13 victory over Warrior Run. “In practice we reminded our kids that the last two games weren’t what our football team is about. We used this week as a turning point not only for the remainder of this season, but as a building block for the program. The guys responded, had their best practice of the year on Tuesday, and played great tonight,” said head coach John Darrah.

Mount Carmel wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as they moved the ball well right from the opening kickoff as Lane Tanney’s 52 yard kick return set up the Tornadoes with excellent field position at the Warrior Run 37. Kyle Karycki would finish off the drive by taking the ball the final 28 yards into the end zone for his first of four touchdowns on the night. Rosolino Mangipane added his first career PAT, giving the Tornadoes an early 7-0 lead.

Things would click throughout the majority of the first half for the Big Red as their offense moved the ball at will. On Mount Carmel’s next drive, the Tornadoes marched all the way to the Defender goal line, only to be turned away, as Zach Zarkowski was ruled inches short on 4th down. On the drive, and throughout the night, fans witnessed some very hard running by Zarkowski who is growing into a very nice backfield weapon for the Tornadoes’ rushing arsenal. Lane Tanney also added a big catch on the drive which was a 28 yard reception from quarterback John Ayres. “We were able to spread the ball around and I thought it was good we got a lot of guys involved,” said Mount Carmel Coach John Darrah. “We had a lot of guys make plays. I was very pleased with the overall effort from everyone. Lane and Zach played well offensively and Kyle obviously had a big game.”

How big? Karycki, who would total 249 yards on the night on only 16 carries, eclipsed both the 1,000 yard mark for the season and 2,000 for his career at Mount Carmel Area. In the second quarter, he added two more touchdowns of 7 and 4 yards. Mangiapane would also add two more PATs and the Tornadoes found themselves leading 21-0.

It looked as if the Tornadoes would be carrying a shutout into the locker room, but Warrior Run had their biggest burst of momentum right before the half and scored with 2 seconds remaining as Defender quarterback Gage Anzulavich found Matt Truckenmiller for a 11 yard scoring strike. Austin Soltesz added the PAT and Warrior Run had cut the deficit to 21-7 at the half.

The Tornadoes remained resilient after the break, holding Warrior Run on downs, and Karycki struck once again. His fourth and final touchdown of the night was his most amazing as he took it coast to coast in scoring a 95 yard touchdown. Mangiapane’s PAT would make it 28-7. Karycki’s touchdown would prove to be the back breaker for the Defenders as Warrior Run coach Mark Burrows said, “Hats off to the Karyicki kid. He was tough to bring down. We misfired and it happened at inopportune times.” Karycki would add, “We knew this was a big game for us and we had a great week of practice. We know we have to win out to have a chance at playoffs. We needed to win this game to get momentum rolling for the next couple of weeks.” When asked about his game performance on the ground, Karycki was quick to share the accolades with his blockers, “I give all the credit to my linemen. They opened up a lot of holes tonight and even got on their linebackers. As a running back it makes it tat much easier when you only have one man to beat. The line did an amazing job tonight.”

The line would also pave the way for two more Tornado scores.“Night Train” Lane Tanney would add the first, a 27 yarder to close out the scoring in the third quarter. Mangipane would hit his 5th PAT and the Tornadoes increased their lead to 35-7. The second was scored by Senior fullback Allen Yancoskie who would add a 1 yard touchdown plunge in the fourth to make it 41-13, which was his first career varsity touchdown. Yancoskie’s number was called after he also spent a majority of his evening clearing paths for his teammates. “It was great to see our hard work pay off tonight. It was also nice to score my first touchdown on varsity and for Kyle to go over 2,000 career yards. It was great to get back on top with a big win,” said Yancoskie. Warrior Run’s final score of the night came in between those Tornado touchdown runs by Tanney and Yancoskie with Noah Showers notching a 1 yard touchdown plunge for the Defenders.

