BROCKWAY – The District IX Class A match-up between Cameron County and Curwensville on Saturday evening in Brockway was billed as a battle of two hard-nosed running games. Neither team disappointed as they combined for 490 yards on the turf. However, in the end, it was the Golden Tide who held the edge on the ground and on the scoreboard in a 22-13 semifinal victory.
The win propels top-seeded Curwensville into the Class A Championship game against sixth seeded Port Allegany, who brushed off a 17-7 half-time deficit to defeat Redbank Valley 24-17 in the early game on Saturday. The championship game will be played in Brockway this Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
“We have a lot of guys in that locker room who put a lot of time into becoming good football players,” Curwensville head coach Andy Evanko said of his team. “They work hard to get stronger and become better players, and there are a lot of great coaches who work with them. We’re thrilled to be going where we’re going next week.”
There were little surprises in the nightcap as both teams came out and put the ball in the hands of their premiere backs. The Red Raiders had the first opportunity to showcase Jason Blose, who came into the game with over 1300 yards on the season. Blose carried the ball five times for 20 yards on the opening drive which ended ironically on two incomplete passes at the Curwensville 23-yard line.
The Tide’s Alex Holland, who needed 18 yards in the game to go over 2000 yards on the season, wasted no time getting his hands on the ball. Holland carried the ball eight times on the team’s initial drive for 37 yards, but the 10-play drive was halted on the Raider 31-yard line.
Both defenses proved stingy in the first quarter. With the running games keeping the clock moving, the first quarter ended quickly without a score on Cameron County’s second possession.
Two plays into the second frame, it looked like the momentum might swing in Curwensville’s direction. On a fourth-and-six play at the Curwensville 30, Tide defensive end Kyle Barrett introduced himself to Raider quarterback Zach Austin for a seven yard loss. However, that momentum quickly lost its edge.
On third down and two, Holland scampered for a three-yard gain and a first down, but as the play cleared the Tide loss was devastating. While making his block, junior guard Kyle Scribe was banged up and had to taken off the field by ambulance with an apparent leg injury. On the very next play, Cameron County added insult to that injury when Arron Burnside recovered a Hunter McCracken miscue and scampered 45 yards for a touchdown. Val Thomson’s kick put the score at 7-0 for the Red Raiders.
“When Kyle went down, the other guys really had to pick it up,” said Evanko. “Seth Michaels came in and did a fantastic job. We just hope Kyle will be alright. He’s a heck of a kid and a big part of this team.”
On the ensuing drive, the Tide would find a way to take that momentum back and never trail again. On fourth down from their own 36-yard line, Curwensville needed a yard and set up in punt formation. However, a direct snap to Holland resulted in a 20-yard pick-up, and the drive continued.
The final 42 yards took just five plays as three Holland carries wrapped around two pass plays from senior quarterback Alec Starr – one a 13-yard grab by Shane Hoover – led to the Tide’s initial score. The final 20 yards were covered by Holland scampering around the left end. Curwensville drew the Raiders off-side on the PAT which set up Holland for the converted run and an 8-7 lead.
“It’s a great feeling to see the kids play so well,” Evanko beamed. “Our quarterbacks threw well and our receivers went and got the passes. The defense played exceptionally well, and everyone did their job against a good team.”
Evanko’s defense held tough on the next possession as the Tide took over again on downs at their own 32 yard line.
Holland and Hoover again combined for a first down to move the sticks, before disaster struck for Cameron County. The Red Raiders were flagged with a pass interference penalty that was compounded by a comment on the field that cost them 24 yards. One play later Hoover pulled in a McCracken pass from 23 yards out for a touchdown. Taylor Bumbarger came on to kick the PAT and with 1:24 left in the half, the Tide led 15-7.
There proved to be more than enough time on the clock for the Raiders to keep the game close. Curwensville’s kick-off went out of bounds at the 36 yard line of Cameron County, and the offense struck in a hurry. Austin accounted for 56 yards in two plays as he connected with Vince Summers on a 14-yard pass play and then ran for 42 yards to the Curwensville eight. Blose finished the drive on the next play at the 1:00 mark, however, the try for two failed and the teams went into the locker room with the score reading 15-13.
