Avonworth defeats Penn Cambria 16-6 in snowy semifinals
Tagged under: District 6, District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs
Annabelle Aquino | November 30, 2024
The combined score of Avonworth and Penn Cambria was less than the frigid 28-degree temperature at kickoff. Moving on to the 3A PIAA State Finals, the Avonworth Antelopes defeated the Penn Cambria Panthers 16-6 at Norwin High School this frosty Friday.
“Our kids played well. They were resilient, they battled for four quarters, and they came out with the victory. It was a lot of fun,” said Avonworth head coach Duke Johncour.
Avonworth and Penn Cambria line up against each other. Photo by Deacon Blues.
Both teams came into the game following dominating victories– Penn Cambria beat Hickory 30-7 in the District 6 Championship, and Avonworth shut out Central Valley 17-0 in the WPIAL District 7 Championship.
Similar to Avonworth’s shut-out victory last week, the Lopes’ lock-down defense, led by Mason Metz, held strong once again.
Both defenses limited each other to score zero points in the first quarter. Short passes from the Panthers and small rushes from the Antelopes allowed the teams to trek down the field, but not into the endzone.
The second quarter began in a similar fashion; the teams traded punts after consecutive no-score possessions. With
Gavin Harrold rushes for a touchdown. Photo by Deacon Blues
only four minutes left before half, Avonworth’s Calder Mahan kicked a field goal to put the first points on the board. The Lopes led 3-0.
Penn Cambria answered back quickly. Gavin Harrold rushed for the Panther’s first (and only) touchdown of the night. Harrold once again led his team in scoring; last week, he scored three of the four touchdowns in the win against Hickory. After an incomplete 2-point conversion, Penn Cambria led 6-3 with 2:30 left before half.
As the snow picked up in the second half, so did Avonworth’s energy.
With 5 minutes left in the third, Avonworth’s Luca Neal rushed past defenders into the endzone. Brothers Nico Neal and Luca Neal worked together throughout the game to push the Antelopes down the field. Nico Neal had 2 touchdowns in his last game, and Luca Neal had 2 touchdowns in this game. Even after missing the extra point, Avonworth led 9-6.
With no more scoring the the third, the game came down to the fourth and final quarter.
Penn Cambria’s defense shined; Blake Lilly intercepted the ball at the 1-yard line and took it to the 28-yard line. The Panthers could not score on this drive. Metz blocked the pass on third down, forcing Penn Cambria to punt off on fourth.
Avonworth rushed down to the 2-yard line, where Luca Neal scored his second touchdown of the night with 1:08 left in the game. A successful extra point boosted their lead to 16-6.
“Defense, offense, we played great. A whole team effort, we came out and did what we needed to do,” said assistant coach Derek Johncour.
Penn Cambria did not convert on their last possession, and the Lopes took over to end the game.
Nico Neal rushes past Penn Cambria defenders. Photo by Deacon Blues
Avonworth ceased Penn-Cambria’s 14-0 undefeated streak, increasing their own record to 12-3.
“We’re really excited for what they do next week,” Johncuela said.
Post-game interviews with Avonworth’s RB @niconeal17, assistant coach Derek Johncour, and head coach Duke Johncour after their 16-6 win over Penn Cambria in the PIAA 3A semi-finals.@PaFootballNews @AvonworthFB @AvonworthA pic.twitter.com/ASZftUZqeJ
— Annabelle Aquino (@AnnabelleA_PT) November 30, 2024
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