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Loyalsock defense slows high powered Ironmen, but Danville defense gets the win

Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, News

| September 17, 2022

Carson Persing hauled in an interception, a td pass and made a beautiful diving catch accounting for 71 yards

It’s games like these every reporter and football fan wait for. The number two scoring offense in the state, Danville, took a trip to visit a Loyalsock team who is coming off a win over perennial powerhouse Southern ColUmbia. The place was packed anticipation was high. You could easily say this was the game of the week in Pennsylvania. When the dust settled however, it wasn’t a high-powered offense that won the game. He was the Danville iron defense that made the difference. With just minutes left in the game a trailing by three points, the Lancers force the Danville punt in beginning to drive at their own 25 yard line. They reached the Danville 23 but that’s as far as they got and with just seconds left in the game devil cornerback Aaron Johnson went up for a interception of a Tyler Gee pass to seal the 17-14 win for Danville.

While everyone had their eyes on the Danville offense, which is number 2 in this state in scoring, it was the Loyalsock offense that stole the show in the first half. Davion Hill ran for over 100 yards in the half and Tyler Gee continued to drop bombs in the first half, passing for 133 yards. Will Burdett, Jaylen Andrews and Gage Patterson made plays all game long for the Lancers, making some spectacular catches.

“I told the kids keep you heads held high. There were the best teams in this state, we are one of the best teams in the state, we’re not gonna walk away from that. Said Lancer head coach Justin Van Fleet. Our defense is playing lights out. Davion is one of the better backs in the state.”

Throughout the entire first quarter both teams through haymakers but neither was able to get the knockout punch early. The game was pretty much played up to midfield and not much farther but for one drive where Danville had the opportunity to score but a turnover at the one yard line ended that chance..

Then midway through the second. Don’t answer is found a gear we want a field position he got the ball at their own 49 yard line. Three quick passes from Gee to Patterson put the ball at the Ironmen 29, and Hill put Loyalsock on the board with a great run. That’s pretty much where the scoring stopped for the half.

 

“We played far from a clean game in the first half” said Danville head coach Mike Brennan.

When the teams entered the field for the second half, it just had that feeling of “here comes the shootout.” Daniel took the opening kickoff and marched right to the end zone with Zach Gordon hitting TY Stauffer from 8 yards out to tie the score at seven.

Loyalsock also came right back. Gee found Andrews for 30 yards, Hill busted a 32 yard run but Danville got a huge fourth down stop and that drive stalled at the 16. During the next possession, it seemed like Danville was about to break the game open. Zach Gordon dropped back and launched a bomb to Carson Persing who laid out to made a beautiful catch at the two yard line. Not to be outdone, the Lancer defense stepped up and forced the Ironmen to keep a 21 yard field goal.

 

Then it was the Danville defense that created the next scoring opportunity. Persing nabbed a Gee pass for the second Ironman interception of the game and returned it to the Sock 47. Seven plays later Gordon, who threw for 183 yards, found Persing from eight yards out to make it a 17-7 game with 8:47 left to play.

Then you felt the momentum swing. Loyalsock embarked on a 10 play, 80 yard drive that culminated in a one yard touchdown run by Gee to put the score at 17-14. During the drive Gee, who also had a great game passing with 263 yard in the air, continued to tear up the Danville secondary. He found Patterson for a 40 yard gain to the Danville one. With the added adrenaline, Loyalsock forced a Danville punt and took possession at their own 25. They had the opportunity to win but two timely penalties and the interception by Johnson ended those hopes of the win for the Lancers.

For Danville, Mason Raup had four catches for 88 yards. Loyalsock receivers Jaylen Andrews had 6 catches for 112 yards, Burdett hauled in 5 for 88 and Patterson had 2 for 45. Hill ran the ball 31 times for 168 yards.

“Our defense, special teams,and offense has taken turns the last few weeks. That was just a great team performance and we talked to a week about adversity. Davion hill is a very good football player.” Said Brennan.

“I’m not gonna pretend like we aren’t on a collision course to meet again” said Van Fleet, “but right now we have to turn our attention to another great team, Williams Valley, next week. For Danville, they face the team that Loyalsock took down last week, the Tigers of Southern Columbia.

Yes, District 4 football is strong this year.

 

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