2012 MAHANOY CITY COMMUNITY DAY - MFA FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA & FOOD TABLE
2012 MAHANOY FOOTBALL ALUMNI - PLAYER PICNIC
MINERS PICK APART GOLDEN BEARS
MINERSVILLE - Minersville spent much of the first half of the season trying
to figure out how to put points on the board.
Over the past two weeks, though, the Miners may have found where and how
their pieces fit together.
Friday night, quarterback Nick McBreen passed for three touchdowns, while
Chris Murphy, Brandon Lafferty and Dakota Pritz each rushed for a TD. The
result: Minersville earned its first win of the season with a 40-14 romp over
Mahanoy Area in an Anthracite Football League game at Veterans Memorial
Stadium.
"Coming in 0-4 is a little disheartening, but we stuck together - the
Minersville way,'' McBreen said. "We stuck together and played well. That's all
we can do.''
Minersville (1-4, 1-3 AFL) last won in Week 10 of last season, a 56-33
victory over Panther Valley on Nov. 4, 2011. A long 10  months have passed
since for a team that played well for stretches but never long enough to
win.
"It's been a long time,'' Minersville coach Pat Mason said. "These kids
worked hard. We didn't quit, and to get an effort like that from them ... In
that first half I think we dominated all facets of the game.''
How dominant were the Miners over the first 24 minutes?
- They had the ball seven times and scored five touchdowns for a 34-0
halftime lead.
- The defense allowed exactly 16 yards (5 rushing, 11 passing) and recovered
three fumbles.
Midway through the first quarter, McBreen started the fun by hitting Murphy
with a pass on fourth-and-4 from the Mahanoy Area 14. Murphy caught the ball,
turned the corner and dragged a Mahanoy defender into the end zone. Lafferty
added the conversion run for an 8-0 lead.
McBreen set up the second TD with a 45-yard pass to Ryan King. Murphy covered
the final 7 yards on a cutback run, bulling his way into the end zone.
Then Minersville really started to air it out.
From its 11, McBreen dropped a long pass between two defenders to Luke
Heffron, a quarterback turned running back who was split out wide. Heffron
eluded one defender with a side step, then broke a tackle around the 20 on his
way to an 89-yard touchdown reception.
With 50 seconds left in the first half, McBreen delivered again, finding King
all alone in the end zone for a 22-yard TD connection. McBreen finished the
night 6-of-9 for 200 yards with three TDs and one interception.
"It was so much fun, especially being out there with that group of kids.
We're best friends out there,'' McBreen said. "Coach Mason said to me before the
game, 'We're going to let you throw it a little bit today.'
"I said, 'All right, cool. Let's do it.' We just really clicked today. It
felt good.''
In the fourth quarter, Nolan Fegley (3 yards) and Dylan Mahmod (26 yards)
scored TDs for the Bears (1-4, 0-4).
"Minersville played a tough game,'' Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said. "In
many positions, we're a young team. ... Our seniors are a great group of kids,
but we've got to build on the young team that we have. ... We've got to get
better.''
For Minersville, Lafferty broke two tackles on a 26-yard TD run in the second
quarter. Pritz added a 4-yard TD run to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive that took
7:10 off the clock to start the third quarter.
"I thought everybody carried the load tonight,'' Mason said. "We spread the
ball around. I'm real proud of these guys, happy for them. I'm just happy we
could get a win here and hopefully keep this thing going.''
Mahanoy (1-4, 0-4) 0 0 0 14 - 14
Miners. (1-4, 1-3) 14 20 6 0 - 40
Min - Murphy 14 pass from McBreen (Lafferty run)
Min - Murphy 7 run (run failed)
Min - L. Heffron 89 pass from McBreen (Murphy run)
Min - Lafferty 26 run (run failed)
Min - King 22 pass from McBreen (run failed)
Min - Pritz 4 run (run failed)
MA - Fegley 3 run (Mahmod run)
MA - Mahmod 26 run (run failed)
MA Min
First Downs 5 15
Rushes-Yards 36-118 36-158
Passes 1-2-0 6-9-1
Passing Yards 11 200
Total Yards 129 358
Fumbles-Lost 5-3 0-0
Penalties 3-25 5-40
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - B. Forte 8-51, A. Forte 10-46, Mahmod 5-29, Wronski
5-13, Fegley 2-6, Team 6-(-27). Minersville - Lafferty 7-53, Murphy 11-52, L.
Heffron 9-40, Pritz 3-11, Killian 2-3, Nettles 1-0, Schultz 3-(-1).
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 1-2-0, 11. Minersville - McBreen 6-9-1,
200.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 1-11. Minersville - L. Heffron 1-89,
King 3-83, Murphy 2-28.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Andrewsky.
to figure out how to put points on the board.
Over the past two weeks, though, the Miners may have found where and how
their pieces fit together.
Friday night, quarterback Nick McBreen passed for three touchdowns, while
Chris Murphy, Brandon Lafferty and Dakota Pritz each rushed for a TD. The
result: Minersville earned its first win of the season with a 40-14 romp over
Mahanoy Area in an Anthracite Football League game at Veterans Memorial
Stadium.
"Coming in 0-4 is a little disheartening, but we stuck together - the
Minersville way,'' McBreen said. "We stuck together and played well. That's all
we can do.''