What does the future hold for the Big Red? If their play Friday night is any indication, the Tornadoes’ next few weeks will be looking bright. The Tornadoes will host Central Columbia next Friday at the Silver Bowl, while Warrior Run will be playing at Lewisburg.
GAME STATS
MCA: 7-14-14-6 = 41
WARRIOR RUN: 0- 7- 0- 6 = 13
MOUNT CARMEL (4-4)
RUSHING:
Kyle Karycki 16-249 4 TD; Lane Tanney 4-53; Allen Yankoskie 3-7; Zach Zarkowski 8-70; Tommy McDonald 1-4; Cameron Britt 1-2; John Ayres 6-19; Team 1- (-2)
PASSING:
John Ayres 5-8-0, 114 yards
RECEIVING:
Lane Tanney 2-60; Wes Shurock 2-53; Mason Duran 1-1
Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo
WARRIOR RUN (3-5)
RUSHING:
Tyler Brown 16-63; Matt Gummo 2-7; Gage Anzulavich 2-5; Noah Showers 3-12 TD; Ty Kirkner 4-7; Tony Null 1-1; Ozzie Guillen 5-55; Team 3 – (-20).
PASSING:
Gage Anzulavich 14-22-1, 85 yards, TD
RECEIVING:
Kade Meyer 5-28; Matthew Gummo 3-12; Ty Kirkner 1-12; Matt Truckenmiller 3-35 TD; Tyler Brown 1-4

Friday night marked the 50th meeting on the gridiron between the storied coal region programs of Mount Carmel Area and North Schuylkill. Coming into this game both squads had identical records of (3-3) and were looking to make a statement heading toward the post-season. On the golden anniversary of this game it was the Spartans who clearly played like a team that could not afford to lose in a 41-0 shutout win over the Red Tornadoes.
Although far from over, 2015 has not been a kind season for North Schuylkill. After 6 games, their (3-3) record has been a disappointment. The Spartans have been riddled with a barrage of injuries this year and the overwhelming pre-season choice in both the Anthracite Football League and District XI “AA” fell into a state of limbo at the season’s mid-point. What the Spartans did on Friday night is prove that they have the capabilities to be a dangerous team moving forward and, if healthy, belong in the conversation as one of the premier “AA” teams in eastern PA.
Against Mount Carmel the Spartans rushed for 405 yards, with the main bell-cow being fullback Major Jordan, who accounted for 235 of those yards on 25 carries. It was Jordan who set the tone on the first play of the game, rumbling for 50 yards. Quarterback Richie Zahodnick would score two plays later on a 20 yard touchdown run. Bobby Grigas added his first of 5 PAT’s on the evening to make the score 7-0. The Spartans would not look back. “This was a big win for us, said Major Jordan. “We’re playing pretty good football right now. I’m very proud of our team.” Head Coach Wally Hall has got to be pleased with the output of his new power look offense as Jordan has eclipsed 200 yards in each of the last 2 games.
As good as Jordan’s evening was, Zahodnick was equally impressive, looking like a maestro, from his quarterback position. He carried out several ball fakes to perfection and showcased his elusive game speed while gaining 108 yards and scoring the Spartans’ first 4 touchdowns. “The line played really well, said Zahodnick. “I had all the time in the world to make my reads.” North Schuylkill’s remaining score came on the first play of the fourth quarter when Bobby Grigas executed a fake field goal from his kicker position, connecting with Rutgers bound wide receiver Tevin Murray for an 11 yard scoring strike to make the score 35-0 after the PAT. Major Jordan would add a 3 yard touchdown run to close out the scoring for the Spartans. They would take a knee on the conversion, making it 41-0.
The Red Tornadoes could never string their positive plays into a score, with their closest being a 16 play drive in the second quarter that brought the ball to the 5 yard line. On 4th down, Kyle Karyicki did his best Tim Tebow impersonation, attempting a jump pass to tight end Wes Shurock, who made his return to the Mount Carmel Area lineup, but it fell incomplete. Also returning for the Big Red was freshman quarterback/safety John Ayres who missed the last 2 games with a knee injury. Defensively, Sophomore Manus McCracken notched 15 tackles and Senior Allen Yancoskie had 14 tackles from their linebacker spots. At (3-4) the Red Tornadoes need to put the last two weeks behind them and get ready for a three game stretch that includes games against Warrior Run, Central Columbia, and arch-rival Shamokin in the annual coal bucket game. All three of those games are must-wins for Mount Carmel in order to have a chance to qualify for the District IV “AA” 8 team playoff field. “This team has overcome adversity before, said Red Tornado Head Coach John Darrah. “We need to move past these last two weeks and get ready to move forward and play Big Red football the way we are capable of playing.”
North Schuylkill at (4-3) are also still fighting for their own playoff lives, as District XI “AA” only takes 4 teams into its tournament. The Spartans, who are undefeated in road games this season, will travel to Jim Thorpe for a marquee matchup with the undefeated (7-0) Olympians.
GAME STATS
MCA: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 = 0
NS : 21-0-7-13 = 41
MOUNT CARMEL (3-4)
RUSHING:
Kyle Karycki 11-36; Lane Tanney 4-19; Allen Yankoskie 1- 4; Zachary Zarkowski 3-12; John Ayres 9-6; Cameron Britt 2-12; Team 1- (-12)
PASSING:
John Ayres 3-11-1, 22 yds
RECEIVING:
Wes Shurock 3-22
Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo
North Schuylkill (4-3)
RUSHING:
Major Jordan 25-235 TD; Richie Zahodnick 13-108 4 TDs; C.J. Steinhilber 6-30; Dylan Reese 2-23; Braden Heyer 1-8; Justyn DeAngelo 1-1
PASSING:
Zahodnick 1-4-0, 33 yards; Bobby Grigas 1-2-1, 11 yards, TD
RECEIVING:
Jonathan Smith 1-33; Tevin Murray 1-11 TD

