Jersey Shore Beats Selinsgrove 49-7
Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, Great PA Teams, pfn
Ryan States | September 12, 2026
Jersey Shore, Pa.- There is always a different energy around a football game when it is between two big time rivals, and there are few examples better than the annual clash between the (3-0) Jersey Shore Bulldogs and the (1-2) Selinsgrove Seals. This rivalry has historically been dominated by the Seals, but ever since Tom Gravish took over the Bulldogs in 2012 Shore has flipped the script. Selinsgrove has only beat Jersey Shore once in the last 13 matchups, that win coming in the 2023 District Playoffs.
“It’s our rival” Coach Gravish said when talking about the annual meet up between the Seals and the Bulldogs. “We play teams that are closer but this is our main rival. We play them hard and they play us hard.”
The Bulldogs left Friday’s result in little doubt, crushing the Seals 49-7 off of a stellar overall team performance and a dominant defensive showing.
The first quarter started off slow for both teams with each going three and out on their opening possession. It was on the Bulldogs second possession that they found their footing, capping off a 12-play drive with a 6-yard TD run by Zeke Sechrist to put the Bulldogs up 7-0.
After another pair of three and outs from the Seals, shore QB Nolan Pauling took a 21-yard quarterback draw to the endzone to start the second quarter. Before the Seals responded with a touchdown of their own from their dual threat QB Rocco Amato. That score would be the only time Selinsgrove found the endzone. Another Shore touchdown put the Bulldogs up 21-7 in the dying embers of the first half.
Selinsgrove pushed their luck, going for it on fourth and long with just 20 seconds remaining in the half expecting a failed conversion would not hurt them. Well it did and then some, as with just 12 seconds on the clock Shore went deep into their bag of tricks. Pauling found his favorite target Carter Rhinehart over the middle of the field on what looked to be a harmless completion to get the dogs into hail mary range. But it was Connor Winters who provided the shock of the evening, running underneath Rhinehart who tossed a perfect pitch, allowing Winters to take the express lane to the endzone for a touchdown. The perfectly executed hook and latter put the Bulldogs up 28-7 with just two seconds left as the home crowd watched in awe. In big time rivalry games, nothing is off the table, and after the game coach Gravish talked about how that play design had been in the system for a while.
“We played around with that in the summertime a little bit. We always have a couple plays where we are like ‘hey, here is the situation what are we gonna do?’ so we have got confidence that we can make a play like that.”
The stunning end to the half seemingly broke the last of the Seals will, as the second half quickly turned the game into a rout. The Bulldogs outscored Selinsgrove 21-0 in the final 24 minutes of game time, entering mercy rule territory midway through the 3rd quarter.
Pauling was the star of the show for Jersey Shore going 13-23 through the air for 277 yards two TDs and two INTs, while adding another 42-yards and a score on the ground. Also of note was Rhinehart who hauled in eight catches for 152-yards and a score.
Next up for the Bulldogs they travel on the road to take on the undefeated reigning district champion Shamokin. The Bulldogs and the Indians have met each of the last two seasons in the district title game, with Shamokin winning each time. Despite the growing bad blood between these two titans, and the recent run in favor of Shamokin, coach Gravish and his team is not looking for revenge.
“We are just playing one game at a time.” Gravish said when asked about their re-match next week.
The clash of the two District four juggernauts will take place next Friday, Sept. 18th at 7 PM.
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