“Austin is a heck of an athlete,” said Evanko. There was a little talk in the locker room at halftime about stopping him, but mostly we focused on doing a better job of running the ball on offense.”
The Tide opened the second half by moving the ball, but a holding penalty and an interception by Jason Shaw ended the threat on the Cameron County 17-yard line. However, Curwensville’s defense proved just as tough and the third quarter ended with neither team gaining any advantage.
Eventually, as the fourth quarter moved on, the Raiders took to the air more often to try to get the go ahead score. That proved a poor decision as Shae Best picked off two passes in the frame – the first with 8:55 remaining.
After the first interception, Holland ran the ball eight times on a 10-play scoring drive that covered 83 yards. With strong blocking up front, Holland collected all of those yards on the ground. The capper was a 10 yard scamper to the left side. Bumbarger again added the kick for a 22-13 lead with 3:44 left to play.
“We ran the ball well tonight,” Holland said of his team’s effort. “There’s no way I get any of these yards without my lead blocking. The line, the ends and other backs do a great job for us.
Holland finished the game with 247 yards rushing on 41 carries and two touchdowns. His total for the year now stands at 2229 yards. Hoover finished with six receptions for 105 yards including a touchdown. Both quarterbacks were effective for Curwensville as Starr hit on four of eight passes for 71 yards and an interception while McCracken was four of four for 52 yards and a touchdown.
The district final is a rematch of week three, which Curwensville won by a 35-6 score at Riverside Stadium. However, during the playoffs the Gators have shown to be much improved, as they have knocked off the third seed in Elk County Catholic 47-40 in four overtimes and the second seed in Redbank Valley. Undoubtedly, they will be looking to make it a clean sweep by taking out number one in the finals.
Score by Quarter
Cameron County 0 13 0 0 – 13
Curwensville 0 15 0 7 – 22
BOX SCORE
2nd Quarter
Cameron County: 55-yard fumble recovery by Burnside (Thomson kick), 9:47.
Curwensville: 20-yard run by Holland (Holland run), 5:49.
Curwensville: 23-yard pass from McCracken to Hoover (Bumbarger kick), 1:24.
Cameron County: 8-yard run by Blose (run failed), 1:00.
4th Quarter
Curwensville: 10-yard run by Holland (Bumbarger kick) ,3:44.
GAME STATISTICS
CAMERON COUNTY / CURWENSVILLE
FIRST DOWNS: 13 / 20
RUSH YARDS: 212 / 278
PASS YARDS: 57 / 123
TOTAL YARDS: 269 / 401
PENALTIES: 6 / 7
PENALTY YARDS: 45.5 / 61
COMP/ATT/TD/INT:
5-14 -0-2 / 8-12-1-1
FUMBLES: 2 / 1
FUMBLES LOST: 0 / 1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
CAMERON COUNTY: Blose – 19 carries, 90 yards, TD; Fragale – 7 carries, 34 yards; Austin – 12 carries, 88 yards; TOTALS: 38 carries, 212 yards, TD.
CURWENSVILLE: Holand – 41 carries, 247 yards, 2 TD; Dimmick – 6 carries,34 yards; Starr – 1 carry, 1 yard; Best – 1 carry, 0 yards; McCracken – 2 carries (-4) yards; TOTAL – 51 carries, 278 yards, 2 TD.
PASSING
CAMERON COUNTY: Austin – 5 for 13, 57 yards, 2 INT; Blose – 0 for 1, 0 yards, TOTALS: 5 for 14, 57 yards.
CURWENSVILLE: McCracken – 4 for 4, 52 yards, TD; Starr- 4 for 8, 71 yards, INT; TOTALS: 8 for 12, 123 yards, TD, INT.
RECEIVING
CAMERON COUNTY: Blose – 2 receptions, 27 yards; Grimm – 2 receptions, 16 yards; Summers – 1 reception, 14 yards. TOTALS: 5 receptions, 57 yards.
CURWENSVILLE: Hoover – 6 receptions, 105 yards, TD; Holland – 1 reception, 0 yards; Best – 1 reception, 18 yards; TOTALS: 8 receptions, 123 yards, TD.