Karycki sets school rushing record

As the season of fall sunk its teeth into the football season Friday night in the form of rain and wind, it was very fitting that two heavyweight running backs dueled it out on the Joe “Jazz” Diminick Field at the Silver Bowl. Both Danville’s Trent Hilkert and Mount Carmel Area’s Kyle Karyicki each put in workhorse performances for their squads, but the night would belong to Karycki. The Mount Carmel Area senior broke MCA’s single game rushing record by carving the Ironmen defense for 369 yards on 38 carries. Karycki also scored all three Red Tornado touchdowns and continues to showcase his talents as one of the premier running backs in District IV and Eastern PA.

“We are proud him. He Earned it. Kyle ran hard and does so every week…I told him (about the record) and he didn’t believe it,” said MCA Head Coach John Darrah. “Coach grabbed me and stared right into my eyes and said ‘you’re two yards away’”, said Karycki, adding, “As a kid I always dreamed of breaking a record at Mount Carmel and leaving a mark somewhere on the program, and it’s truely an incredible feeling to know I accomplished something that I’ve always wanted to do. Getting the record feels great but I’ve got to give all of the credit to that line. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this position right now.” That line that Karycki lauded has been Mount Carmel’s unsung hero each and every week. The group, with Ethan Bartos at center, Dylan Fiamoncini and Colin Krakowski at guards, and Brendan Boris and Billy Anderson at tackles, has paved the way for the Tornadoes to rush for over 1408 yards in 5 games.

With starting quarterback John Ayres out with an injury, Karycki took the controls on offense, running several direct snaps out of the shotgun single wing formation. His first touchdown came in the first quarter on a 69 yard burst to the end zone and was on the Tornadoes’ first offensive snap following a 29 yard field goal by Danville’s Peyton Riley. Zach Zarkowski would add the conversion run and the Tornadoes would lead, 8-3, in the opening period.

Danville’s offense would respond and produce two red zone drives behind the running of Hilkert on their next two possessions, but lost fumbles on each. The Ironmen, however, were not done in the quarter as Peyton Riley intercepted a Tommy McDonald pass and returned it to the 10 yard line. The interception would prove costly as Danville capitalized and scored on a 9 yard run by Hilkert. Riley added the PAT and Danville held a 10-8 lead with 1:40 left in the first half.

It would be Danville’s last lead of the night, as the Red Tornadoes’ defensive play and the running of Karycki, who would add second half touchdown runs of 3 and 66 yards, which would bring Mount Carmel Area its third victory of the season. Linebacker Manus McCracken, who notched 11 tackles in the game, said, “We stepped it up in the second half and played with Tornado Pride.” Darrah added, “I think our kids really showed a lot of pride in the way they played and willed themselves to a victory in a really ugly game.”