Minersville (1-4, 1-3 AFL) last won in Week 10 of last season, a 56-33
victory over Panther Valley on Nov. 4, 2011. A long 10  months have passed
since for a team that played well for stretches but never long enough to
win.
"It's been a long time,'' Minersville coach Pat Mason said. "These kids
worked hard. We didn't quit, and to get an effort like that from them ... In
that first half I think we dominated all facets of the game.''
How dominant were the Miners over the first 24 minutes?
- They had the ball seven times and scored five touchdowns for a 34-0
halftime lead.
- The defense allowed exactly 16 yards (5 rushing, 11 passing) and recovered
three fumbles.
Midway through the first quarter, McBreen started the fun by hitting Murphy
with a pass on fourth-and-4 from the Mahanoy Area 14. Murphy caught the ball,
turned the corner and dragged a Mahanoy defender into the end zone. Lafferty
added the conversion run for an 8-0 lead.
McBreen set up the second TD with a 45-yard pass to Ryan King. Murphy covered
the final 7 yards on a cutback run, bulling his way into the end zone.
Then Minersville really started to air it out.
From its 11, McBreen dropped a long pass between two defenders to Luke
Heffron, a quarterback turned running back who was split out wide. Heffron
eluded one defender with a side step, then broke a tackle around the 20 on his
way to an 89-yard touchdown reception.
With 50 seconds left in the first half, McBreen delivered again, finding King
all alone in the end zone for a 22-yard TD connection. McBreen finished the
night 6-of-9 for 200 yards with three TDs and one interception.
"It was so much fun, especially being out there with that group of kids.
We're best friends out there,'' McBreen said. "Coach Mason said to me before the
game, 'We're going to let you throw it a little bit today.'
"I said, 'All right, cool. Let's do it.' We just really clicked today. It
felt good.''
In the fourth quarter, Nolan Fegley (3 yards) and Dylan Mahmod (26 yards)
scored TDs for the Bears (1-4, 0-4).
"Minersville played a tough game,'' Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said. "In
many positions, we're a young team. ... Our seniors are a great group of kids,
but we've got to build on the young team that we have. ... We've got to get
better.''
For Minersville, Lafferty broke two tackles on a 26-yard TD run in the second
quarter. Pritz added a 4-yard TD run to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive that took
7:10 off the clock to start the third quarter.
"I thought everybody carried the load tonight,'' Mason said. "We spread the
ball around. I'm real proud of these guys, happy for them. I'm just happy we
could get a win here and hopefully keep this thing going.''
Mahanoy (1-4, 0-4) 0 0 0 14 - 14
Miners. (1-4, 1-3) 14 20 6 0 - 40
Min - Murphy 14 pass from McBreen (Lafferty run)
Min - Murphy 7 run (run failed)
Min - L. Heffron 89 pass from McBreen (Murphy run)
Min - Lafferty 26 run (run failed)
Min - King 22 pass from McBreen (run failed)
Min - Pritz 4 run (run failed)
MA - Fegley 3 run (Mahmod run)
MA - Mahmod 26 run (run failed)
MA Min
First Downs 5 15
Rushes-Yards 36-118 36-158
Passes 1-2-0 6-9-1
Passing Yards 11 200
Total Yards 129 358
Fumbles-Lost 5-3 0-0
Penalties 3-25 5-40
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - B. Forte 8-51, A. Forte 10-46, Mahmod 5-29, Wronski
5-13, Fegley 2-6, Team 6-(-27). Minersville - Lafferty 7-53, Murphy 11-52, L.
Heffron 9-40, Pritz 3-11, Killian 2-3, Nettles 1-0, Schultz 3-(-1).
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 1-2-0, 11. Minersville - McBreen 6-9-1,
200.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 1-11. Minersville - L. Heffron 1-89,
King 3-83, Murphy 2-28.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Andrewsky.
TAMAQUA ROUTS BEARS
TAMAQUA - Strange as it might seem, zero was Tamaqua's most impressive number
against Mahanoy Area.
- As in zero yards allowed in the first half.
- As in zero points allowed in the game.
- And as in the most important zero of all - zero in the loss column after
Friday night's 53-0 rout of the Golden Bears at Tamaqua Area Sports Stadium.
Sparked by its suffocating defense and big-play offense, the Blue Raiders
(4-0, 3-0 Anthracite Football League) remained undefeated after Week 4 for the
second time in the last four years (2009).
While Tamaqua's offense took a few series to get on track, the Blue Raiders'
defense made sure Hall of Fame Night would be a happy one. In the opening 24
minutes, Mahanoy Area (1-3, 0-3) passed for 23 yards. The Bears also rushed 16
times for minus-23 yards.
For the game, the Blue Raiders allowed 40 yards of total offense.
"Tamaqua's a great football team,'' Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said.
After an even start, the Blue Raiders' offensive line began to win at the
line of scrimmage. At first it was gradual, but by the second half, Tamaqua
commanded total control up front.
Center Devin Murphy, guards Tyler Resch and Nick Coccio, tackles Luke Matsago
and Cody Houser and tight end Trevor Skripko paved the way for 409 yards on 42
carries (9.7 per rush).
"We started off a little bit slow, and the offensive line came around and did
what we were doing earlier in the year,'' Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner said. "It was
good to see that come back.''
Once that blocking and aggressiveness returned, Tamaqua's backs ran around
and through Mahanoy Area's defense.
