Tide Use Big Plays For Comeback Win Over Brockway 15-13

CURWENSVILLE – The Curwensville Area High School football team played its second straight game against an unbeaten foe Friday evening, this time at Riverside Stadium in Curwensville, in a key Allegheny Mountain League (AML) South Division battle.

And this time the Golden Tide came out with a come from behind 15-13 win over the Brockway Rovers.

The victory now finds the Tide and the Rovers both at 5-1 on the season in the highly competitive AML South.

It was big plays that got Curwensville back in the game that enabled the victory, stopping Brockway’s three game winning streak against the Golden Tide.

Brockway put two scores on the scoreboard in the first quarter on a one yard run by quarterback Peter Downer and then a five yard run by Tyler Serafini with 1:05 to play before the second 12 minutes.

After the first Rover TD the Tide blocked the extra point attempt by Zane Puhala, but on the second score Puhala connected, giving the Brockway squad a 13-0 lead after one quarter.

Then came the first big play for Curwensville as senior running back Nick Stewart went 62 yards with 6:13 before intermission to put the Tide on the board.

Junior Madison Weber was perfect with the extra point attempt, and the Golden Tide were back in it, trailing just 13-7 at the break.

The Tide defense continued to step up, as it did in the second quarter, stopping the Rovers from getting close to the Curwensville end zone throughout the third frame.

Then came big play number two for Curwensville with approximately 40 second to play in the third.

Golden Tide senior quarterback Bryce Timko found a wide open Dakota Bloom in the flat on the left side for a 61 yard catch and run that pushed the ball deep into Rover territory.

Then big play number three came with 10:37 left in the battle.

At the Brockway seven yard line Timko found Noah Von Gunden in the left flat, who then streaked to near the front left corner of the Rover end zone.

Von Gunden fumbled the ball, that ended up in the end zone, only to find an alert Dakota Bloom jumping on the recovery for a Curwensville touchdown, knotting the score at 13-13.

The final big play, number four, came on the point after.

As Curwensville kicker Weber lined up for the go ahead PAT the Brockway defense jumped offside moving the ball half the distance to the goal line.

True to form, as the Tide always do, head coach Andy Evanko sent in the offense to go for the two point conversion attempt.

A big gamble somewhat.

And Avery Francisco made the gamble worth it with an up the gut two point conversion run that gave Curwensville the lead at 15-13.

The defense of the Tide then held the Rovers from scoring the remainder of the game, not even allowing Puhala a chance for a potential winning field goal attempt.

Coming into the game Puhala was four for four on field goal attempts.

The Tide stay at home for a contest against the Elkers of Ridgway next Friday, with kick-off set for 7 pm.

The Elkers, also 5-1, knocked off previously 5-0 Bradford Friday night 21-7.

So Curwensville, Brockway, Bradford and Ridgway all are tied for second place in the AML South at 5-1 each.

Kane remains the only undefeated squad at 5-0, and the Wolves travel to St. Mary’s on Saturday to play the 2-3 Crusaders of Elk County Catholic.

Listen to the Curwensville-Ridgway game on WOKW-FM, 102.9 with the pre-game show starting at 6:45 pm.

SCORING SUMMARY

BROCKWAY 13 0 0 0 13
CURWENSVILLE 0 7 8 0 15

1ST QUARTER

BKWY 7:47 One yard run by Peter Downer, PAT attempt blocked 0 6

BKWY 1:05 Five yard run by Tyler Serafini, Zane Puhala PAT 0 13

2ND QUARTER

CURW 6:13 62 yard run by Nick Stewart 7 13, Madison Weber PAT

4TH QUARTER

CURW 10:37 Dakota Bloom fumble recovery in end zone, Two point conversion run by Avery Francisco 15 13

Golden Tide Scoreboard: