Purchase Line defeats Conemaugh Township with final minute defense @PLRedDragons

Tagged under: District 6, Gameday Hub, News

Avery Falisec | October 31, 2021

Senior fullback Jayce Brooks ran for 64 yards and 13 carries against Conemaugh Township (above). RAY KAUFFMAN PHOTO.

It wasn’t a pretty win, thanks to the rain and mud, but a win it was, all the same. The Purchase Line Red Dragons have finally earned their first win since they played the Penns Manor Comets a month ago, with the Conemaugh Township Indians and a final score of 14-12, Friday, October 29.

Purchase Line’s senior Vincenzo Scott said, “During the first half, the field was not too bad, so we didn’t have much trouble. Towards the end, the field started to affect our gameplay more. It was definitely a challenge, but we still managed our pivotal plays on the defense during their last drive. I was proud of our defense for this game.”

The Dragons were quick to start. After two runs by senior fullback Jayce Brooks, senior Brady Syster ran straight through the defense of the Indians and right to the endzone for a 64-yard touchdown. On the conversion play, Brooks forced the ball through for another two points. Less than two minutes into the game, the Dragons were up 8-0.

The ball was returned by Conemaugh Township to their own 45-yard line. A five-yard run by junior quarterback Tanner Shirley was followed by a pass from Shirley to senior Chris Mccorcle, which turned into a first down at the opposite 45. Then, a short pass to senior Jackson Byer got the Indians to the 43. On the next play, sophomore Zack Petree ran the ball closer to the endzone, and not long after, Shirley scored a 1-yard touchdown. The conversion failed, making the score 8-6, with six minutes and 46 seconds left in the first quarter.

The two teams traded the ball back and forth for the remainder of the quarter. All drives ended in punts, including Purchase Line’s punt to end the quarter. The score at the beginning of the second quarter was 8-6, with the Dragons holding onto the lead.

The end of the first quarter seemed to stretch into the second. After a couple of punts from both teams, Syster ran the right sideline and stayed on his feet to get to the endzone, but this touchdown was called back, due to a penalty in the backfield. Neither team was able to score a touchdown until the Dragons capped one of their drives with Elick and a 2-yard quarterback sneak. With the field getting sloppier, it was hard for both the running and passing game to make any movement up the field, which would greatly affect the game. The score at the end on the second quarter was 14-6, Purchase Line.

Like the first half, there were a couple of punts before the endzone had some action. One of Purchase Line’s punts was returned to the 20-yard line of the Dragons by Conemaugh Township’s Ethan Black. A few plays later, a pass from Shirley to senior Braden Adams ended up being a 20-yard touchdown, that put the Indians only two points from the Dragons’ 14 points. For a majority of the remainder of the quarter, the Dragons controlled the clock. By the end of the third quarter, the Dragons were still holding onto their lead, with a score of 14-12.
The end of the fourth quarter was complete chaos. The Indians were driving down the field and into Purchas Line’s territory. Near the 15-yard line of the Dragons, the Indians were faced with fourth down and one yard to go. The defense in red held Conemaugh Township back from reaching another first down and was given the ball back. The game was dangerously close and the clock was quickly approaching zero, but the Dragons were unable to breach their own 20-yard line. It was risky to punt, but even riskier to go for it and give the Indians the ball back that close to their own endzone. Purchase Line was forced to punt the ball.

Conemaugh Township returned the ball to their own 44-yard line and then began their passing game again. A Shirley to Byer connection advanced the Indians to the 30. Shirley took it himself on the next play, which was followed by a pass being knocked down by the Dragons. Purchase Line was called for a penalty on this play, moving Conemaugh Township even closer to the endzone. Two plays later, a snap went over the head of Shirley. Although the Indians recovered it, they were still forced backward to the 30 again. With no other options and faced with fourth down, the Indians lined up for a field goal. The ball was kicked and fell short, allowing the Dragons to win the game with a score of 14-12.

Syster said, “The field and the weather weren’t too bad at first. I could cut. The lineman could drive. The second half was a different story. There was no cutting. It was getting the ball and running straight. The offensive line was having trouble getting a push in the second half because of the field.”

Brooks said, “The weather made it hard to break down and make cuts, limiting our quickness and agility, but it did the same to them, which equaled out the game. The most important play of the game had to be holding them back in the last few minutes. If they were closer, who knows what would’ve happened.”

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