Dalton Nunemacher scored three more touchdowns, giving him 13 on the season.
Nunemacher hit paydirt on a 4-yard run, a 47-yard punt return and a 71-yard run
as he carried nine times for 118 yards.
The punt return pushed Tamaqua's lead to 27-0 at halftime.
Tyler Hope added two TDs, a 66-yard scamper to open the scoring and a 38-yard
blast to extend the lead to 47-0 after three quarters. Hope finished with 129
yards rushing on eight carries.
Tamaqua also spread the ball around, with no back carrying more than 14
times. Nolan Zeigler had an 11-yard TD run, and Ernie Shilko capped the scoring
with a 4-yard run with 3:30 to play in the game.
All season, the Blue Raiders have been crushing opponents' spirits with big
plays. Against the Bears, Tamaqua had nine plays gain 20 yards or more.
On the other side of the ball, Tamaqua tackled Mahanoy Area in the backfield
for negative yardage 14 times.
Hope's first touchdown, a 66-yard sweep around left end, came on the next
play after Jake Love's 55-yard TD run was negated by a holding penalty.
"We've kind of been like that all year. We've been a big-play team,'' Bonner
said. "Our guys kind of stall a little bit, and then they make big plays.
"It sets a fire underneath us, and it seems like we kind of roll then.''
Mahanoy (1-3, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Tamaqua (4-0, 3-0) 7 20 20 6 - 53
T - Hope 66 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Nunemacher 4 run (kick blocked)
T - Zeigler 11 run (Love run)
T - Nunemacher 47 punt return (kick failed)
T - Love 1 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Nunemacher 71 run (run failed)
T - Hope 38 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Shilko 4 run (no attempt)
Mah Tam
First Downs 3 16
Rushes-Yards 32-17 42-409
Passes 3-8-1 2-6-0
Passing Yards 23 45
Total Yards 40 454
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties 4-25 3-20
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 5-12, Wronski 7-8, Fegley 2-6, Dulsky 1-3, B.
Forte 1-2, Yedsena 1-2, A. Forte 6-(-2), Team 2-(-5), Merchlinsky 7-(-9).
Tamaqua - Hope 8-129, Nunemacher 9-118, Love 14-74, Shilko 3-28, Kelly 1-26,
Zeigler 3-23, Ty. Skripko 1-8, Moyer 1-5, Team 1-0, Edmonds 1-(-2).
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 3-8-1, 23. Tamaqua - Edmonds 2-6-0,
45.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 2-18, Kimmel 1-5. Tamaqua - Nunemacher
1-33, Krell 1-12.
INTERCEPTIONS: Tamaqua - Krell.
against Mahanoy Area.
- As in zero yards allowed in the first half.
- As in zero points allowed in the game.
- And as in the most important zero of all - zero in the loss column after
Friday night's 53-0 rout of the Golden Bears at Tamaqua Area Sports Stadium.
Sparked by its suffocating defense and big-play offense, the Blue Raiders
(4-0, 3-0 Anthracite Football League) remained undefeated after Week 4 for the
second time in the last four years (2009).
While Tamaqua's offense took a few series to get on track, the Blue Raiders'
defense made sure Hall of Fame Night would be a happy one. In the opening 24
minutes, Mahanoy Area (1-3, 0-3) passed for 23 yards. The Bears also rushed 16
times for minus-23 yards.
For the game, the Blue Raiders allowed 40 yards of total offense.
"Tamaqua's a great football team,'' Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said.
After an even start, the Blue Raiders' offensive line began to win at the
line of scrimmage. At first it was gradual, but by the second half, Tamaqua
commanded total control up front.
Center Devin Murphy, guards Tyler Resch and Nick Coccio, tackles Luke Matsago
and Cody Houser and tight end Trevor Skripko paved the way for 409 yards on 42
carries (9.7 per rush).
"We started off a little bit slow, and the offensive line came around and did
what we were doing earlier in the year,'' Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner said. "It was
good to see that come back.''
Once that blocking and aggressiveness returned, Tamaqua's backs ran around
and through Mahanoy Area's defense.
Dalton Nunemacher scored three more touchdowns, giving him 13 on the season.
Nunemacher hit paydirt on a 4-yard run, a 47-yard punt return and a 71-yard run
as he carried nine times for 118 yards.
The punt return pushed Tamaqua's lead to 27-0 at halftime.
Tyler Hope added two TDs, a 66-yard scamper to open the scoring and a 38-yard
blast to extend the lead to 47-0 after three quarters. Hope finished with 129
yards rushing on eight carries.
Tamaqua also spread the ball around, with no back carrying more than 14
times. Nolan Zeigler had an 11-yard TD run, and Ernie Shilko capped the scoring
with a 4-yard run with 3:30 to play in the game.
All season, the Blue Raiders have been crushing opponents' spirits with big
plays. Against the Bears, Tamaqua had nine plays gain 20 yards or more.
On the other side of the ball, Tamaqua tackled Mahanoy Area in the backfield
for negative yardage 14 times.
Hope's first touchdown, a 66-yard sweep around left end, came on the next
play after Jake Love's 55-yard TD run was negated by a holding penalty.
"We've kind of been like that all year. We've been a big-play team,'' Bonner
said. "Our guys kind of stall a little bit, and then they make big plays.
"It sets a fire underneath us, and it seems like we kind of roll then.''
