Northern Tier Sports Report

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NTL FOOTBALL: HUNSINGER HAS A BIG DAY BUT WYALUSING FALLS TO SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT (2024-09-20)

Northern Tier Sports Report
WYALUSING — Wyalusing out gained South Williamsport by nearly 100 yards of total offense, but self inflicted set backs hurt them in their 21-19 loss to South Williamsport in football action Thursday.

Wyalusing ran for 321-yards on 42 carries, with Ayden Hunsinger leading the way behind a 236-yard effort on 24 touches, including three scores.

Ethan Vanderpool added 81-yards on 16 carries as South finished with 222-yards rushing as a team.

However, Wyalusing couldn’t overcome 12 penalties on their end, especially after getting down 14-0 early in the second quarter.

“I said at one point on the sideline I feel like we don’t know how to punch, we only know how to counter punch,” said Wyalusing coach Rich Rogers. “Why do we have to get down 14 before we start, but ti was mostly mistakes. The offensive line not lining up correctly, jumping - I don’t know how many yards of penalties we had on offense, but we are an offense where you can’t have minus-five, minus-10, definitely not. That’s the end of the drive.”

The Rams were flagged during a crucial extra point attempt to tie it up at 14-all just before the half. They were pushed five yards back, and the kick was blocked, keeping them 1-point down.

“It’s on me at this point, and if we’re not ready it’s on me to correct it moving forward,” Rogers said. “I told the kids, we had everything we needed tonight for victory, we had the effort, we had the comeback, we had the right attitude, it was the mistakes that killed us once again a second week in a row.”

That cost them as when they cut it to 21-19 in the fourth they were stopped on their conversion attempt, keeping it a 2-score game.

They tried a field goal with 10 seconds left to win the game but didn’t work.

“Jacob (Girven) can hit from 40, he’s done it many times in practice,” said Rogers. “That’s not an issue we had. We had perfect confidence in him, so that was a thought all along, he’s got this. He just got under it and shorted it, but that’s a lot of pressure on a kid, in a win or lose situation.”

Cade Lusk opened the scoring with 1:53 in the first quarter with a 5-yard run. The point after was good, making it 7-0 Mounties.

A 10-yard Tadd Lusk run with 11:12 on the clock in the second made it 14-0 after the extra point.

Just over a minute later Hunsinger broke off a 66-yard run to pay dirt. Girven hit the kick after to cut it to 14-7.

Just before the half Hunsinger ran it in from 8-yards out to give the Rams a chance at the tie. However, Girven’s kick was blocked after his first attempt, which was good, was flagged off.

South used a 28-yard Eli White run with 4:55 left in the third to go up 21-13 after the extra point.

Hunsinger would rip off a 32-yard scoring run up the middle with 8:14 to play. South stuffed the 2-point conversion to keep it a 2-point deficit.

Wyalusing’s last gasp field goal to win came up just short.

The Rams nearly won despite missing leading rusher Dylan Johns, who was out with an injury, and will have an extra day of rest before hosting Troy next Friday with a 7 p.m. start.

“We’re going right back to work tomorrow,” said Rogers. “We need to get some people healthy. This has been a really tough week for that, so we’ll get some people healthy, we’ll go back, and fix the little things and move forward.”

S. WILLIAMSPORT 21, WYALUSING 19

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

S: Cade Lusk 5-yard run (Kick good), 1:53

Second Quarter

S: Tadd Lusk 10-yard run (Kick good), 11:12

W: Ayden Hunsinger 66-yard run (Kick good), 10:10

W: Ayden Hunsinger 8-yard run (kick blocked), :49

Third Quarter

S: Eli White 28-yard run (kick good), 4:55

Fourth Quarter

W: Ayden Hunsinger 32-yard run (2-point failed), 8:14