Three Hours Later, Redbank Valley 52 Brockway 28

Tagged under: District 9, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

Phil Myers | October 20, 2023

(Feature picture by Chris Wechtenhiser of the Courier-Express)

It took almost three hours for Redbank Valley to come away with the 52-28 victory at Brockway’s Frank Varischetti Field on a rare Thursday night game in District Nine.  The Bulldogs and the Rovers combined for 80 points, over 800 yards of offense, 66 passes, and 258 yards in penalties.  “The marathon is over,” said coach Blane Gold of Redbank, “kids got to go to school tomorrow.”

Braylon Wagner threw for 297 yards and 5 touchdowns for the victorious Bulldogs.  He also ran for 42 yards and a touchdown.  To date, the sophomore has thrown 38 TD passes which is now a new school single season record.  Ashton Kahle was the top receiver on this night by catching 8 passes for 162 yards and 3 scores.  Drew Byers chipped in by rushing the rock for 136 yards and a TD.

Wagner has a corps of receivers he can throw to and each week it seems a different one steps up into the limelight.  “Our receivers are probably the best in D-9 I’d say.  They make all the plays.  I just have to get them the ball quick and they do the rest,” said Wagner.

Player of the game, Braylon Wagner, Redbank Valley.

Brockway had defeated Redbank last year in the D-9 playoff semi-finals by a score of 7-3.  “That playoff game kept eating at us, eating at us, and eating at us,” was what Coach Gold told the media.  “It was definitely in the back of our minds,” echoed Wagner.   The Rovers thought they found a template last year in beating Redbank by running the ball and keeping it away from the Bulldog offense.  That did not work out this time.

Redbank started off the game hot by building a 21-0 lead at the 8:37 mark of the second quarter, but the Rovers battled back.  Brockway had been held to 12 total yards after their first five possessions and had turned the ball over on fumbles twice.  Brayden Fox’s 77-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Dougherty sparked the comeback.  In a little over five minutes Brockway scored three times and tied the game at 21.

Brockway’s Caleb Daugherty 911) makes a leaping catch behind Redbank Valley’s Drew Byers (3) in the left corner of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown late in the second quarter Thursday night. Daugherty had six grabs for 134 yards and two scores in a 52-28 loss to the Bulldogs. Photo by Chris Wechtenhiser of the Courier-Express.

Then the Bulldogs got some new life thanks to a couple of ill-timed penalties on Brockway.  Facing a second down and 26 at their own 28-yard line, a pass netted only ten yards, but a late hit out of bounds followed by a holding call on the next play gave Redbank a first down at Brockway’s 37.  A few plays later Wagner connected with Mason Clouse to put the Bulldogs in the lead 28-21 with twenty seconds before the half.

Mason Clouse of Redbank (white jersey) breaks up pass intended for Blake Pisarcik of Brockway. Photo by Chris Wechtenhiser of the Courier-Express.

“That was huge,” stated Gold, “football is a game of momentum.  When it’s against you, you have to find a way to stop it.  So, for us, stopping that momentum was getting the score before half with the realization we can go up by two scores.” (Redbank would receive the second half kickoff.)

Redbank iced the game by scoring on four of their five possessions in the second half and their defense gave up just one score.  For a high scoring contest there was a lot of hard hitting going on in the field of play.  When asked about that Wagner echoed that sentiment by agreeing with the statement.  “I’m in a little bit of pain,’ he stated.

In a losing cause, Fox threw for three touchdowns by completing 17 of 32 passes for the Rovers.  His 17 receptions ended up covering 298 yards.  Daugherty snared 6 passes for 133 yards and a pair of scores.  Pisarcik grabbed a half dozen passes too for 119 yards and a TD.

Unofficially, Brockway was penalized ten times for 118 yards, while Redbank was flagged 14 times for 140 yards.  There were only six 5-yard variety penalties.

Redbank the #7 PFN ranked single A team in Pennsylvania, is now 9-0 on the season and will play the #4 ranked PFN team next Friday at home against Central Clarion who will also be 9-0 if they beat St. Marys Friday night.  Brockway falls to 6-3 and will travel to Cameron County, who at the moment sports a 6-2 record, to close out the regular season next week.

Score by Quarters:

Redbank – 14 14 14 10 – 52

Brockway – 0 21 0 7 – 28

Scoring Summary:

First Quarter:

R – Ashton Kahle 69-yard pass from Braylon Wagner, (Owen Clouse PAT), 9:49

R – Kahle 2-yard pass from Wagner (Owen Clouse PAT), 5:31

Second Quarter:

R – Ashton George 17-yard pass from Wagner, (Owen Clouse PAT), 8:37

B – Caleb Daugherty 77-yard pass from Brayden Fox, (Daugherty PAT), 7:15

B – Daugherty 17-yard pass from Fox, (PAT blocked), 3:05

B – Blake Pisarcik 1-yard run, (Aiden Patton run 2 pts), 2:00

R – Mason Clouse 20-yard pass from Wagner, (Owen Clouse PAT), 0:24

Third Quarter:

R – Kahle 33-yard pass from Wagner, (Owen Clouse PAT), 9:54

R – Wagner 14-yard run, (Owen Clouse PAT), 5:46

Fourth Quarter:

R – Owen Clouse 32-yard field goal, 11:56

B – Pisarcik 60-yard pass from Fox, (Daugherty PAT), 10:57

R – Drew Byers 1-yard run, (Owen Clouse PAT), 3:38

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