Mahanoy (1-3, 0-3) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Tamaqua (4-0, 3-0) 7 20 20 6 - 53
T - Hope 66 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Nunemacher 4 run (kick blocked)
T - Zeigler 11 run (Love run)
T - Nunemacher 47 punt return (kick failed)
T - Love 1 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Nunemacher 71 run (run failed)
T - Hope 38 run (Vandermartin kick)
T - Shilko 4 run (no attempt)
Mah Tam
First Downs 3 16
Rushes-Yards 32-17 42-409
Passes 3-8-1 2-6-0
Passing Yards 23 45
Total Yards 40 454
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties 4-25 3-20
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 5-12, Wronski 7-8, Fegley 2-6, Dulsky 1-3, B.
Forte 1-2, Yedsena 1-2, A. Forte 6-(-2), Team 2-(-5), Merchlinsky 7-(-9).
Tamaqua - Hope 8-129, Nunemacher 9-118, Love 14-74, Shilko 3-28, Kelly 1-26,
Zeigler 3-23, Ty. Skripko 1-8, Moyer 1-5, Team 1-0, Edmonds 1-(-2).
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 3-8-1, 23. Tamaqua - Edmonds 2-6-0,
45.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod 2-18, Kimmel 1-5. Tamaqua - Nunemacher
1-33, Krell 1-12.
INTERCEPTIONS: Tamaqua - Krell.
MARIAN COLTS DOWN GOLDEN BEARS
HOMETOWN - It's been five years since Marian has gotten off to a 3-0 start.
It has also been three years since the Colts have beaten neighborhood rival Mahanoy Area.
Marian accomplished both feats Friday, overcoming a slow start to blow past the Golden Bears 48-7 in an Anthracite Football League game at Men of Marian Stadium. "It's been a while since we've been 3-0 and it's a good feeling," Marian coach Stan Dakosty said. "We struggled the last three years, which is uncharacteristic of our program."
Things didn't start out too well for Marian (3-0, 2-0 AFL), as Mahanoy Area recovered an opening kickoff onside kick and scored a first-quarter touchdown for an early lead.
The Golden Bears (1-2, 0-2) took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Greg Merchlinsky connected with receiver Dylan Mahmod for a 29-yard scoring pass with 3:18 left in the first quarter. Mahanoy Area's offense did little after that, however, as the Colts defense held the Bears to 98 total yards.
"We really played out of character in the first quarter tonight," Dakosty said. "There was the onside kick and miscues.
"We're playing a team that's a rival. We allowed them to stay in the game. But we got the momentum shift before half and felt good going into halftime."
Marian got things going in the second quarter behind its running game. Anthony Agosti tied the score with a 15-yard touchdown with 9:16 left in the second quarter.
The Colts took the lead for good with 5:50 left in the second quarter on a 6-yard scoring run by Dylan Quirk for a 14-7 halftime advantage.
Quirk, who led all rushers with 119 yards on 11 carries, broke loose for a 63-yard scoring run on the first play of the third quarter to give Marian a 21-7 lead.
Quirk's long run as just the first of many for the Colts in the second half as Marian broke things open. John Julian scored on a 38-yard TD run, Ryan Karnish scampered 60 yards for a score, K.J. Snerr had a 58-yard TD and Sam Tomlin scored on a 52-yard run.
Marian rushed for 272 yards as a team. Tomlin rushed for 72 yards on four carries.
"In the second half, our kids were totally focused and we were executing," Dakosty said. "It was just a heck of a second half and I'm very proud of our kids and our coaching staff. It was a total team effort." Mahanoy Area head coach Dave Holman said his team just did not execute in the second half after playing competitive football in the first two quarters. "I take full responsibility for it," Holman said. "It's my job to coach them up and to get them game ready. It's my job to get them to play four full quarters of football and we didn't do it tonight."
It has also been three years since the Colts have beaten neighborhood rival Mahanoy Area.
Marian accomplished both feats Friday, overcoming a slow start to blow past the Golden Bears 48-7 in an Anthracite Football League game at Men of Marian Stadium. "It's been a while since we've been 3-0 and it's a good feeling," Marian coach Stan Dakosty said. "We struggled the last three years, which is uncharacteristic of our program."
Things didn't start out too well for Marian (3-0, 2-0 AFL), as Mahanoy Area recovered an opening kickoff onside kick and scored a first-quarter touchdown for an early lead.
The Golden Bears (1-2, 0-2) took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Greg Merchlinsky connected with receiver Dylan Mahmod for a 29-yard scoring pass with 3:18 left in the first quarter. Mahanoy Area's offense did little after that, however, as the Colts defense held the Bears to 98 total yards.
"We really played out of character in the first quarter tonight," Dakosty said. "There was the onside kick and miscues.
"We're playing a team that's a rival. We allowed them to stay in the game. But we got the momentum shift before half and felt good going into halftime."
Marian got things going in the second quarter behind its running game. Anthony Agosti tied the score with a 15-yard touchdown with 9:16 left in the second quarter.
The Colts took the lead for good with 5:50 left in the second quarter on a 6-yard scoring run by Dylan Quirk for a 14-7 halftime advantage.
Quirk, who led all rushers with 119 yards on 11 carries, broke loose for a 63-yard scoring run on the first play of the third quarter to give Marian a 21-7 lead.