As fall has progressed, the Tornadoes have become one of the hottest teams in District IV AA and will face their biggest test of the season next Friday as they travel to Catawissa to take on their rival Southern Columbia, who is undefeated and ranked #1 in EasternPAFootball’s “AA” poll.

 

GAME STATS

MCA:              8-0-6-6 = 20
DANVILLE:    3-7-0-0 = 10

MOUNT CARMEL (3-2)

RUSHING:

Kyle Karycki 38-369 3 TD; Lane Tanney 3-4; Allen Yankoskie 6- 37; Zachary Zarkowski 5-4; Tommy McDonald 4-12; Team 1- (-12)

PASSING:

Tommy McDonald 2-11-2, 42 yds

RECEIVING:

Lane Tanney 1-27; Wes Shurock 1-15

Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo

DANVILLE (2-3)

RUSHING:

Trent Hilkert 24-151; Ryan Palm 3-11; Gannon Feldman 6-11; Cross Truesdell 1-3

PASSING:

Feldman 2-4-0, 41 yards

RECEIVING:

Peyton Riley 1-32; Truesdell 1-9

The Mount Carmel Area Red Tornadoes took their longest road trip of the season Friday night playing Central Mountain at the Wildcats’ Don Malinak stadium, which sits roughly 75 miles from the Silver Bowl. As the Tornado team bus traveled up Interstate 80 to Mill Hall, players had plenty of time to reflect on this week’s message from head coach John Darrah, “Be mature and focus on this week…It’s a long bus ride, we’re playing on the road, and this team has some good athletes.”. The Tornadoes showed that focus early and maintained it enough throughout the game in their 41-21 victory over the Wildcats. The win puts the Tornadoes at (2-2) on the season and sets up a Heartland Conference Division II showdown next week with the Danville Ironmen at the Silver Bowl.

The Tornadoes set the tone early in the first quarter and moved the ball well against the Wildcats but the drive came up short as the Big Red was turned away on downs. News would get worse shortly after as starting quarterback John Ayres left the game with an apparent leg injury and would not return to the ball game. For most young teams this would pose a panic situation, but not these Red Tornadoes, who have developed a confident maturity as the 2015 season has progressed. Sophomore Tommy McDonald would take over the quarterback duties and, on his first series, connected on a screen pass to senior TE Mason Duran which would take the ball deep into Central Mountain territory. Senior RB Kyle Karycki would finish the drive on a 5 yard touchdown run. Junior Thomas Pastucha’s PAT was blocked and MCA found itself leading 6-0 early in the 2^nd quarter.

On Rosolino Mangipane’s ensuing kickoff, Central Mountain’s junior quarterback and kick returner, Justin Neff, scooped up the ball and took it the distance, knotting the score at 6-6. Sophomore Austyn Carson’s PAT would give the Wildcats a 7-6 lead. On the Tornadoes’ next possession that maturity was evident and it came from a surprising source- signal caller Tommy McDonald. The quarterback would own the second quarter and orchestrated three more scoring drives, all culminating in touchdown passes. T he first, following Neff’s kickoff return, was a 51 yarder to junior TE Wes Shurock who broke away after a great block by junior Lane Tanney. The 2 point conversion run failed and the Tornadoes woud take a 12-7 lead. The second came on the Tornadoes next possession and was set up after a huge 24 yard run by fullback Allen Yancoskie who, by wearing #44, looked reminiscent of former Tornado state title era fullback Shawn Sheptock. Two plays later McDonald hooked up with Shurock again, this time from 32 yards out and Big Red increased its lead to 18-7. The two point conversion pass to Tanney was good and MCA now led 20-7.

The Tornadoes defense once again shut down Central Mountain- aided by a great pass break up by sophomore Michael Cuff on 3^rd down. This would allow the McDonald air show to continue on the next drive as he would connect with wingback Lane Tanney on a 25 yard strike to put the Tornadoes ahead 26-7. The drive was fueled by a screen pass to Kyle Karycki and some nice running by Junior back Zachary Zarkowski, who also added the 2 point conversion, to increase MCA’s lead to 28-7. Central Mountain would briefly move the ball enough to set up a 47 yard field goal attempt, which fell short, making the halftime score 28-7 in favor of Mount Carmel. How great was that second quarter for Tommy McDonald? He was a perfect 6-6 in the passing department for 158 yards and 3 touchdowns. By intermission, Mount Carmel Area picked up 13 first downs, had 156 yards rushing, and 312 yards of total offense. While the defense held Central Mountain to 39 total yards.

