BROCKWAY – In the battle of the unbeaten among AML-South foes on Friday night, one thing became very clear – the Brockway Area High School football team is more than a throwing threat. Senior quarterback Derek Buganza is looking to break the state career passing record, but against the Curwensville Golden Tide, it was the power running attack that led to a 41-26 victory.
Coming into the contest, Golden Tide junior Alex Holland was the number two rusher in Pennsylvania, while Buganza was the state’s top passer on this season and needing 392 yards to top the all-time list. Neither were the major contributors in this contest as Chris Marshall stole the spotlight for the Rovers. Marshall rambled for 167 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown as the Tide had no answer for the run all night.
Buganza, who has been nursing a sore thumb for the past two weeks, connected on just six passes in 12 attemps for 128 yards and one score. His only pass in the second half was an interception by Zack Dimmick. Holland, who tallied over 400 yards last week against Kane, mounted 92 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown against the Rovers.
“They (Brockway) played fantastic defense and ran the ball exceptionally well,” said Tide Head Coach Andy Evanko. “A lot of things were stacked against us tonight, but that’s not to take away from a fantastic game-plan by Brockway.”
On the opening kick-off, the Rovers set up on their own 49-yard line. The Tide looked for the air game to begin immediately, but four straight running plays later saw Zack Freemer cover the last two yards into the end zone. Strong-legged sophomore Phil Esposito added the point after and half the packed house at Frank Varischetti Field were stunned at the 7-0 lead.
Espisito gave Shane Hoover a chance to return the ensuing kick-off, and Hoover covered 85 yards to score :12 later. It was the last return opportunity Brockway gave him on the night. The PAT attempt by Taylor Bumbarger missed left out of a rushed hold and the score stood at 7-6 with 10:39 left in the first quarter.
With two scores in less than two minutes, it seemed that the game was to have lived up to the hype. However, neither team was able to get on track until the end of the quarter.
Brockway then orchestrated an eight-play drive that covered 88 yards. A steady dose of running that included 49 yards by Buganza ran out the quarter. The final play was a 21-yard burst by Freemer as the clock ran out.
The Tide defense stiffened through the second quarter, but Brockway kept the pressure on as they continued to play well. Buganza then recorded his longest toss of the day to Jake Shaffer with 1:27 left in the half. Shaffer came free on a 56-yard pass play for a touchdown. Esposito set the halftime score at 21-6 with a good kick.
The Rovers scored twice in the third period on a one-yard dive by Mike Vervoort at the 5:49 mark and a 19-yard run by Marshall less than two minutes later. A bad snap on the second score sent Esposito scrambling, and his pass attempt fell harmlessly to the ground for a 34-6 lead that looked as if the game was over.
Curwensville, however, found life :10 into the fourth quarter when punter Morgan Murry mishandled a snap. The result was Tide ball on the Brockway 21. Five plays later Holland found the end zone from four yards out, and the momentum made a definite shift.
Marshall’s low spot of the night came on the next play from scrimmage. The Curwensville defense stood Marshall up and Holland came away with the football on the host’s 29-yard line. Two plays later, Shae best sold a short curl route, and when the defender bit on it, Best was all alone for an easy score on the 20-yard pass from Hunter McCracken. However, the try for two again failed, and the score stood at 34-18.
“I love our kids. There’s no give up in them,” Evanko beamed “They just kept plugging until the end. We’ll be okay. We’ll get back to work next week and fix a few things.”
Brockway then went back to the hard-nose running that had been successful earlier for them. The result was a nine-play drive that featured all ground attacks. Buganza carried the final yard for the score that stifled any comeback attempt by Curwensville.
The visitors did post one last rally with a mixture of passes and runs that covered 69 yards before Dimmick ran the ball in from five yards out to put the score at 41-26 with :37 left.
Curwensville had the ball back on an on-side kick, but an incomplete pass and an interception ended the game and the spotless record for Curwensville.
“It isn’t the end of the world and we’re certainly not done,” said Evanko, who needed some attention on the sideline after taking a hit himself on a tackle out-of-bounds. “If you check the schedule we get to play again next week. There’s a lot of football left to play – it’s only mid season. We have things to accomplish yet, and the kids will keep working hard to get them done.”
Evanko bounced back after his hit, and undoubtedly the Tide (5-1) will be ready to take on Ridgway at home next week.
Brockway (6-0) will get to take on another undefeated opponent next week in Elk County Catholic (6-0) who downed Kane on Friday night.
Score by Quarter
Curwensville 6 0 o 20 -26
Brockway 14 7 13 7 – 41
BOX SCORE
1st Quarter
Brockway: 2-yard run by Freemer (Esposito kick), 10:51
Curwensville: 85-yard kick-off return by Hoover (PAT failed), 10:39
Brockway: 21-yard run by Freemer (Esposito kick), :00
2nd Quarter
Brockway: 56-yard pass from Buganza to Shaffer (Esposito kick), 1:27
3rd Quarter
Brockway: 1-yard run by M. Vervoort (Esposito kick), 5:49
Brockway: 19-yard run by Marshall (PAT failed), 3:59
4th Quarter
Curwensville: 4-yard run by Holland (PAT failed) 9:34
Curwensville: 25-yard pass from McCracken to Best (PAT failed) 8:39
Brockway: 1-yard run by Buganza (Esposito kick) 2;48
Curwensville: 5-yard run byDimmick (Starr pass to Holland), 0:37
GAME STATISTICS
CURWENSVILLE / BROCKWAY
FIRST DOWNS: 10 / 16
RUSH YARDS: 130 / 271
PASS YARDS: 92 / 116
TOTAL YARDS: 222 / 387
PENALTIES: 4 / 3
PENALTY YARDS: 20 / 15
COMP/ATT/TD/INT: 9-28 -1-4 / 6-12-1-1
FUMBLES: 2 / 5
FUMBLES LOST: 1 / 2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
CURWENSVILLE: Holland- 25 carries, 92 yards, TD; Dimmick – 8 carries, 18 yards, TD; McCracken – 1 carry, 4 yards; Starr – 1 carry, 9 yards; Hoover- 1 carry, 7 yards; TOTAL-36 carries, 130 yards.
BROCKWAY: M. Vervoort – 11 carries, 50 yards, TD; Caruso – 1 carry, 2 yards; Marshall – 22 carries 167 yards, TD; Murry – 1 carry, 14 yards; Buganza – 8 carries 39 yards; Freemer – 6 carries, 29 yards, 2 TD’s; Braun1 carry, -2 yards TOTAL – 49 carries, 271 yards.
PASSING
CURWENSVILLE: McCracken- 5 for 20, 58 yards, 3 INTs, TD; Starr- 4 for 8, 34 yards, INT.
BROCKWAY: Buganza-6 for 12, 128 yards, 1 TD
RECEIVING
CURWENSVILLE: Best – 3 receptions, 54 yards, TD; Holland-1 reception, 8 yards; Hoover – 4 receptions, 46 yards; Kyler -1 reception, 0 yards
BROCKWAY: Braun 2 receptions, 22 yards; M. Vervoort-1 reception, 38 yards; Shaffer – 1 reception, 56 yards, TD; Marshall – 2 receptions, 12 yards; Totals: 6 receptions, 128 yards, TD.