BRADFORD – The Curwensville Area High School football team snapped a four game losing streak Friday night with a road trip win over the Bradford Owls, 37-8, in a game that ended under the mercy rule.
The Golden Tide, a single A team, and the Owls, a AAAA squad both reside in the Allegheny Mountain League (AML) South Division despite the fact that Bradford is the northern most school in the entire AML.
Curwensville junior running back Nick Stewart rushed for 289 yards and scored three times. His season mark passed the 1700 yard total, while he also became just the third District 9 runner to go past 5000 yards for a career.
The three scores for Stewart give him 23 overall touchdowns this season, with 22 coming on the ground and one through the air.
After the Golden Tide stopped Bradford’s first possession on a three and out, the visitors went to work with a methodical, grueling ground game to pick up the first touchdown of the contest.
Curwensville went 87 yards on a drive that took well over nine minutes in the first quarter, ending on a Stewart four yard run with 1:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Stewart also ran for the two point conversion, making it 8-0 in favor of the Tide after the first 12 minutes.
Two more second quarter scores would give Curwensville a 23-0 halftime lead.
First it was Stewart with a six yard dash to the end zone followed again by his two point conversion run.
Then with 7:04 to go before the intermission, Tide quarterback Bryce Timko hit Zach Marshall on a 50 yard TD toss.
Madison Weber followed with the successful PAT attempt.
For Timko, who sat out last week with an injury, it was his sixth touchdown pass of the year and for Marshall it was his second scoring reception of the season.
Only one score took place in the third quarter and it was Stewart doing the honors with a one yard dive to pay dirt.
Weber’s extra point gave the Golden Tide a comfortable 30-0 edge after three quarters.
The mercy rule came into play with 11:55 left in the final quarter as senior running back Kaleb Witherite scored on a two yard run which was followed by Weber’s PAT giving Curwensville a 37-0 margin.
Bradford finally got on the board with 9:29 remaining on a two yard dart by Mitchell Vleminckx.
Donny Pattison ran in the two point conversion setting the final 37-8 in favor of the Tide.
The Owls, now 3-6, have one game left when they host Warren next Friday.
Curwensville now awaits for the District 9 Class A playoff pairings to be announced which are scheduled to begin the weekend of November 4 and 5.
NOTE: The Golden Tide have been seeking a tenth game for next weekend, but as of this writing no opponent has been found.
SCORING SUMMARY
CURWENSVILLE 8 15 7 7 37
BRADFORD 0 0 0 8 8
1st QUARTER
CURW 1:23 Nick Stewart 4 yard run, Stewart run for two point conversion 8 0
2nd QUARTER
CURW 10:40 Stewart 6 yard run, Stewart run for two point conversion 16 0
CURW 7:04 Bryce Timko 50 yard pass to Zach Marshall, Madison Weber PAT 23 0
3rd QUARTER
CURW 9:05 Stewart 1 yard run, Weber PAT 30 0
4th QUARTER
CURW 11:55 Kaleb Witherite 2 yard run, Weber PAT 37 0
BRAD 9:29 Mitchell Vleminckx 5 yard run, Donny Pattison run for two point conversion 37 8
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 08/26 | CAMERON COUNTY | 37 – 20 | 1 – 0 |
| 09/02 | SMETHPORT | 41 – 21 | 2 – 0 |
| 09/10 | @ Sheffield | 43 – 0 | 3 – 0 |
| 09/16 | PORT ALLEGANY | 63 – 6 | 4 – 0 |
| 09/23 | KANE | 12- 43 | 4 – 1 |
| 09/30 | @ Brockway | 20 – 56 | 4 – 2 |
| 10/07 | @ Ridgway | 0 – 28 | 4 – 3 |
| 10/14 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | 6 – 23 | 4 – 4 |
| 10/21 | @ Bradford | 37 – 8 | 5 – 4 |
| Playoffs, TBD |