Garcia Leads Southern Win Over Selinsgrove

Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, News

Dave Fegley | October 31, 2026

Tigers rush for 501 yards in 49-19 victory

Not only did Southern Columbia close out the regular season with a win on Friday, but the Tigers now officially have a winning record against all District 4 opponents since the program started in the 1960’s. Early on, the Tigers were on the losing end as they needed to build a foundation. Now, in 2026, they are rolling again as they will look to win a state-record 16th PIAA title in six weeks if results go as they hope for.

Last week, SCA broke a dead even tie in a nine-game series against Jersey Shore, and last night the Tigers took a 17-16-1 advantage all-time against Selinsgrove.

Southern led 20-7 at the half in their regular season road finale, but the host didn’t allow it to be easy on Harold L. Bolig Memorial Field.

In the end, the defending state champion Tigers won 49-19, but both teams will advance to next week’s District 4 playoffs.

Grady Garcia made sure Halloween Eve was a frightening night for the Selinsgrove defense.

The Southern junior turned in a career performance on the 30th of October, rushing for 256 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries to lead the Tigers.

Garcia’s performance headlined a dominant night on the ground for Southern, which piled up a season-high 501 rushing yards and 569 total yards of offense in improving to 9-1.

Senior fullback Joey Williams provided plenty of support, adding 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries as the Tigers repeatedly found openings against the Selinsgrove defense.

“I have to give the credit to my offensive line. They do the dirty work that allows our backs to get out in the open. I love seeing daylight, and the blocking provides that,” Garcia said. “Being able to fake it to our other backs like Joey Williams, that can help confuse the defense.”

Williams echoed that sentiment, pointing to the variety of options Southern can present in its running game.

“It’s really hard to defend our running game. Obviously, they were expecting the ball to go to Grady, so that allowed me to have some openings. Gavin Brown ran well in the game as well, so we have different ways to find success,” Williams said.

Despite the offensive production, Southern had to work through some early adversity before creating separation on the scoreboard.

The Tigers led by two scores at halftime, but the opening half was far more competitive than the final margin suggested. Two lost fumbles and Selinsgrove’s ability to move the ball through the air helped keep the Seals within striking distance.

Garcia opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, then broke free for a 62-yard scoring run in the second. Ayden Hockenbroch added the two-point conversion on a QB keeper to give Southern a 14-0 advantage.

“Garcia is a stud. High school football coaches are getting tired of hearing Garcia after Garcia after Garcia. They are so good. The total package of speed and strength,” said Selinsgrove coach Matt Wenrich.

Selinsgrove answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Cael Badman with 2:42 remaining in the half after a Southern fumble helped set up the opportunity.

Williams responded with a 14-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left before intermission, giving the Tigers a 20-7 lead.

“I just wasn’t playing the way I was capable of in the first half. I fumbled, so that is on me. Then, in the second half we took care of business,” Williams said.

Southern did exactly that coming out of the break.

The Tigers’ defense forced a punt to open the second half, and Garcia promptly delivered another highlight. The junior made a sharp cut on a 20-yard touchdown run at the 9:18 mark, extending the lead to 28-7 with another two-point conversion run.

“That was a big stop defensively because we didn’t look very good in the first half, and if they score there it could have given them the momentum,” Southern coach Jim Roth said.

Selinsgrove (3-7) responded almost immediately, as quarterback Rocco Amato connected with Nash Fordyce for a 70-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive. The two-point attempt failed, leaving the Seals trailing 28-13.

Garcia answered with a 16-yard touchdown run at 6:47, and Williams added a 12-yard scoring run later in the quarter as Southern stretched its advantage to 42-13.

Williams capped his three-touchdown night with an 18-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter, while Amato and Fordyce connected again on a 27-yard touchdown pass for Selinsgrove’s final score.

Although the Tigers controlled the game on the ground, the Seals found considerable success through the air.

Amato completed 19 of 37 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Fordyce hauled in seven passes for 174 yards and two scores, while Jonathan Neidig added 10 receptions for 161 yards.

Selinsgrove managed just 28 rushing yards, but its passing attack exposed some weaknesses in Southern’s secondary.

“Our pass defense has hurt at times this year, and it’s something we have to do a better job with. I give credit to their quarterback. We only had one sack in the game, but we provided a lot of pressure throughout, and he still found guys open for big plays,” Roth said.

Roth acknowledged that the Tigers needed to be sharper defensively, particularly in coverage, despite limiting the Seals’ ground game and pulling away in the second half.

“We made some mistakes in pass coverage which allowed Selinsgrove to have success in their pass game. They have some nice players, and we need to lock in better in coverage,” Roth said.

For Garcia, the night marked more than just a career-best rushing performance. He finished the regular season with an area-best 1,649 rushing yards, continuing to establish himself as one of the state’s most productive runners.

Roth said Garcia has been a consistent playmaker throughout the season, even as Friday’s performance stood out statistically.

“That was definitely the best statistical performance for Grady Garcia, but he has been tremendous for us all season. He finds ways to make big plays, and he does things that most guys can’t do with his shiftiness,” Roth said.

Garcia nearly added another highlight late in the evening.

After Selinsgrove scored its final touchdown, the Tigers thought the Seals might try an onside kick. Garcia fielded the ball near the goal line and returned it across midfield, coming within a tackle of potentially scoring for a fifth time.

Garcia knew the reserves would be in on offense with the Mercy Rule lead, so it was his last chance to touch the pigskin.

“I tried to return it, but I couldn’t get to the end zone. I was fortunate to have a good game, so there were no complaints there. I was just trying to score because you don’t get many opportunities to break one on special teams,” Garcia said with a smile.

Now, the Tigers turn their attention to the postseason.

Southern will enter the District 4 Class 2A playoffs as the No. 2 seed, with a matchup against Hughesville or Towanda awaiting next week.

While Friday’s offensive production provided plenty of encouragement, Williams knows the Tigers cannot afford to carry their early mistakes into the postseason.

“Coach Roth said it in the locker room at halftime and again after the game, we didn’t play our best. I know the scoreboard shows that we won by a lot, but we must clean things up,” Williams said. “We need to play a better full game if we want to win another state championship. The playoffs start next week, and we need to limit our mistakes.”

Garcia shared a similar outlook, emphasizing the team’s desire to keep playing and make the most of its postseason opportunity.

“As a team, we didn’t want to have that bye as the first seed. We want to keep playing and continue to have fun. We will come to practice this week and be prepared for the playoffs,” Garcia said.

With Milton losing to Warrior Run, the Seals will enter the 4A playoffs as the final seed.

“I’ve never had a group of kids so fired up after a loss. They stayed huddled up as we awaited scores and when they heard we are in and going to Shikellamy the kids went nuts,” Wenrich said. “This young and injured group has given us everything they’ve got and are ready to come out swinging. With the injuries up front, we wanted to get the ball out quick. Rocco has been great. Our offensive line and backs are giving him enough time, and we are able to get the ball to our playmakers.”