ALTOONA — Chambersburg’s offense squandered several chances to take an early lead against Altoona, misfiring on three fourth-down plays inside the Mountain Lions’ 35-yard line in the first quarter alone.

Eli Vosburg

But the Trojans wiped out deficits of 7-0 and 10-6 by scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and defeated Altoona 28-10 in a Mid Penn Commonwealth game at Mansion Park on Friday night.

“It was a total team effort, and it was the most complete game we’ve played this year,” Trojan coach Gary Carter said.

Chambersburg’s defense kept giving the offense chances by creating six turnovers (4 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries), and all three of the fourth-quarter scores came after a turnover.

Trailing 10-6, a Devon Nalewak punt pushed the Mountain Lions (2-6, 2-5 MPC) back to their own 16. On the second play, Altoona quarterback Mehki Jackson was intercepted by Bryson Murray, who stepped in front of the receiver, giving his team the ball at the Lion 14.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed Chambersburg (4-4, 3-4 MPC) back to the 21, but on third-and-8, QB Cam Green hit Davonte Scott down the right side for the go-ahead touchdown. Malachi Tasker ran for two points, giving the Trojans a 14-10 advantage with 7:09 left.

Carter said, “We game-planned the second half just like the first. We ran the same plays, but this time they worked. Guys made plays.”

Then came perhaps the biggest play of the game. On first down, Mountain Lion fullback Julian Hazlewood had the ball jarred loose and it was recovered by Chambersburg’s Eli Vosburg on the Altoona 27.

Four straight carries by Malachi Tasker, helped by a big push from the offensive line, put the ball across the goal line, with his final carry going for 4 yards. With Ayden Silvestre’s kick, it was now 21-10.

“We really wanted to run the ball tonight, and we did it better,” Carter said. “The entire offensive line, the tight ends and even the fullbacks — any of the kids we brought in — they got after it. Malachi was able to run downhill.”

The defense did it again, when Brady Rosenberry dropped back into coverage from his linebacker position and snagged another interception two plays later.

Taking over at the 18, Chambersburg used the clock and finished the drive on a 4-yard play-action pass from Green to Cobe Penick with 33 seconds left to ice the game.

Carter said, “Of our whole defense, not one kid we put in there didn’t play well. Enoch Keath got hurt, but the guys who went in (Aiden Castillo, Daunye Welsh) played well. We even had a freshman linebacker (Deakon Snavely) come in and do well. Our defensive coordinators had a great game plan.”

The Mountain Lions’ triple option attack was hemmed in most of the night. But it did put together one 19-play, 70-yard drive in the second quarter to take a 7-0 lead. Altoona was 3-for-3 on third downs and also got a fourth-down conversion before Jackson scored from 3 yards out.

Interceptions by Isaiah Tasker and Cobe Penick stopped drives by Altoona in the first half, and Cooper Stockslager got a hand on a 38-yard field goal attempt just before halftime to deflect it.

In the second half, the Mountain Lions mustered only three first downs and 70 yards total.

Chambersburg’s first touchdown came on a 38-yard pass from Green to Scott, on which Scott burned his defender with a post move.

NOTES: Scott finished with 4 catches for 81 yards and 2 TDs … Green hit on 13 of 19 passes for 177 yards and 3 scores (and no picks) … Tasker finished with 22 carries for 61 yards and a TD … Chambersburg hosts Cumberland Valley on Friday at 7 p.m.