Quirk's long run as just the first of many for the Colts in the second half as Marian broke things open. John Julian scored on a 38-yard TD run, Ryan Karnish scampered 60 yards for a score, K.J. Snerr had a 58-yard TD and Sam Tomlin scored on a 52-yard run.
Marian rushed for 272 yards as a team. Tomlin rushed for 72 yards on four carries.
"In the second half, our kids were totally focused and we were executing," Dakosty said. "It was just a heck of a second half and I'm very proud of our kids and our coaching staff. It was a total team effort." Mahanoy Area head coach Dave Holman said his team just did not execute in the second half after playing competitive football in the first two quarters. "I take full responsibility for it," Holman said. "It's my job to coach them up and to get them game ready. It's my job to get them to play four full quarters of football and we didn't do it tonight."
GOLDEN BEARS BEAT HILLTOPPERS FOR COACH HOLMAN'S FIRST WIN
MAHANOY CITY - For Dave Holman, getting his first head coaching victory was nice. But he was more concerned about Mahanoy Area getting its first win of the young season. The Golden Bears had no problem doing that Friday night as they took advantage of four Nativity turnovers to come away with a 27-0 non-league victory at Alumni Field.
Mahanoy Area (1-1) effectively put the outcome in the books with three third-quarter touchdowns, with two of them coming after recovering Nativity fumbles in Green Wave territory.
Running back Austin Forte had a monster game, rushing for 213 yards on 20 carries, which included a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Matt Kimmel also had a strong effort with 77 yards rushing on 10 carries, which included scoring runs of 1 and 38 yards, respectively, in the third quarter.
"It wasn't the prettiest win, but we got the job done," Holman said. "We're a young team in a lot of positions and we have to get better day by day. We took advantage of opportunities. We got some fortunate bounces in the third quarter. When you have a 200-yard rusher in a game, that's pretty good."
Forte made his presence felt from the outset, using key runs on the Golden Bears' first possession to give his team all the points it would need.
Mahanoy Area took the lead for good on its opening possession when quarterback Greg Merchlinsky scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead with 6:11 left in the first quarter. The six-play, 62-yard drive featured four runs by Forte for 55 yards.
However, the Golden Bears offense stalled for the rest of the first half as they took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Green Wave (0-2) had thoughts of pulling off an upset as its defense was keeping them close. Their offense had a chance to get on the board in the second quarter when they drove to the Golden Bears 26-yard line before facing a fourth-down situation.
The key plays in the drive were a 20-yard pass from quarterback Bryar White to Brady Morgan and a 14-yard run by White.
But instead of going for it on fourth-and-5, Nativity head coach Tony Klazas sent kicker Connor Holohan to try a 46-yard field goal to take advantage of his strong leg. His kick fell short of the crossbar and the Green Wave never got close to another opportunity.
"I just wanted to get points on the board," Klazas said. "We were playing good on defense. I couldn't ask any more of them."
Mahanoy Area opened the second half with an eight-play, 69-yard drive that led to a 1-yard scoring run by Kimmel for a 14-0 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The Green Wave offense only had the ball for four plays in the third quarter and for 11 plays in the fourth as they fumbled the ball away three times in the second half. They had four turnovers overall, counting a Mahanoy Area interception in the first quarter.
"The defense was starting to feel it," Klazas said. "You can't ask them play the whole third quarter. We were giving them the ball on the 20-yard line and that's tough. The kids fought. They played their hearts out tonight."
Nativity (0-2) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Mahanoy Area (1-1) 7 0 20 0 - 27
MA - Merchlinsky 3 run (M. Kimmel kick)
MA - M. Kimmel 1 run (M. Kimmel kick)
MA - A. Forte 1 run (kick failed)
MA - M. Kimmel 38 run (T. Kimmel kick)
N MA
First Downs 5 13
Rushes-Yards 22-13 50-305
Passes 5-12- 11-4-1
Passing Yards 68 17
Total Yards 81 322
Fumbles-Lost 5-3 0-0
Penalties 2-20 6-50
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Nativity - Palamar 1-9, Searle 3-8, White 10-0, Houseknecht 8-(-4).
Mahanoy Area - A. Forte 20-213, M. Kimmel 10-77, Merchlinsky 15-10, B. Forte 2-6, Mahmod 1-5, Wronski 1-(-1), Dulsky 1-(-5).
PASSING: Nativity - White: 4-11-1, 54; Renninger 1-1-0, 14.
Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 1-4-1, 17.
RECEIVING: Nativity - Morgan 3-49, Searle 1-14, Renninger 1-5.
Mahanoy Area - Kimmel 1-17.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod.
Mahanoy Area (1-1) effectively put the outcome in the books with three third-quarter touchdowns, with two of them coming after recovering Nativity fumbles in Green Wave territory.
Running back Austin Forte had a monster game, rushing for 213 yards on 20 carries, which included a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Matt Kimmel also had a strong effort with 77 yards rushing on 10 carries, which included scoring runs of 1 and 38 yards, respectively, in the third quarter.
"It wasn't the prettiest win, but we got the job done," Holman said. "We're a young team in a lot of positions and we have to get better day by day. We took advantage of opportunities. We got some fortunate bounces in the third quarter. When you have a 200-yard rusher in a game, that's pretty good."
Forte made his presence felt from the outset, using key runs on the Golden Bears' first possession to give his team all the points it would need.
