SHIPPENSBURG >> Nights like Friday night don’t require any creative play-calling or exciting, highlight plays.
They require heart, determination and a want-to above any type of game plan a team can come up with. And Shippensburg proved once again that they have what’s needed for a moment like this.
On a night of torrential downpours that ended with every player covered in a coat of mud, the Greyhounds once again grinded out a win behind one smash-mouth drive and a defense that doesn’t quit, holding on for a 6-0 win over Northeastern in the opening round of the PIAA District 3 Class 5A Playoffs.
“This game was all about heart, and we are such a united team,” said Ship fullback Jacob Loy, who finished with 91 yards on 24 carries.
Ship coach Eric Foust said, “There really isn’t a whole lot to go into with this game. I’ve had such a good time coaching this group of kids, and they continue to show up and give it their all every week. It was fun.”
But Shippensburg (10-1) ran into plenty of tension on the way.
Nursing a 6-0 lead late in the third quarter, Northeastern, which ends its season at 5-6, faced a 4th & goal on the 3. Quarterback Zech Sanderson faked a handoff to his right and looked to have a clear path on a naked bootleg to the left. But Max Kalb recovered just in time and pushed Sanderson out of bounds before he crossed the pylon. He ultimately fumbled the ball out of the end zone, giving the ball to the Hounds at the 20.
“I was probably a little late reading it and reacting, honestly,” Kalb said. “We thought the bootleg was coming, and I was able to get out to him and stop him from getting in.”
The Bobcats drove inside the Shippensburg 30-yard line four times but came away with zero points. They fumbled the ball a whopping 11 times, while losing three.
Said Kalb, “We just play as a team, and we work hard. We played as a team, we played with heart and we played to win tonight.”
Shippensburg scored its lone touchdown on the first drive of the game, going 65 yards on 15 plays and chewing up over six minutes on the clock. Adam Houser capped off the drive with a three-yard plunge.
“The MVP of tonight’s game is our center Rook Smith,” Foust said. “We didn’t have any bad snaps tonight, we snapped a punt, and he worked hard against some good guys up front.”
The Hounds rushed for 177 yards on 54 carries, led by Loy and Houser, who finished with 28 carries for 89 yards. Zack Manning completed just one of two passes for 27 yards, but it was on a 3rd & 20 from his own 10-yard line. Nick Gustafson had the lone catch.
“The message is that we get to practice again next week and play again,” Foust said. “These kids deserve another week.”
For Northeastern, Manny Capo finished with 77 yards on 21 carries. Sanderson had the longest play of the game with a 31-yard rush in the third quarter.
SHIPPENSBURG 6, NORTHEASTERN 0
Northeastern 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0
Shippensburg 6 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 6
First Quarter
S — Adam Houser 3 run (kick failed), 5:24
TEAM STATISTICS
First Downs: N 10; S 11. Rushes-yards: N 37-137; S 54-177. Passing: N 1-2-0; S 1-2-0. Passing Yards: N 2; S 27. Penalties-yards: N 4-53; S 3-30. Punts-yards: N 1-39; S 1-29. Fumbles-lost: N 11-3; S 4-2.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Northeastern, Manny Capo 21-77, Zech Sanderson 7-21, Kelvin Brown 6-15, Kyle Williams 2-11, Robert Almond 1-13; Shippensburg, Jacob Loy 24-91, Houser 28-89, Zack Manning 2-(-3).
Passing: Northeastern, Sanderson 1-2-0, 2 yards; Shippensburg, Manning 1-2-0, 27 yards.
Receiving: Northeastern, Robby Elzinga 1-2; Shippensburg, Nick Gustafson 1-27.
Categories: Football, Schools, Shippensburg, Sport
You must be logged in to post a comment.