The story of the 3^rd quarter would be more Big Red and healthy dose of senior running back Kyle Karycki who is really coming into his own as one of the premier backs in the district and easternPAfootball.com coverage region. Karycki had 4 punishing runs on the Tornadoes first drive and this coupled with a shifty run by McDonald set up Mount Carmel deep into Central Mountain territory. They would capitalize as Karycki took it in from 1 yard out, his second score of the game. The PAT was blocked, making it 34-7 MCA. Karycki’s heroics were not done and added an electric 75 yard scoring burst, his 3^rd, on the Tornadoes’ next drive. The second of the back-to-back third quarter Karycki touchdowns was set up following a fumble recovery by Allen Yancoskie. This time Pastucha was given enough time to split the uprights and his PAT made the score 41-7 in favor of the Tornadoes with 3:43 left in the 3^rd period.

At this point in the game coach John Darrah decided to rest some of his starters after a remarkable effort. Central Mountain would take advantage of some Tornado miscues to score 2 late touchdowns. The first was a 5 yard run by Hunter Weaver, which cut the deficit to 41-14. The second, after an MCA fumble, was an Austyn Carson 21 yard scoring strike to J.J. Harris. Carson would add his third PAT, making the final score Mount Carmel Area 41, Central Mountain 21.

 

GAME STATS

MCA:                0-28-13-0 = 41
Central Mtn :  0-7-0-14 =   21

MOUNT CARMEL (2-2)

RUSHING:

Kyle Karycki 19-183 3 TD; John Ayres 2-9; Lane Tanney 1-2; Allen Yankoskie 6- 64; Tommy McDonald 4-34; Zachary Zarkowski 6-26; Cameron Britt 3-0; Michael White 3- (-8); Michael Cuff 1- (-2)

PASSING:

John Ayres 1-2-0, 4 yds; Tommy McDonald 6-7-0 158 yards, 3TD

RECEIVING:

Wes Shurock 2-94 2 TD; Lane Tanney 2-32 TD; Mason Duran 1- 24; Allen Yancoskie 1-4; Kyle Karycki 1-8

Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (2-2)

RUSHING:

Hunter Weaver 15-49 TD; Justin Neff 7-12; Austyn Carson 3-9; Bryce Mansfield 1-2; Tanner Weaver 2-0

PASSING:

Justin Neff 2-5-0 13 yds; Austyn Carson 3-6-0 56 yds TD

Friday night was a big evening at the Silver Bowl in Mount Carmel. It was the Tornadoes home opener, facing an undefeated opponent in Lewisburg. Aside from their 2-0 record, the Green Dragons were also coming into town with Mount Carmel Area’s former starting quarterback, Dominic Farronato and his brother Dylan Farronato, on their team bus. Friday was also the first time MCA head coach John Darrah coached a game in the Silver Bowl and was only fitting that this game be against a former collegiate teammate, Micahel Ferriero, with the pair both playing together at Wilkes University. That storyline was enough to have any fan and, even players, excited to get their popcorn ready for this Heartland Conference division II matchup.

The tone of the first quarter and eventually the game was set by the relentless play of the Mount Carmel Area defense who constantly kept pressure on Lewisburg senior quarterback Trent Gower, causing 6 hurries, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions. The first of those three picks was snagged by John Ayres in the first quarter and set up the Red Tornadoes initial score. The drive was fueled by the hard running of senior running back Kyle Karycki, who dominated the drive with several punishing runs, including a 32 yarder, and a well earned 3 yard punch-in for the touchdown. Junior Thomas Pastucha’s PAT out of the hold of sophomore Tommy McDonald made the score 7-0 with 4:38 remaining in the first, which is how the score would remain until the end of the quarter.

Lewisburg would answer Karycki’s score on a drive that saw Dominic Farronato taking over the play calling duties for the Green Dragons after starter Trent Gower was knocked out of the game. However Gower would return before the drive was over to connect with senior receiver Matthew Fedorjaka on a 15 yard scoring strike six seconds into the second quarter. Sophomore Nate Liscum’s PAT knotted the score at 7-7.

