Big plays help Hughesville pull away from Bloomsburg in 26-13 win

BLOOMSBURG-Sometimes, winning in sports can be as simple as a team’s best player being its best player.  That would be an accurate way to describe Hughesville on Friday night. Aiden Barlett, who has been a playmaker for the Spartans in multiple facets over the last couple of seasons, was at it again. Barlett caught two long touchdown passes from Tyler Wetzel, ran a punt back 81 yards for another score, and came up with two interceptions on defense, as Hughesville held off a spirited effort from an undermanned Bloomsburg team in a 26-13 victory.

“AB, he’s the guy,” Hughesville coach Howard Rainey said of Barlett. “Anytime we’re in a situation where we need something done, we usually call on AB to do it for us. (The punt return) shut them down. I think it took the wind out of their sails.”

Hughesville (2-1) was locked in a 13-13 tie after Bloomsburg quarterback Wyatt Brosious took a pop, but crossed the goal line on an 8-yard run with 7:40 left in the third quarter. It would take less than two minutes for the Spartans to respond. Barlett hauled in a short to pass from Wetzel, and took off to the house. The 56-yard touchdown catch and run gave Hughesville a lead it would never relinquish, as Barlett finished with 91 yards receiving on three receptions. Bloomsburg (0-3) failed to pick up a first down on the ensuing possession, and Barlett made his major contribution on special teams with the long punt return that helped his team break the game open.

“(Barlett) is a heck of an athlete,” Bloomsburg coach Mike Kogut said. “We knew him and (running back Angelo Ferrigno) were there two best kids. We didn’t want to kick it to him, but we did. He made a good play, but we have to make tackles. He’s a great player. It was a big momentum-changing play for them, for sure. We hurt ourselves with some mistakes and turnovers, but that’s going to happen. We played with a lot of heart, played with a lot of desire. We’re down some people and we continued to fight. I am proud of our kids.”

Trailing by two scores, it looked like Bloomsburg might make things interesting down the stretch. Decimated by injuries at the running back position, the Panthers were basically a one-dimensional team offensively. Midway through the fourth quarter, Brosious connected with Gabe Dube and Jack Katulis on passes that totaled 71 yards, setting up a first-and-goal at the 4. A penalty pushed the Panthers back five yards, and Barlett delivered yet another big play with his second interception of the night in the back-left corner of the end zone to put the game away.

“Defense has always been our thing,” Rainey said. “Our defensive backs are probably some of the best in the area. We’ll need it next week (against Warrior Run).”

Brosious delivered a mixed bag of results at quarterback. He engineered a 16-play, 78-yard game-opening drive that was very well-executed. Bloomsburg converted two fourth downs, including a 4th-and-2 from its own 30. Katulis caught 11 passes for 108 yards in the game, and his 1-yard run off a jet sweep on fourth down opened the scoring while giving the Panthers a near-perfect start.

“We were really happy, we did exactly what we asked them to do,” Kogut said. “It was really nice, and hopefully the kids understand that when we execute, and they have some confidence, hopefully they’ll continue to feel good, at least about the things they’re doing right, and not be so hard on themselves.”

The first interception Barlett made came late in the second quarter. Hughesville would take advantage of the short field by running with big success off the right side. Luke Stutzman capped off the six-play drive by winning a race to the front-right pylon with 47 seconds left before halftime on a 7-yard run.

“Stutzman is a go-to back, too,” Rainey said. “We don’t use him as much as we probably should. But, when we gets out there, you see what we can do when he gets around that corner.”