Delaney Dominant In MCA’s Win Over SCA
Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, News
Dave Fegley | October 3, 2026
Tornadoes find a way in 27-26 triumph
Jaylen Delaney lost his footing with Mount Carmel Area trailing in the latter stages of the fourth quarter Friday night.
The senior two-time all-state player slipped while falling backward on a designed run, forcing the Red Tornadoes into a desperate situation while trailing Southern Columbia 26-21.
Delaney wasn’t finished in his final meeting against a team that he has always been excited to have the opportunity to play. He wanted a final chance against a rival that dominated his squad a year ago.
On fourth-and-11, Delaney escaped pressure by rolling to his left and found Mikey Higgins for a 21-yard gain.
Two plays later, he connected with Aiden Brokenshire for a 46-yard completion down the Red Tornado sideline.
Then, on the very next play, Delaney capped his sensational night with a two-yard touchdown run, giving Mount Carmel a 27-26 victory over the reigning PIAA state champion Tigers.
“That pass to Higgins didn’t start off the way we wanted it to. Our center snapped it before the rest of the guys were ready,” Delaney said. “I had to make it work and that was what I was able to do thanks to nobody giving up on the play. My team played their hearts out all night.”
That was far from Delaney’s only big play inside the Silver Bowl.
The matchup featured two undefeated ranked teams at the halfway point of the regular season. Southern entered ranked No. 1 in Class 2A after winning a state-record 15th PIAA championship last season, while Mount Carmel was ranked No. 8 in Class 3A.
“He’s a special type of player that doesn’t come around often,” Mount Carmel coach John Darrah said of his quarterback. “He has made big-time plays throughout his career in all kinds of positions.”
Delaney’s night began with a 63-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. He later intercepted a pass after teammate Lance Glenney tipped the ball. Delaney made the turnover count as he broke loose for 28 yards on a third-and-25 to keep another Mount Carmel drive alive.
That drive ended with Higgins scoring on a one-yard run, putting the Tornadoes ahead 14-7 at halftime.
For Higgins, who battled back from an ACL tear suffered on the football field last season, the hard-fought victory resulted in his emotions pouring out.
“This is like the best feeling you can have. It was the greatest game that I have ever been a part of,” Higgins said. “It was a full team win. The chemistry between the coaches and players were all there. We came together and I am super happy that we got the win against a great team.”
The Tigers opened the scoring on the second play of their first drive following a punt when junior Grady Garcia was left open for a 65-yard touchdown pass from Ayden Hockenbroch.
Southern appeared poised to take a two-score lead later in the first quarter, but the Tornado defense came up with a fourth-down stop from the 12-yard line.
“At that point in the game we were feeling confident,” Southern coach Jim Roth said. “If we go up by two touchdowns early on who knows what the rest of the game looks like.”
Garcia tied the game in the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown run, but Delaney immediately answered with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to put Mount Carmel back in front 21-14.
Southern looked to tie the game again when fullback Joey Williams scored on a two-yard run. The extra point was blocked, bringing back memories of the Tigers’ 7-6 loss to Mount Carmel in 2024 when a blocked extra point also proved decisive.
Southern then took a 26-21 lead when Garcia scored from 20 yards out with 4:36 remaining.
The Tigers elected to go for two which was the correct choice, but Hockenbroch’s underthrown pass toward Jace Malakoski was broken up by Delaney.
“Those special teams plays can be huge in close games,” Delaney said. “Two years ago, we beat them on an extra point because of them not getting that point and we made a play again on stopping them with a high snap. On their next touchdown, I just tried to bat it down like I was able to do on the two-point try. The big plays stand out in a game, but the little ones can be a big difference.”
That set the stage for Delaney and the Tornadoes’ final drive.
“What a game that was. It adds another chapter to this rivalry for sure,” Darrah said. “That was the definition of a don’t-blink game. There were several moments starting in the first quarter and then late in the game where it looked like all hope was lost. Credit to our guys, though, for hanging in there and never losing belief.”
Southern finished with opportunities of its own, but Roth pointed to the game’s biggest moments as the difference.
“I felt that we totally dominated the second half, and normally when you do that in a one-score game you are going to come out on top,” Roth said. “It was not good football by us at times. My statement about controlling a game is meant to say that when there are big moments in games you need to capitalize when you look to be successful. There were huge plays that we didn’t execute on. Give that Mount Carmel team credit for making the plays when they needed to.”
Mount Carmel improved to 6-0 and will travel to Montoursville next Friday. Southern, which saw its 20-game winning streak snapped, will host Danville.
“It was frustrating because we had our opportunities to win the game, so we have to regroup and move forward,” Roth said. “We knew coming in that Mount Carmel wouldn’t ever give up. They converted on that final drive, and we need to learn from it because we felt we fought back and were in the position to win the game.”
Mount Carmel 27, Southern Columbia 26
SC — MC
First Downs: 20— 9
Rushes-yds: 49-227 — 36-184
Passing yds: 161— 69
Total yds: 388— 253
Passing (C-A-I): 8-13-1 — 3-5-0
Penalties: 4-24 — 5-50
Fumbles-lost: 1-1 — 1-0
Southern Col. (5-1): 7-0-13-6 — 26
Mount Carmel (6-0): 7-7-7-6 — 27
1st Quarter
S– Grady Garcia 65 pass from Ayden Hockenbroch (Lincoln Billig kick), 8:58.
M– Jaylen Delaney 63 run (Josh Miller kick), 0:54.
2nd Quarter
M– Mikey Higgins 1 run (Miller kick), 3:21.
3rd Quarter
S– Garcia 4 run (Billig kick), 6:20.
M– Delaney 92 kickoff return (Miller kick), 6:05.
S– Joey Williams 2 run (kick blocked), 0:34.
4th Quarter
S– Garcia 20 run (two-point failed), 4:36.
M– Delaney 2 run (two-point failed), 1:13.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Southern: Grady Garcia 24-146, 2 TDs; Joey Williams 13-41, TD; Ayden Hockenbroch 9-39; Gavin Brown 2-2; Team 1-(-1). Mount Carmel: Jaylen Delaney 12-94, 2 TDs; Cooper Karycki 9-41; Jason Klokis 6-24; Mikey Higgins 6-20, TD; Max Karycki 2-6; Team 1-(-1).
PASSING — Southern: Ayden Hockenbroch 8-13-1, 161 yds, TD. Mount Carmel: Jaylen Delaney 3-5-0, 69 yds.
RECEIVING — Southern: Grady Garcia 1-65, TD; Blaise Kissinger 4-56; Jace Malakoski 3-40. Mount Carmel: Aiden Brokenshire 1-46; Mikey Higgins 1-21; Jason Klokis 1-2.