Mahanoy Area took the lead for good on its opening possession when quarterback Greg Merchlinsky scored on a 3-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead with 6:11 left in the first quarter. The six-play, 62-yard drive featured four runs by Forte for 55 yards.
However, the Golden Bears offense stalled for the rest of the first half as they took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Green Wave (0-2) had thoughts of pulling off an upset as its defense was keeping them close. Their offense had a chance to get on the board in the second quarter when they drove to the Golden Bears 26-yard line before facing a fourth-down situation.
The key plays in the drive were a 20-yard pass from quarterback Bryar White to Brady Morgan and a 14-yard run by White.
But instead of going for it on fourth-and-5, Nativity head coach Tony Klazas sent kicker Connor Holohan to try a 46-yard field goal to take advantage of his strong leg. His kick fell short of the crossbar and the Green Wave never got close to another opportunity.
"I just wanted to get points on the board," Klazas said. "We were playing good on defense. I couldn't ask any more of them."
Mahanoy Area opened the second half with an eight-play, 69-yard drive that led to a 1-yard scoring run by Kimmel for a 14-0 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The Green Wave offense only had the ball for four plays in the third quarter and for 11 plays in the fourth as they fumbled the ball away three times in the second half. They had four turnovers overall, counting a Mahanoy Area interception in the first quarter.
"The defense was starting to feel it," Klazas said. "You can't ask them play the whole third quarter. We were giving them the ball on the 20-yard line and that's tough. The kids fought. They played their hearts out tonight."
Nativity (0-2) 0 0 0 0 - 0
Mahanoy Area (1-1) 7 0 20 0 - 27
MA - Merchlinsky 3 run (M. Kimmel kick)
MA - M. Kimmel 1 run (M. Kimmel kick)
MA - A. Forte 1 run (kick failed)
MA - M. Kimmel 38 run (T. Kimmel kick)
N MA
First Downs 5 13
Rushes-Yards 22-13 50-305
Passes 5-12- 11-4-1
Passing Yards 68 17
Total Yards 81 322
Fumbles-Lost 5-3 0-0
Penalties 2-20 6-50
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Nativity - Palamar 1-9, Searle 3-8, White 10-0, Houseknecht 8-(-4).
Mahanoy Area - A. Forte 20-213, M. Kimmel 10-77, Merchlinsky 15-10, B. Forte 2-6, Mahmod 1-5, Wronski 1-(-1), Dulsky 1-(-5).
PASSING: Nativity - White: 4-11-1, 54; Renninger 1-1-0, 14.
Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 1-4-1, 17.
RECEIVING: Nativity - Morgan 3-49, Searle 1-14, Renninger 1-5.
Mahanoy Area - Kimmel 1-17.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod.
GOLDEN BEARS FALL IN '12 OPENER TO PANTHER VALLEY
LANSFORD - The outcome of Friday's Mahanoy Area at Panther Valley season opener
was a surprise to both head coaches. They both expected a closer game.
It was a fun surprise for Panther Valley, a team coming off consecutive 1-9
seasons. The Panthers dominated from start to finish in a 34-6 rout over the
Golden Bears in an Anthracite Football League game.
The Panthers (1-0, 1-0 AFL) produced 384 yards of offense and scored five
consecutive touchdowns out of the gate to stun a Golden Bears team coming of
consecutive Eastern Conference Class A championships.
Senior running back Richie Smith led the way with a 198-yard rushing
performance that included a 50-yard scoring run in the first quarter, a 25-yard
scamper in the second, and a 59-yard run in the third.
Senior quarterback Matthew Levitt contributed two touchdown passes, a
33-yard bomb to Kyle Ferryman in the second quarter and a 15-yard pass to Devon
Dillard in the third.
Smith's power running behind a strong offensive line was what impressed
Panther Valley head coach Lon Hazlet the most. His first touchdown run broke a
scoreless tie with 3:33 left in the first quarter. He shook off tacklers for a
25-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.
"Our line is not real big, but we spend a lot of time in the weight room.
We're stronger than what we've been in the past," Hazlet said. "Smith is just a
bull. He's the guy that's going to carry the rock for us."
Despite Smith's performance, Mahanoy Area felt it was still in the game late
in the second quarter, only trailing by two touchdowns.
But Panther Valley provided a big blow right before the halftime buzzer when
Ferryman caught a pass from Levitt that deflected off Dillard in the end zone
and landed in his hands.
Ferryman also rushed for 94 yards as the Panthers gained 306 yards on the
ground. The late score increased Panther Valley's lead to 21-0 at halftime and
delivered a morale-breaking blow to the Golden Bears' sideline.
"He (Levitt) meant to throw it to Dillard," Hazlet said. "Kyle was in the
right place at the right time. We expected a tight ball game and things went our
way early."
Mahanoy Area fell behind 34-0 on two more Panther Valley touchdowns in the
third quarter before finally breaking the shutout in the game's final seconds on
a 6-yard scoring run by freshman Nolan Fegley.
Austin Forte was the Golden Bears' main offensive weapon, rushing for 106
yards on 15 carries. However, the Golden Bears (0-1, 0-1) gained only 187 total yards and could
not move the ball consistently enough to put drives together.
