The Funding Zone
 
SAFR: Safer Through Science
 

Fort Cherry Upsets the Mighty Mikes on the Road in 1A Showdown @FortBooster @PaBackyard

Tagged under: District 7, News

| September 11, 2021

By Collin Rhodes

Fans at the Fort Cherry Rangers vs. Carmichaels Mighty Mikes were ready for a treat as two well rounded teams went face-to-face in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. Quarterback Maddox Truschel looked to lead the 1-1 Rangers against quarterback Trenton Carter and the 2-0 Mighty Mikes.

The game began with strong defensive showings from both teams, as each were forced to punt after their first possessions. Fort Cherry would immediately change this with their second possession, commanding the field to score a 19-yard touchdown pass from Maddox Truschel to Dylan Rogers, putting the Rangers up 6-0 after the blocked PAT.

Carmichaels would answer back quickly on their ensuing possession. It took just three plays before Trenton Carter found Alec Anderson for a 77-yard touchdown to even the score at 6-6, as they too missed the PAT. This would set a trend for the first half of the game.
Fort Cherry were set up well on the kickoff after Carmichaels’ first touchdown, starting their drive at their own 49. Led by Truschel and helped by a few penalties, Truschel would take it in for himself from the 1 of Carmichaels for a rushing touchdown. This time, the PAT was good, and the Rangers were up 13-6.

During the following drive by the Mighty Mikes, it looked like they had been stopped on a three-and-out, but a muffed punt by Fort Cherry was recovered by the Mikes, giving them another shot. They were able to make the most of it as Carter got a burst of speed to run it into the endzone himself for a 23-yard touchdown. The made PAT tied the game at 13, and the first quarter finally came to an end.

Fort Cherry kept the excitement up to start the second, as it was all Maddox Truschel this drive. He rushed for a first down and hit Dylan Rogers again for a long touchdown, 64 yards away from the endzone. They would take the lead again 20-13 with a made PAT.

Carmichael’s tried to answer back but were forced to punt the ball back to the Rangers, pinning them deep in their own territory. It only took two plays for the Mikes to get the ball back after picking off Truschel for the first time this game, setting themselves up at the Forth Cherry 7. Carmichaels would need only two more plays to make it to the endzone, as Trenton Carter punched it in from the 3, his second rushing TD of the game, and the game was tied at 20-20.

Both teams went three-and-out after this score, and the score remained unchanged for the rest of the second quarter. Fort Cherry attempted a trick play late in the first half where wide receiver Anthony D’Alessandro attempted to pass the ball, but he was picked off by Alec Anderson on the defensive side of the ball. Carmichaels failed to score off the turnover, and they went into halftime at 20-20.

The second half was very different from the first, becoming an all-defensive effort. Carmichaels started the half with the ball but failed to convert on 4th down in Fort Cherry territory. The Rangers were able to make it to the other side of the 50 before punting the ball away, and Carmichaels would later punt the ball away as well from their own 40.

Fort Cherry would finally end the scoring drought on a long drive that started from their own 40 and lasted 9 plays, ending with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Truschel to D’Alessandro. The Rangers would go up 27-20 after the made PAT, and the defenses of each team really began to kick in.

Charmichaels would go three-and-out after the touchdown, giving Fort Cherry the ball back before the fourth quarter started. The Rangers wouldn’t be able to get our of their own territory before punting the ball away to the Mighty Mikes, who were becoming desperate for points.

Trenton Carter would lead the Mikes on a long drive down field that was aided by a questionable defensive pass interference call. This got them to the Fort Cherry 30, and they were able to get to the 23 before losing 6 yards and facing 4th and 9. Carter would attempt to pass the ball for the first down, but the Rangers’ defense got in the way forcing a turnover on downs.

With the ball in their hands, the Fort Cherry Rangers rode the legs of Truschel to victory in a tightly contested ball game, 27-20. With the win the Rangers are on a 2-game winning streak at 2-1, while the Mighty Mikes are dealt their first defeat of the season, also at 2-1.

Maddox Truschel would finish the game with 7 completions on 11 attempts for 127 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. A good showing, but what was more impressive from him was his running game, where he rushed 32 times for 246 yards and 1 touchdown.

“[Maddox] is someone that is a multi-tool athlete,” Fort Cherry head coach Tanner Garry said after the game. “He’s a competitor, and I think that’s his greatest asset. Even when he’s tired, he has that second gear to get back into it.”

Fort Cherry will host the Shenango Wildcats (0-2) at home in McDonald, PA, hoping to extend their win streak and avoid the upset. Meanwhile, Carmichaels will be traveling to Greensboro, PA to face the Mapletown Maples (2-1), who also just faced their first loss of the season. Both games will be played on Friday, September 17.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
QwikCut
 
GoRout
 
Rainbow Lettering
 
x