Although Lewisburg had early success in the quarter, the rest of it belonged to the feisty Red Tornadoes who put together two more scoring drives. The first score, immediately following the Lewisburg touchdown, was taken to the house by senior sensation Kyle Karycki from 37 yards out. Pastucha’s PAT was blocked and MCA regained the lead 13-7. It would be a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The defensive pressure never stopped and the Big Red’s Brendan Boris sacked Lewisburg QB Gower on 4^th down of the next series. On the very next play Ayres went aerial and hooked up with TE Wes Shurock on 57 yard vertical strike. Shurock showcased his speed and outraced the Lewisburg defenders the final 45 yards to the endzone. Ayres would keep it on the 2 point try and was successful, making the score MCA 21-7 with 2:21 left in the half. Ayres’ conversion would be the last points scored by either team on the evening.

The Red Tornadoes came out fired up in the second half and received a spark on their first drive from junior wingback Lane Tanney who nearly went the distance on an electric 74 yard run. Mount Carmel would march to the Lewisburg 5 yard line but were turned away on downs. However, the Big Red’s defense would not relent their endless pursuit QB Trent Gower in the second half. The Tornadoes defensive front led by Mason Duran, Wes Shurock, Ethan Bartos, and Brendan Boris, along with linebackers Allen Yancoskie and Manus McCracken, made life miserable for the Lewisburg signal caller. Sophomore Tommy McDonald would add an interception, the Red Tornadoes 3^rd, in the end zone to turn away Lewisburg’s biggest threat in the second half. The play of Mount Carmel’s defensive backs was also a key to this victory.   “Our d-backs did what we asked them to do play after play. They rose to the occasion and played good defense.” said Mount Carmel Area head coach John Darrah, who would notch his first career victory with this win. “It feels really good. Our kids don’t give up. I’m so thrilled for them to get this victory and see their hard work pay off.”

Mount Carmel Area will take it to the road next Friday as they travel to Mill Hall to face Central Mountain, while Lewisburg will also play away at Milton.

GAME STATS

MCA:              7-14-0-0 = 7
LEWISBURG: 0-7-0-0 = 14

MOUNT CARMEL (1-2)

RUSHING:

Kyle Karycki 20-135 2 TD; John Ayres 19-73; Lane Tanney 5-87; Allen Yankoskie 4- 24; Manus McCracken 1-1; Zachary Zarkowski 1-0.

PASSING:

John Ayres 2-5-1, 62 yds TD

RECEIVING:

Wes Shurock 2-62 TD

Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo

LEWISBURG (2-1)

RUSHING:

Spencer Bartlett 6-38; AJ Ramirez 7-36; Dominic Farronato 8-8; Trent Gower 5-(-3)

PASSING:

Gower 12-28-3, 110 yds TD; Dominic Farronato 2-2-0, 17 yds

RECEIVING:

Matt Fedorjaka 7-62, TD; Donte Malone 2-34; Noah inch 2-16; Andrew Ramirez 2-8; Aaron Veloz 1-7

If asked to pick the best matchup in the Heartland Conference for Week 2, many fearless forecasters would not have selected Friday night’s matchup between the Seals and Red Tornadoes. However, what unfolded under the lights at Harold L. Bolig Memorial Stadium in Selinsgrive was a game that became an instant classic and wasn’t decided until there was less than one minute left in the ballgame. The Seals (2-0) came into the contest as heavy favorites, but it was the surging play of the Tornadoes’ (0-2) that allowed them to go toe-to-toe with the Seals and keep this game gridlocked at 0-0 until 6:28 left in the 4^th quarter. That was when senior running back Kyle Karycki took a designed delayed hand-off from quarterback John Ayres and rumbled down the left sideline for a 75 yard touchdown run. Karycki showcased both his power, breaking through a tackler at the line of scrimmage, and his speed, outrunning the rest of the Seals defense, while giving the Tornadoes the lead at 6-0. Thomas Pastucha’s PAT, out of the hold of Tommy McDonald, extended the lead to 7-0. Karycki’s touchdown run was set up immediately following a huge defensive stand by the Red Tornadoes who had just stuffed Selinsgrove quarterback Logan Leiby on a crucial 4^th and 2 from the Tornado 26 yard line.