The Mahanoy Area offensive line also had a hard time protecting new starting
quarterback Greg Merchlinsky, as he was sacked five times. Drives were also
stopped with penalties at key times as the Bears were flagged for six
penalties. "There were definitely some breakdowns. We're a young team and that's our
biggest challenge right now," Mahanoy Area head coach Dave Holman said. "I
didn't plan on seeing that kind of a score tonight. We had trouble with our
tackling. And that play before halftime was huge. When something like that
happens in high school football, that could make or break a game."
Mahanoy Area (0-1, 0-1) 0 0 0 6 - 6
Panther Valley (1-0, 1-0) 7 14 13 0 - 34
PV - Smith 50 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Smith 25 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Ferryman 33 pass from Levitt (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Smith 59 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Dillard 15 pass from Levitt (kick failed)
MA - Fegley 6 run (kick failed)
MA PV
First Downs 8 15
Rushes-Yards 42-144 29-306
Passes 3-5-0 4-10-1
Passing Yards 43 78
Total Yards 187 384
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties 6-30 2-20
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - A. Forte 15-106, Merchlinsky 17-3, Kimmel 3-12,
Wronski 2-17, B. Forte 1-6, Fegley 2-14, Dulsky 2-(-14). Panther Valley - Smith
18-198, Ferryman 5-94, Levitt 3-11, Cruz-Ortiz 1-2, German 1-1.
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 3-5-0, 43. Panther Valley - Levitt
4-9-1, 78, German 0-1-0, 0.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Kimmel 2-22, Jackson 1-21. Panther Valley - German
1-31, Ferryman 1-24, Dillard 1-15, Nase 1-8.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod.
was a surprise to both head coaches. They both expected a closer game.
It was a fun surprise for Panther Valley, a team coming off consecutive 1-9
seasons. The Panthers dominated from start to finish in a 34-6 rout over the
Golden Bears in an Anthracite Football League game.
The Panthers (1-0, 1-0 AFL) produced 384 yards of offense and scored five
consecutive touchdowns out of the gate to stun a Golden Bears team coming of
consecutive Eastern Conference Class A championships.
Senior running back Richie Smith led the way with a 198-yard rushing
performance that included a 50-yard scoring run in the first quarter, a 25-yard
scamper in the second, and a 59-yard run in the third.
Senior quarterback Matthew Levitt contributed two touchdown passes, a
33-yard bomb to Kyle Ferryman in the second quarter and a 15-yard pass to Devon
Dillard in the third.
Smith's power running behind a strong offensive line was what impressed
Panther Valley head coach Lon Hazlet the most. His first touchdown run broke a
scoreless tie with 3:33 left in the first quarter. He shook off tacklers for a
25-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.
"Our line is not real big, but we spend a lot of time in the weight room.
We're stronger than what we've been in the past," Hazlet said. "Smith is just a
bull. He's the guy that's going to carry the rock for us."
Despite Smith's performance, Mahanoy Area felt it was still in the game late
in the second quarter, only trailing by two touchdowns.
But Panther Valley provided a big blow right before the halftime buzzer when
Ferryman caught a pass from Levitt that deflected off Dillard in the end zone
and landed in his hands.
Ferryman also rushed for 94 yards as the Panthers gained 306 yards on the
ground. The late score increased Panther Valley's lead to 21-0 at halftime and
delivered a morale-breaking blow to the Golden Bears' sideline.
"He (Levitt) meant to throw it to Dillard," Hazlet said. "Kyle was in the
right place at the right time. We expected a tight ball game and things went our
way early."
Mahanoy Area fell behind 34-0 on two more Panther Valley touchdowns in the
third quarter before finally breaking the shutout in the game's final seconds on
a 6-yard scoring run by freshman Nolan Fegley.
Austin Forte was the Golden Bears' main offensive weapon, rushing for 106
yards on 15 carries. However, the Golden Bears (0-1, 0-1) gained only 187 total yards and could
not move the ball consistently enough to put drives together.
The Mahanoy Area offensive line also had a hard time protecting new starting
quarterback Greg Merchlinsky, as he was sacked five times. Drives were also
stopped with penalties at key times as the Bears were flagged for six
penalties. "There were definitely some breakdowns. We're a young team and that's our
biggest challenge right now," Mahanoy Area head coach Dave Holman said. "I
didn't plan on seeing that kind of a score tonight. We had trouble with our
tackling. And that play before halftime was huge. When something like that
happens in high school football, that could make or break a game."
Mahanoy Area (0-1, 0-1) 0 0 0 6 - 6
Panther Valley (1-0, 1-0) 7 14 13 0 - 34
PV - Smith 50 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Smith 25 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Ferryman 33 pass from Levitt (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Smith 59 run (Ficocelli kick)
PV - Dillard 15 pass from Levitt (kick failed)
MA - Fegley 6 run (kick failed)
MA PV
First Downs 8 15
Rushes-Yards 42-144 29-306
Passes 3-5-0 4-10-1
Passing Yards 43 78
Total Yards 187 384
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties 6-30 2-20
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Mahanoy Area - A. Forte 15-106, Merchlinsky 17-3, Kimmel 3-12,
Wronski 2-17, B. Forte 1-6, Fegley 2-14, Dulsky 2-(-14). Panther Valley - Smith
18-198, Ferryman 5-94, Levitt 3-11, Cruz-Ortiz 1-2, German 1-1.
PASSING: Mahanoy Area - Merchlinsky 3-5-0, 43. Panther Valley - Levitt
4-9-1, 78, German 0-1-0, 0.
