WYALUSING — For a half the Wyalusing coaching staff saw what their team could be. They got their first points of the season, went over 200 total yards in the game, and played a hot Sayre team even in the first half. Unfortunately, the Rams wore down in the second half as Sayre scored four unanswered touchdowns to pull away for a 41-12 win in NTL football action Saturday.

"We had some nagging injuries, some pulled muscles," Wyalusing coach Jeffrey Hindman said. "We had a back go out after the first half, so I think that, with a little bit of an increased workload on a couple guys."

It's the best Wyalusing has played yet this year. They ran for 156-yards on 39 carries behind an 86-yard effort on 16 carries from Jacob Gromley, who also punched one in the end zone.

Wide receiver Andrew Taylor had his best game of the season, hauling in four passes for 67-yards, and getting the team's first touchdown of the season. If he wasn't out jumping defenders for the ball he was carrying five yards to move the sticks.

"It's encouraging because we played a good first half," said Hindman. "We finally got some points on the board, and proud of the guys."

Wiley Trobaugh was 8-for-17 for 76-yards with a touchdown and an interception. He hit four different receivers on the day, with Landry Tinna catching two passes for nine yards.

On the ground Patrick O'Connor added 59-yards on 14 carries.

For Sayre Hudson Malanoski ran for 106-yards and three scores on 22 carries, with Braydan Northrup adding 41-yards and a touchdown on five touches.

Declan Barry was 8-for-11 for 172-yards and two touchdowns through the air. Brayden Vorhis had five catches for 129-yards, including a 75-yard touchdown strike, with Tyrese Hayes hauling in a 33-yard touchdown reception.

It was a defensive battle to start the game as Wyalusing took the opening kick-off, got one first down, but then turned it over on downs at the Sayre 32-yard line.

The Redskin opening drive came to a halt when Gromley fell on a Sayre fumble at the Redskin 37-yard line.

The ensuing Ram drive was another turnover on downs with Sayre taking over at their own 32-yard line.

This time they held on to the ball, going 68-yards on 13-plays, well into the second quarter, as Malanoksi plunged in from a yard out to get the Redskins on the scoreboard.

They went 4-for-4 on third down conversions during that drive, with a 20-yard hook-up of Barry to Vorhis getting them inside the Wyalusing Red Zone.

Malanoski hit the point after for a 7-0 lead with 9:48 left in the quarter.

After a short Sayre kick Wyalusing answered with a strong drive of their own, going 51-yards on seven plays.

They went 2-for-2 on third conversions, the big one coming on the Trobaugh to Taylor 30-yard touchdown reception on third-and-13. Taylor came back for the ball, then broke a few tackles en route to the end zone.

Sayre stuffed their 2-point conversion attempt and it was 7-6 with 5:31 left in the half.

It didn't take long for Sayre to answer as on the second play from scrimmage Barry found Vorhis behind the defense for a 75-yard scoring strike down the left side of the field. Malanoski's kick was good, and it was 14-6 with 4:43 on the clock.

The Rams punched back on their ensuing drive, going 55-yards on eight plays. The drive ended with a 4-yard Gromley touchdown run.

An 11-yard run from O'Connor on the first play from scrimmage got them on Sayre's side of the field, then a 16-yard strike from Trobaugh to Taylor got them down to the 11-yard line.

The Redskin defense stuffed the 2-point conversion again for a 14-12 score with 57 seconds left, and that's where they were at the half.

Sayre got the opening kick-off to start the second half, taking over at their own 32-yard and going 68-yards on six plays to pay dirt.

A 16-yard run from Malanoski on the second play from scrimmage got them inside Wyalusing territory, then a 34-yard cut back run from Northrup got them in the end zone with 8:43 on the clock.

Malanoski's kick was good and it was 21-12.

The ensuing Wyalusing drive ended at midfield with a punt, as Sayre took over at their own 43-yard line.

The Ram defense held, forcing the Redskins to punt, with Wyalusing taking over at their own 24-yard line.

On the first play from scrimmage, though, Sayre's Quin Chandler stepped in front of a Trobaugh pass, and took back to the 12-yard line.

Malanoski would rumble the rest of the way to the end zone to make it 28-12 after his kick with 1:58 left in the quarter.

The ensuing Ram drive ended with a turnover on downs at midfield, giving Sayre the ball at the Ram 45-yard line.

They needed just four plays to get into the end zone as Malanoski punched one in from 16-yards out.

The key play was a third down conversion that saw Barry hit Vorhis for an 11-yard gain, with 15-yards tacked on after a late hit.

A bad snap ruined Malanoski's streak of made extra points but Sayre led 34-12 with 9:24 left in the fourth.

The final Sayre score came after another turnover on downs by Wyalusing.

Taking over at the Ram 33-yard line Barry hit Hayes for a 33-yard scoring strike. Malanoski hit the point after and it was 41-12.

Hindman knows they have to find a way to get others involved in the passing game besides Taylor.

"Drew Taylor's a good player, but sooner or later teams figure that out," he said. "We kind of ran into the same thing last year, and they kind of clamp down on his. It's who else is going to step up, and I think, the first half, we were to run the ball, but some injuries kind of slowed us down. We didn't have everybody available in the second half that we did in the first half, so that definitely kind of made the run game a little bit harder."

The Rams travel to Montgomery on Friday next week as the schedule gets a little tougher the second half of the season.

"I'm proud of these boys for the fight that they have," Hindman remarked. "They're giving us everything they've got."

SAYRE 41, WYALUSING 12

Scoring Summary

Second Quarter

S - Hudson Malanoski 1-yard run (Malanoski kick), 9:48

W - Wiley Trobaugh 30-yard pass to Andrew Taylor (run failed), 5:31

S - Declan Barry 75-yard pass to Brayden Vorhis (Malanoski kick), 4:43

W - Jacob Gromley 4-yard run (run failed), :57

Third Quarter

S - Braydan Northrup 34-yard run (Malanoski kick), 8:43

S - Hudson Malanoski 12-yard run (Malanoski kick) 1:58

Fourth Quarter

S - Hudson Malanoski 16-yard run (kick failed), 9:24

S - Declan Barry 33-yard pass to Tyrese Hayes (Malanoski kick), 6:41

Individual Stats

Sayre

Rushing

Hudson Malanoski 22-106-3, Braydan Northrup 5-41-1, #19 1-3, #88 1-0, Declan Barry 1-(-3)

Passing

Declan Barry 8-11-172-2-0

Receiving

Tyrese Hayes 1-33-1, Brayden Vorhis 5-129-1, Hudson Malanoski 2-9

Wyalusing

Rushing

Jacob Gromley 16-86-1, Patrick O'Connor 14-59, Patrick Dahl 2-4, Dillon Gonsauls 3-1, Wiley Trobaugh 3-1, JJ Latini 1-5

Passing 

Wiley Trobaugh 8-17-76-1-1

Receiving

Andrew Taylor 4-67-1, Landry Tinna 2-9, Tucker Harvey 1-2, Matthew Ferguson 1-(-2)

Team Stats SAYRE WYALUSING

Rushes/Yards 30/157 39/156

Passing Yards 172 76

First Downs 14 11

Penalties/Yards 5/40 6/45

Fumbles/Lost 2/1 2/0

Interceptions: Sayre-Quin Chandler

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