EMPORIUM – In a replay of the 2014 season, the Curwensville Area High School football team has also started this year going 4-0, thanks to a not so easy victory over Cameron County Friday night in Emporium, 58-28.
And it was the same teams the Tide defeated last year in its first four games – Port Allegany, Otto-Eldred, Coudersport and Cameron County.
Sophomore Nick Stewart recorded five touchdowns and ran for 256 yards while senior quarterback Jake Terry threw for 268 yards three scores in a game that was closer than the final score indicates.
The Red Raiders, now 0-4, kept things very interesting until mid way through the third quarter when Curwensville finally pulled away.
The Golden Tide put the first points on the board at the 6:28 mark of the first quarter on a Terry to Stewart five yard touchdown pass. The two point conversion attempt failed.
Cameron County then took the kickoff to the promised land on a 75 yard return by Caleb Burnside. The Red Raiders also failed on their try for two.
Burnside, a senior, scored three of the four Cameron County touchdowns on the evening while rushing for 64 yards.
Curwensville would regain the lead with 2:32 left in the opening quarter, 14-6, on a five yard scoring run by senior Hunter Johnson with Stewart running in the two point attempt.
However, the Raiders would answer right back as quarterback Derek Rieder hit fellow senior tight end Austin Doud for a 63 yard touchdown pass and with Rieder’s two point conversion run the score was even again at 14-14.
The Golden Tide took the lead 51 seconds later with 1:02 remaining in the opening frame on a 63 yard scoring strike from Terry to junior wideout Eli Jacobs. The two point conversion attempt was no good and after one quarter Curwensville had a 20-14 edge.
The Red Raiders, who scored only six points in its first three games, would not go away quietly.
With 4:15 left until halftime, Cameron County knotted the score at 20-20 on a one yard run by Burnside. The two point attempt was no good.
The Tide would score two TD’s before the intermission on runs by Stewart.
A seven yard run by the sophomore back and his successful two point conversion run gave the Tide the lead at 28-20 with 2:55 to go in the second.
The next score for visiting Curwensville was pretty amazing.
With just 8.1 seconds left until the half and the Tide facing a fourth down and four yards to go from its own 26 yard line, Curwensville head coach Andy Evanko went for it and came up huge.
Not only did Stewart get the four yards needed, he also picked up all 74 yards to the end zone as the clock struck zero. The two point conversion failed but the Tide had a two score lead at the half, 34-20.
One would think that the Tide score to end the first half would break the spirit of Cameron County. On this night, it did not.
The Red Raiders took the second half kick off and marched to the end zone at the 8:59 mark of the third quarter on a 3 yard run by Burnside. Tristan Reed ran in the two point conversion to cut the Curwensville margin to just 34-28.
Then, the party lights went out, as Stewart would score two more times before the final 12 minutes.
One came on a four yard run, and the other on a three yard run. Both attempts for two were successful and after three quarters Curwensville could breathe a little easier, leading 50-28 heading into the final stanza.
Only one team scored in the fourth quarter and it was the Tide having Terry hit Quamone Newkirk over the middle on a slant that went for a 43 yard score. Johnson added the final points of the night on the successful two point attempt.
The Golden Tide open up Allegheny Mountain League (AML) South Division play next Saturday afternoon, traveling to St. Marys to challenge Elk County Catholic. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 pm at St. Marys High School’s football field.
Just like Curwensville, ECC enters the contest with a perfect 4-0 record on the 2015 campaign after dismantling Sheffield Friday night, 53-0.
Last year both squads came into this game also 4-0 and the Crusaders won, at Curwensville, 20-13.
Listen to the Curwensville at Elk County Catholic battle on WOKW-FM, 102.9, with the pre-game show starting at 1:45 pm.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CURWENSVILLE 20 14 16 8 58
CAMERON COUNTY 14 6 8 0 28
1st QUARTER
6:28 CURW Jake Terry 5 yard pass to Nick Stewart
Two point conversion failed 6 0
6:15 CAM CO 75 yard kick-off return by Caleb Burnside
Two point conversion failed 6 6
2:32 CURW 5 yard run by Hunter Johnson
Stewart two point conversion run 14 6
1:53 CAM CO Derek Rieder 68 yard pass to Austin Doud
Rieder two point conversion run 14 14
1:02 CURW Terry 63 yard pass to Eli Jacobs
Two point conversion failed 20 14
2nd QUARTER
4:15 CAM CO 1 yard run by Burnside
Two point conversion failed 20 20
2:55 CURW 7 yard run by Stewart
Stewart two point conversion run 28 20
0:0 CURW 74 yard run by Stewart
Two point conversion failed 34 20
3rd QUARTER
8:59 CAM CO 3 yard run by Burnside
Tristan Reed two point conversion run 34 28
7:15 CURW 4 yard run by Stewart
Stewart two point conversion run 42 28
2:19 CURW 3 yard run by Stewart
Johnson two point conversion run 50 28
4th QUARTER
11:22 CURW Terry 43 yard pass to Quamone Newkirk
Johnson two point conversion run
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 09/04 | PORT ALLEGANY | 55 – 22 | 1 – 0 |
| 09/11 | @ Otto-Eldred | 58 – 20 | 2 – 0 |
| 09/18 | COUDERSPORT | 35 – 0 | 3 – 0 |
| 09/25 | @ Cameron County | 50 – 28 | 4 – 0 |
| 10/03 | @ Elk County Catholic | ||
| 10/09 | REDBANK VALLEY | ||
| 10/16 | @ Kane | ||
| 10/23 | BROCKWAY | ||
| 10/30 | @ Ridgway |