Red Dragons keep lead over Wolves in first round playoff game

Tagged under: District 6, Gameday Hub

Avery Falisec | October 25, 2020

Purchase Line senior Josh Syster escapes West Shamokin’s defense for a 48-yard touchdown to make the score 14-0.

The Purchase Line Red Dragons had something to prove. However, so did the West Shamokin Wolves. After a point difference of six, during their last faceoff, and a West Shamokin win, the Dragons were more than ready to go head to head against them again Friday night during the first round of single-A playoffs. Just as the Red Dragons planned, the story was quite different this time. Purchase Line came out with a big win against West Shamokin with a final score of 57-35.

Purchase Line senior Joshua Syster rushed for 237 yards, and went six for eight in passing attempts with 132 yards. Head Coach Matthew Falisec said, “Josh did a great job running the offense for us. The line was blocking well, giving him lanes to run and pass.”

Syster wasted no time to start the game. The continuous first down runs set him up for a 3-yard touchdown, which would be his first of many. The score became 7-0. The fired-up Dragon defense forced the Wolves to punt. Junior fullback Jayce Brooks took it to the Wolves’ 48-yard line, giving Syster the opportunity to take it to the house again, making the score 14-0. West Shamokin, then, brought out what everyone was waiting for: their highly successful passing game.

Junior Mello Sanchez covered their first attempt, but then quarterback Bo Swartz launched a bullet across the field to Owen Stover that made the Wolves advance to the 25-yard line. Dylan Wolfe scored not long after with a 10-yard run. A familiar picture began to form in the eyes of the Dragons because it was only six weeks ago that they scored two touchdowns right in the beginning and then West Shamokin came back to win the game. The Wolves fed on this with a swarming defense and an advancing offense to end the first quarter.

The tide changed to start the second quarter when West Shamokin was faced with a tough fourth down. Naturally, the Wolves punted, but the snap was too low and bounced right between Swartz’s legs, allowing the Dragons to start deep in West Shamokin territory. Two plays later, Syster ran it right in for a 4-yard touchdown. The Wolves got the ball back, but then it was fumbled, putting the Dragons on offense once again, when senior Clayton Patrick recovered it at the 43-yard line.

On the next play, Syster let it fly to sophomore Andrew Beer, who caught it at the five, and then ran it in for a touchdown. Syster added the two-point run and the score became 27-7. West Shamokin’s Cameron Anthony returned Purchase Line’s kick for what would have been a touchdown, had Sanchez not caught up to him at the last second. The Red Dragon defense held until Elijah Linhart punched through for a much needed 1-yard burst. Their extra point kick was blocked, so six points were added to the board, 27-13.

A big gain for the Dragons from junior Brady Syster put Purchase Line near the 40-yard line, and then a pass from Josh Syster to senior Isaac Huey put them at the 21. Syster brought out his arm again and connected with Beer, who was taken down one yard short of a touchdown, but Syster put it in on the next play, along with the conversion. West Shamokin tried three times to pass downfield and was unsuccessful each time, so they punted the ball away.

Brady Syster found the gap in the line and ran the ball to the 46-yard line, but penalties and an aggressive West Shamokin defense caused the Dragons to punt. However, at the last second Brady Syster spotted an uncovered Dylan Overman downfield and successfully converted the fourth down.

Overman said, “I knew we needed a first down and realized how important it was so we could continue our drive down the field.”

With 28 seconds remaining, and freshman John Elick now under center, he tossed the ball to Josh Syster, who hit Beer in the endzone for a 35-yard touchdown. Brady Syster cut through the line at the right time to get the conversion, so at the half, the score was 43-13.

Whether Swartz was running the ball, or passing it to various receivers, he was getting the first downs that the Wolves needed to put themselves back in this game, early in the third quarter. Wolfe was the one to capitalize on the drive with a 3-yard touchdown. Then, Swartz passed to Stover for the two-point conversion. Purchase Line wasn’t able to move on offense, so they punted. The snap was dropped by the Dragons, allowing the Wolves to recover it around the 26-yard line.

Four plays later, Wolfe capped the drive with a score of 19 yards. The Dragons had the ball back and were ready to score. Only a few plays into their drive, Elick, with a quarterback keeper, burst through the line and beat his defenders 59-yards to the endzone. Purchase Line was still up, 49-28, to end the third quarter.

West Shamokin began their first fourth quarter drive with a pass from Swartz at his own 45-yard line to Stover at the Purchase Line 25. Soon after, Swartz was scrambling for a receiver, so he tucked the ball in and took it to the house for 8-yards.

West Shamokin’s defense was on point, forcing Purchase Line to punt again. However, Beer intercepted Swartz on the first play of offense, setting Syster up for a 27-yard touchdown. Despite Swartz being able to move the ball down the field on their next drive, it all came to an end for the Wolves when Patrick surged for Swartz and brought him down in the backfield. This allowed the Dragons to take the 57-35 victory and advance to round two of the playoffs.

After Josh Syster’s 237 yards, Elick, Brady Syster, and Brooks combined for 140 rushing yards. Swartz passed for 140 yards and rushed for 68. Wolfe ended the game with 91 rushing yards. Beer came out with 92 yards receiving, just ahead of Stover with 88. The teams combined for over 800 total yards.

Purchase Line Head Coach Matthew Falisec said, “I am very proud of how we played tonight. We were executing on all front and I couldn’t be more pleased with the kids. We are all excited to move on to the next round and play another week of football.”

The Red Dragons will face the undefeated Penns Manor Comets next Friday night.

Syster said, “Penns Manor is a good team. We have to show up prepared and ready to play.”

Beer added, “I think that everyone needs to keep blocking well. If our line blocks well, then our running backs have bigger holes to run through and our quarterbacks have more time. With our receivers and backs blocking, that gives us the chance to get the yards and score.”

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