Friday was a long night for Nativity.
The Green Wave’s inability to stop the run was prevalent all night as Hancock (Md.) rushed the ball 20 times for 379 yards to help the Panthers pummel the Green Wave 51-15.
Despite the tough night and their playoff hopes seemingly dashed, the Green Wave (4-6) received some positive news Saturday night. Bucktail declined its Eastern Conference Class A playoff bid, giving Nativity the berth. Nativity will face Mahanoy Area at 7 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
Friday night, it was all Hancock though as Panthers junior quarterback Jesse Wolford rushed the ball eight times for 182 yards. He had touchdown runs of 49,16,64 and 59 yards. Senior tailback Logan Manning added 115 yards rushing on only four carries, scoring twice. The Panthers only threw the ball three times, completing one of their passes.
Green Wave freshman quarterback Dan Lozada threw for 129 yards completing 7-of-23 attempts, with a touchdown pass. His main target was senior wide out Kyle Kaledas, who caught four passes for 78 yards and a score.
Lozada also led the Wave in rushing, carrying the ball 11 times for 23 yards.
The Panthers (9-1) scored on their third offensive play of the game when Wolford took it 50 yards down the sideline for his first score of the night. The Green Wave’s next possession resulted in a fumble that was taken to the house, giving the Panthers a 12-0 lead just two minutes into the game. The Panthers added two more scores before the end of the first, making the score after 25-0 after 1.
The Green Wave added a score early in the second quarter on a 4-yard Lozada run, but that was all they could manage in the first half. The Panthers again added two more scores, making the score at half 37-8 in favor of the hosts. The Panthers rushed for a whopping 295 yards just in the first half.
The second half was much of the same with big runs by Manning and Wolford. They opened up the flood gates, adding two more scores.
The Wave did notched a score on a 32 yard pass from Lozada to Kaledas late in the fourth.
But missed tackles killed Nativity as The Wave fell for the third straight game. The Green Wave ended the regular season with a sub-.500 record for back to back years.
With several talented underclassmen on the roster, an extra week of practice could help Nativity continue to improve. It also gives the Green Wave seniors another chance to wear the Green and Gold on Friday night.
