By JD Davidson
SHIPPENSBURG-The Shippensburg Greyhounds successfully defended Lower Dauphin’s two-point attempt in overtime to preserve a 24-23 Keystone win. The win kept the Hounds undefeated at 6-0 and dropped the Falcons to 2-4.
The scrappy Falcons started the game on defense and forced a quick three and out. Their offense then responded with a 72-yard eight-play drive for the game’s first score. Lower Dauphin overcame a first down intentional grounding call that moved the ball back to the 8. Gerald Sanders ripped off a 47-yard run to jump-start the drive. Braeden Heckard on third and ten kept the drive alive with a 19-yard scamper down to the Shippensburg eight. Sanders finished off the drive with an eight-yard run.
The Falcons forced the Hounds to three and punt again, but the first big break in the game occurred. The Hounds Jeanpual Agosto recovered a muffed punt at the Lower Dauphin 29. Ja’nye Statum’s 16-yard run knotted the game at 7-7.
Shippensburg controlled the second and third quarters, outgaining Lower Dauphin 221-23 and scoring 10 points. Statum finished off a second-quarter drive with a 33-yard jaunt (a 9-play 79-yard drive). Shippensburg got the ball back with 2:42 in the half, but there was only one timeout. Shippensburg ran out the clock around midfield.
Shippensburg’s defense continued its strong play in the third. On two LD possessions, they forced two three-and-outs. Shippensburg’s offense drove for a field goal on the first but gave the Falcons’ scrappy defense some credit, as they held inside the ten to force the field goal. Staum ripped off a 50-yard run to the Falcons’ seven. Seth Taylor nailed the 22-yard field goal with 6:20 left in the third.
After getting the ball back, the Hounds picked up a pair of first downs to end the quarter, but two plays into the fourth, the drive stalled, and the Hounds punted.
Lower Dauphin took over at their own 20 and marched 80 yards in 14 plays. With runs of 11, four, five, and 10 for first downs, Sanders set up the visitors at Hounds 34. Noah Garvin threw Brandon Fritz for a three-yard loss, and Landon Feather and Garvin stuffed Sanders for a yard loss. A five-yard penalty against the Falcons moved it back to the 43, and then it was a disaster. On the same play, the Hounds were hit with two 15-yard penalties. The first was a sideline foul (they were already warned earlier) for 15 (and from our advantage point and the Hound’s protest, it looked as if they were in the coach’s box and not outside but were flagged). The second on the play was a personal foul penalty on the defense for what is to be believed a late hit after the play ended. It set the Falcons up with a first down at the Shippensburg 14. The Hounds forced a field goal attempt, but Lower Dauphin faked it, and Fritz hit Cohen Pollock for the touchdown.
Lower Dauphin forced the Hounds to a three and out again and took over at their own 20.
Carter Burton hit Fritz on a slant for 29 yards to get the drive started. The duo hooked up again for 13, and Burton, on a scramble, dumped it off to Sanders for 16 and a first down at the 20; a loss of one and two incomplete passes forced the field goal attempt. Fritz nailed the 39-yarder with 57 seconds left to tie the game.
On to overtime, and the Hounds were first up from the ten. Statum’s two-yard run and Taylor’s kick put the Hounds up by seven. The Falcons answered on their first play with a Sanders 10-yard bolt. Lower Dauphin rolled the dice and went for two, but the fade pass to the right corner was underthrown and well defended by Ayden Estep. Estep spiked the ball away to deny the conversion and seal a one-point win.
Statum rushed for a game-high 167 yards, while the Falcons’ Sanders countered with 122. Garvin stuffed the defensive sheet with six solos, ten tackles, 2.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
Up next, the Hounds travel to Gettysburg, coming off a shoot-out loss to Hershey.