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Central Dauphin Outlasts Wilson in OT in a Instant Classic.

Tagged under: District 3, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| September 2, 2023

Central Dauphin Rams earn huge win with an overtime decision Friday night.

WEST LAWN- Yes it is just the second week of the high school football season, but for both Wilson and Central Dauphin Friday night it felt like both were playing for their post-season lives.

Both the Rams and the Bulldogs were coming off opening week losses. Central York handed the Rams a defeat and Roman Catholic demolished Wilson. Neither team was wanting to start the 2023 campaign at 0-2, unfortunately for one it was inevitable. It took overtime to decide and when the dust cleared it was Central Dauphin who walked out of a packed and raucous John Gurski Stadium with the win 36-35.

Central Dauphin took the opening kickoff and went on a 12 play 77 yard drive that culminated in a 28 yard touchdown pass from QB Keyron Plummer to Miles Copper with 6:19 left in the quarter and a 7-0 lead. Zackery Temple added the PAT.

Wilson answered that score two minutes later as the Bulldogs went 46 yards on just five plays as Tom Hunsicker connected with Brady Kline for an 11 yard touchdown and Ben Rada tied the score with his point-after with still 4:16 left in the quarter.

Hunsicker did his best Fran Tarkington impression late in the quarter with Wilson on their own 23 yard line as he scrambled to his left, then back to his right, avoiding being sacked for a huge loss, he went back left before heaving the ball downfield to a wide open Jackson Wagner who got behind the defense and scored on the 77 yard play with 32 ticks left and a 14-7 lead.

The Rams again used a time consuming drive for their next score 11 plays 67 yards and Plummer this time went in from a yard out to tie it at 14.

Hunsicker and the Bulldog offense regained the led on their next possession as they went 63 yards on just seven plays when Kline took a shuffle pass in from 17 yards out with 5:22 till half and a 21-14 lead.

Central Dauphin would strike back on a 72 yard drive in just six plays as Plummer would score his second rushing touchdown, this time 11 yards, but PAT was blocked leaving the score 21-20 with 2;34 left.

The Rams had a chance to score right before the half but a Plummer pass was picked off in the end zone by Madyx Gruber ending the threat and the Bulldogs hold a 21-20 lead going into intermission.

There was no scoring in the third quarter as both defenses made some key stops to keep the score at 21-20 heading into the final twelve minutes.

Miles Copper would give the visitors the lead back with an eleven yard score with 7:54 left capping off a 9 play 46 yard drive. He also converted the two point conversion making the score 28-21.

The lead did not last long as the Bulldogs scored right back on a 65 yard drive in eight plays when Nick Fiorini took it in from two yards and we were tied again at 28 with 4:28 left.

Central Dauphin had a shot to try to win this game in regulation with 49 seconds left and the ball at the Wilson 30 and on 4th and nine the pass was incomplete. Giving the Bulldogs life. Wilson was going to attempt a 41 yard field goal to win it, but the Rams jumped offsides giving the home team a chance from 36 yards but Rada’s kick sailed left and we were heading into overtime.

The Ram won the tossed and deferred, so Wilson got their shot fro the 10 and appeared to have scored but a penalty near the goal line nullified the score and the ball was now at the 12. Then the Bulldogs had illegal procedure call against them moving the ball to the 17. A Hunsicker pass to the end zone was incomplete, but the Rams were called for hit on defenseless player moving the ball to the eight. Hunsicker ran a perfect bootleg play and scored and with Rada’s PAT it was now 35-28.

Central Dauphin knew they had to score a touchdown to keep it going in the overtime session. They got the ball at the ten to satrt and moved it to the two but now facing a fourth down situation. Plummer ran an RPO to his right and spotted Jett Franz in the back of the end zone for the score and the decision was made to go for the win.

With the score 35-34, again Plummer ran a very similar play as on the touchdown as again he connected with Franz who held on to the ball and secured the win 36-35.

Keyron Plummer completed 7 of 12 passes for 106 yards and two scores he also ran for 87 yards on 18 carries and scored twice. Matteo Crummel and Miles Copper each caught 3 passes for a combined 102 yards. Copper added 116 yards on the ground on 23 touches and the gained 298 yards as a team.

Here is what Plummer had to say after the game.

For Wilson Tom Hunsicker was 16 of 25 passing 262 yards and 3 touchdowns Correll Akings caught five passes for 65 yards. Jackson Wagner had 2 receptions for 90 yards and a score and Brady Kline had two catches both went for scores and 28 yards. The Bulldogs ran for 129 yards as a team with Hunsicker leading the way with 59 and a touchdown.

After the game Jett Franz had this to say about the catches in overtime.

Central Dauphin evens their record at 1-1 and will be home next week with Coatesville (2-0) a 49-0 winners over Academy Park and also have a 29-7 victory over Pennsbury opening week. Wilson now 0-2 will try to get their first win next week at Martin Luther King(1-1) defeated Dobbins-Randolph Vo Tech 48-0 Friday

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