CURWENSVILLE – The 2016 playoff road continues for the Curwensville Golden Tide football team after defeating the Falcons of Coudersport Friday night at Riverside Stadium, 33-6.
The Tide broke open a close battle with 19 fourth quarter points after leading 14-6 at the half and at the end of the third quarter.
Curwensville will now play number one seed Ridgway in the District 9 A semifinals next Saturday at Mansell Stadium in DuBois with a 6 pm kick-off.
The Elkers shutout the Golden Tide in October, 28-0 in Ridgway.
Curwensville received the opening kick-off, and that opening drive ended in a Nick Stewart five yard touchdown run. Madison Weber’s PAT gave the Tide a quick 7-0 edge with 8:27 left in the first.
Much to the Falcons’ credit they came right back with a scoring drive of their own.
Quarterback Aaron Wolfinger tossed a nine yard scoring strike to Derek Keglovits with 2:38 remaining in the opening 12 minutes.
Coudersport elected to go for the two point conversion that came up just short.
It would be the only time the Falcons would find the end zone on a very cool autumn evening.
Heading into the second quarter Curwensville held on to a 7-6 lead.
The Tide stretched its margin to 14-6 with 7:55 to go before halftime on a one yard run by senior fullback Kaleb Witherite. Weber added the point after, which would be the final tally of the first half.
Defense dominated the third quarter as neither squad could mount a scoring drive in a game that looked like it would come down to the final few minutes with the last team possessing the ball having the advantage.
Not so.
Curwensville came out and scored 19 unanswered fourth quarter points thanks to three more touchdowns from Stewart.
On the season the junior running back has 27 touchdowns. Twenty-five on the ground and two TD receptions. Stewart’s 248 yards rushing on the night left him just 20 yards short of 2,000 for the season.
At the 11:12 mark of the fourth Stewart raced 62 yards to the end zone, virtually untouched, to widen the Tide’s lead to 21-6 after the successful PAT by Weber.
Tide junior quarterback Bryce Timko then found Stewart in the end zone on a 27 yard touchdown pass with just 5:20 left in the game. The Weber extra point attempt was blocked, but Curwensville was now in complete control of the game at 27-6.
Stewart, who rushed for 248 yards on the evening. ended the scoring on a 56 yard run with 4:27 remaining. The Tide’s two point conversion attempt failed.
Junior Josh Terry came up with an interception for Curwensville in the second half, helping the Tide shutout the Coudersport in the second half.
It was the first time that the Golden Tide, now 6-4, have defeated Coudersport in District 9 playoff action.
The Falcons had won the previous five meetings.
Coudersport finishes the 2016 season with a 5-5 record.
In the other half of the D-9 A bracket on Friday night it was number two seeded Clarion-Limestone beating the seven seed, Otto-Eldred, 26-16.
Clarion-Limestone will play the winner of the Redbank Valley and Elk County Catholic (ECC) game set for 4 pm Saturday in St. Mary’s. Redbank Valley is the sixth seed and ECC is the third seed.
The winner of the ECC-Redbank Valley game, as mentioned, will battle Clarion-Limestone next Saturday at 1 pm in DuBois.
Listen to the Curwensville-Ridgway game next Saturday on WOKW-FM, 102.9, with the pregame show starting at 5:40 pm.
SCORING SUMMARY
COUDERSPORT 0 6 0 0 6
CURWENSVILLE 7 7 0 19 33
1st QUARTER
CURW 8:27 Nick Stewart 5 yard run. Madison Weber PAT 7 0
COUD 2:38 Aaron Wolfinger 9 yard pass to Derek Keglovits. Two point attempt failed 7 6
2nd QUARTER
CURW 7:55 Kaleb Witherite 1 yard run. Weber PAT 14 6
4th QUARTER
CURW 11:12 Stewart 62 yard run. Weber PAT 21 6
CURW 5:20 Bryce Timko 27 yard pass to Stewart. PAT blocked 27 6
CURW 4:27 Stewart 56 yard run. Two point attempt failed 33 6
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 |
| 11/04 | District 9 A Quarterfinals | ||
| 11/04 | vs. Coudersport | 33 – 6 | 6 – 4 |
| TBD | District 9 Semifinals | ||
| TBD | vs. Ridgway |