By BILL ALBRIGHT
EasternPAFootball Senior Writer
JERSEY SHORE — Jumping all over Shamokin with both feet while taking no prisoners, Jersey Shore scored early and often as the Bulldogs humbled the Indians 54-0 in the District IV Class AAAA title game.
For the Dawgs, it was their third straight district title and fourth in the past five seasons.
With the win, Shore now faces District II winner Crestwood in the state quarterfinals, the Comets a 34-14 winner over Dallas.
Shore left no doubt as to which team was going to emerge as the district champion as the Orange & Black opened the game with back-to-back 20-plus quarters for a commanding 47-0 halftime lead. This sent the game into Mercy Rule status that had the game moving along at a rapid pace as the second half was played with a running clock.
Unlike several of their recent outings, the Bulldogs came out smoking from the opening kickoff.
Although faced with a third-and-32 situation, the Bulldogs scored all the points they were going to need for the win when quarterback Brandon Wheary hit Owen Anderson with a 48-yard pitch-and-catch 52 seconds into the game.
Following the Anderson score, Shore again struck quickly as the Bulldog defense came up with a special teams recovery of a Shamokin bobble in the ensuing kickoff.
One minute later, Anderson delivered the mail with a five-yard run to paydirt and the race was on.
Following Anderson’s second score, the Indians came up with their biggest play of the game, but the effort was thwarted when Cayden Hess picked off a Brett Nye pass.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shore’s Dalton Dugan went on a 50-yard jaunt to the Shamokin one-yard line. Bulldog fullback Hayden Packer bulled in from the one for the score.
Not quite finished with the hectic action in the opening period, Anderson again used his legs from seven yards out for a 26-0 Shore lead at the first turn.
Shore tacked on three more scores in the second quarter as Anderson, tailback Cam Allison and Brady Jordan put the Dawgs running game in high gear with TD runs of 48, 15, and one yard respectively. With the explosion, the halftime lead stood at 47-0.
Allison completed the Shore scoring with a 17-yard TD jaunt with three minutes left in the third period to set the final. The fourth period found the reserves battling each other in a scoreless effort until the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Shamokin 0 0 0 0 — 0
Jersey Shore 26 21 7 0 — 54
First Quarter
JS — Owen Anderson 48 pass from Brandon Wheary. (Cam Allison kick). 7-0
JS — Anderson 5 run. (kick failed) 13-0
JS — Hayden Packer 1 run. (rush failed) 19-0
JS — Anderson 7 run. (Allison kick) 26-0
Second Quarter
JS — Anderson 48 run (Allison kick) 33-0
JS — Allison 15 run (Allison kick) 40-0
JS — Brady Jordan 1 run (Allison kick) 47-0
Third Quarter
JS — Allison 17 run (Allison kick) 54-0