The defensive stand coupled with the long touchdown run by Karycki, which was the Tornadoes longest play from scrimmage this season, had the Tornadoes and their crowd emotionally charged and ready to spoil the Seals’ home opener. However, Selinsgrove answered on their ensuing drive and broke out of their own scoring drought with 4:54 left in the 4^th qtr. That was when sophomore quarterback Logan Leiby hit senior Colin Hoke on a 29 yard scoring strike. Seinor kicker Joey Radel’s PAT knotted the game up at 7-7. “You have to give credit to our kids. They played sound defense throughout the night and continually did their job. Coach Cheddar and the rest of our staff did a phenomenal job preparing them,” said head coach John Darrah. “After our touchdown, we were so fired up and this is what I want to see out of our kids, but it almost rattled us. We were so excited that we had to try to calm them down on defense a bit on that next drive.”

After Selinsgrove tied the game, Mount Carmel was held to a three and out series on their next possession and also had their first and only errant punt of the night. This set up the Seals with excellent field position at the Tornadoes 38 yard line. Selinsgrove was able to capitalize on the drive with two successive first down runs by Logan Leiby and senior running back Angelo Martin. With a fresh set of downs on the Mount Carmel 11 yard line, the Seals would only need one play as they scored on an 11 yard touchdown pass from Leiby to Sophomore Tight End Tony Dressler. Radel’s PAT made the score Selinsgrove 14-7 with 1:56 left.

Mount Carmel would get one final drive and executed a two-minute drill exceptionally well out of their shotgun single wing offense. Senior Allen Yancoskie, who was a lethal weapon for the Tornadoes all evening from his fullback spot, hauled in his 6^th catch of the night on first down. On second down, quarterback Ayres gave the Big Red a huge spark with an elusive 15 yard run to mid-field. Ayres followed up the run with a 16 yard first down completion to junior Lane Tanney. This set up the Tornadoes at the Seals 34 yard line with a minute remaining. The drive, although productive, would fall short as Ayres’ completed a 4^th down pass to senior tight end Mason Duran who was stopped short of the first down marker on a great stop by the Seals’ senior Cole Schenck. Selinsgrove was able to run out the clock and close out a hard fought and well played 14-7 victory, giving coach Derek Hicks a 2-0 start to the season and his coaching career.

For Mount Carmel, the Tornadoes fall to 0-2, but again impressed with their play and absolutely earned some respect within the Heartland conference moving forward in 2015. As senior Allen Yancoskie commented, “To come out with 30 players and compete like this with a Selinsgrove, who had twice as many players, shows our great conditioning. A yard here or a yard there could’ve won us this game. We had the whole town and crowd behind us and that gave us so much momentum. We just have to come back next week and pull out the W.” Mount Carmel will get their chance for that W next Friday evening as they host the Lewisburg Green Dragons, a 31-21 winner over Montoursville. The game will also mark the return of former Tornadoes starting quarterback Dominic Farronato and his brother, current Lewisburg wide receiver, Dylan Farronato to the Silver Bowl. Next Friday will also mark the annual Rally in the Valley game as Selinsgrove will host arch-rival Shikellamy.

 

GAME STATS

MCA:  0-0-0-7 = 7
SEALS: 0-0-0-14= 14

MOUNT CARMEL (0-2)

RUSHING:

Kyle Karycki 15-110 TD; John Ayres 15-55; Lane Tanney 2-2; Allen Yankoskie 2- 16

PASSING:

John Ayres 10-14-0, 106 yds

RECEIVING:

Mason Duran 2-13; Yancoskie 6-66; Lane Tanney 2-27

Mount Carmel Area Stats provided by Jose Gonzalo

SELINSGROVE (2-0)

RUSHING:

Angelo Martin 20-82; Ethan Troutman 4-13; Logan Leiby 8-8; Garrett Campbell 1-2

PASSING:

Leiby 15-21-0, 176 yards, 2 TD

RECEIVING:

Nick Swineford 6-82; Colin Hoke 4-51; Tony Dressler 2-18 TD; Ricky Cope 2-17; Joey Radel 1-22