RECEIVING: Mahanoy Area - Kimmel 2-22, Jackson 1-21. Panther Valley - German
1-31, Ferryman 1-24, Dillard 1-15, Nase 1-8.
INTERCEPTIONS: Mahanoy Area - Mahmod.
NEW HEAD COACH FOR 2012 - DAVID HOLMAN
MAHANOY CITY - The Mahanoy Area School District didn't waste much time in naming its new head football coach.
Assistant coach Dave Holman was hired during a special school board meeting Saturday morning, taking over for Wally Hall, who resigned late last month.
"I guess they wanted to make the process (go) as quickly and as smoothly as possible," said Holman, who will turn 28 on April 19.
"I'm excited, I'm truly honored and my heart and soul is here at Mahanoy Area."
Holman, who graduated from Mahanoy Area in 2001, said he wasn't totally sure if he should apply for the job after Hall resigned.
"I talked it over first with my family," Holman said. "I wanted to discuss it with my wife (Theresa). Once we sat down and went over things, I said, 'OK, go for it!' My dad (Clyde 'Champ' Holman) has always encouraged me to try to excel and to accept challenges."
Holman had been an assistant on Hall's staff for the past three seasons, coaching the receivers and defensive backs.
"Now it is going to be everything," Holman said.
The new head man added that he doesn't expect to make many changes to Hall's blueprint.
"I respected so much what Wally has done for the program, so why change or fix it?" Holman said.
Holman said he played for Hall, then the coach at Shenandoah Valley, in the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game following his senior year at Mahanoy Area. After graduating from Wilkes University, he
joined Hall's staff as an assistant coach.
"I have so much respect and admiration for Wally Hall," Holman said. "He turned the program around. His discipline and his ability to get it across was such a quality trait of his. I really don't plan on changing much, if anything at all."
Holman, who teaches at the Schuylkill County Vo-Tech School's North Campus, hasn't yet met with the Golden Bears players, who are on Easter break.
"I was down at our track practice and I met with a few of the players today," Holman said. "But I plan on meeting with the team this week."
Although Holman hasn't named his staff, he said that he hoped to have it in place by the time of the next school board meeting later this month.
"I'm anxious to get things rolling with our weight program and our summer workouts," he added. "What we have is an enormous challenge in front of us. We lost some of the best leadership any team could want in (Mike) Gaval and (Neal) Goodman. We need to find that leadership right away and to continue what has been set in the past."
Holman said he plans to continue using Hall's preferred flexbone offense and a base 5-2 for his team's primary defensive alignment.
"Why change it? It worked in the past, so we will run it," he said. "The big thing (is) our players know the system. My job is to put it back in place and not to try and miss any beats."
Holman said the possibility of being hired as the Bears' new head coach led to many sleepless over the past few weeks.
"Once I knew that I was going to apply for the job, I really haven't slept much," he chuckled. "I'm all (fired) up and ready to go."
Assistant coach Dave Holman was hired during a special school board meeting Saturday morning, taking over for Wally Hall, who resigned late last month.
"I guess they wanted to make the process (go) as quickly and as smoothly as possible," said Holman, who will turn 28 on April 19.
"I'm excited, I'm truly honored and my heart and soul is here at Mahanoy Area."
Holman, who graduated from Mahanoy Area in 2001, said he wasn't totally sure if he should apply for the job after Hall resigned.
"I talked it over first with my family," Holman said. "I wanted to discuss it with my wife (Theresa). Once we sat down and went over things, I said, 'OK, go for it!' My dad (Clyde 'Champ' Holman) has always encouraged me to try to excel and to accept challenges."
Holman had been an assistant on Hall's staff for the past three seasons, coaching the receivers and defensive backs.
"Now it is going to be everything," Holman said.
The new head man added that he doesn't expect to make many changes to Hall's blueprint.
"I respected so much what Wally has done for the program, so why change or fix it?" Holman said.
Holman said he played for Hall, then the coach at Shenandoah Valley, in the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game following his senior year at Mahanoy Area. After graduating from Wilkes University, he
joined Hall's staff as an assistant coach.
"I have so much respect and admiration for Wally Hall," Holman said. "He turned the program around. His discipline and his ability to get it across was such a quality trait of his. I really don't plan on changing much, if anything at all."
Holman, who teaches at the Schuylkill County Vo-Tech School's North Campus, hasn't yet met with the Golden Bears players, who are on Easter break.
"I was down at our track practice and I met with a few of the players today," Holman said. "But I plan on meeting with the team this week."
Although Holman hasn't named his staff, he said that he hoped to have it in place by the time of the next school board meeting later this month.
"I'm anxious to get things rolling with our weight program and our summer workouts," he added. "What we have is an enormous challenge in front of us. We lost some of the best leadership any team could want in (Mike) Gaval and (Neal) Goodman. We need to find that leadership right away and to continue what has been set in the past."
Holman said he plans to continue using Hall's preferred flexbone offense and a base 5-2 for his team's primary defensive alignment.
"Why change it? It worked in the past, so we will run it," he said. "The big thing (is) our players know the system. My job is to put it back in place and not to try and miss any beats."
Holman said the possibility of being hired as the Bears' new head coach led to many sleepless over the past few weeks.
"Once I knew that I was going to apply for the job, I really haven't slept much," he chuckled. "I'm all (fired) up and ready to go."
