VerticalRaise Plus The Funding Zone
 
 

Towanda earns first win over Canton since 2017 Thursday night.

Tagged under: District 4, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| September 27, 2024

Behind QB Riley Vanderpool’s four rushing touchdowns, the Black Knight’s proved to much for the Warriors defense.

TOWANDA- It was Thursday night football at the Endless Mountain Sports Complex and quarterback Riley Vanderpool was in the limelight for the Black Knights as he gouged the Canton defense for 325 yards of total offense in a 40-14 thrashing in a key Northern Tier contest before a moderate crowd on a cloudy evening.

The Warriors were out-gained on the ground 282 to 5. Vanderpool accounted for 226 of those yards. He was also 6-for-10 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown pass. Giving Towanda their first win in the series since 2017 where Canton outscored them 155-0 in the last three meetings.

After Canton received the opening kickoff and going three-and-out. Towanda wasted little time getting on the board as Vanderpool scampered in from 47 yards out on the Black Knight’s second play from scrimmage to make it 7-0 with 9:33 left in the opening quarter.

Canton had an impressive drive for their first score of the night on a 10-play 78 yard drive and nearly took five minutes off the clock in the second quarter that was capped off by a three yard touchdown run by Ayden Holcomb to tie the score at seven with 10:01 left before intermission.

On the ensuing Black Knights’ drive Vanderpool took off around the left end for a 21 yard score, the extra-point was no good as a bad snap led to an incomplete pass for the two-point conversion and Towanda had a 13-7 lead with 7:13 left in the quarter. Vanderpool rushed for 110 yards in the first half and had three touchdowns.

A rash of penalties hurt Towanda in the half having 10 of them for 108 yards that included five personal foul and unsportsmanlike calls on the home team.

Vanderpool would find the end zone once again at 4:11 mark with a 37 yard run that followed a n interceptions of Canton quarterback Ben Fitch, who was under pressure the entire contest. He was sacked 8 times though he did manage to throw for 133 yards on 14-0f-25 passing and a touchdown but was picked off twice.

Holcomb picked off a Vanderpool pass and a personal foul penalty by Towanda added 15 yards in Canton’s favor. That was followed up by a pass interference call against the Knights gave the Warriors excellent field position, where they capitalized with a two yard touchdown pass from Fitch to Holcomb to cut the lead to 20-14 with under a minute to go in the half.

Towanda would receive the second half kickoff and from their own 29, Vanderpool ripped off a 61 yard run to the Canton ten. On the next play Vanderpool scored his fourth touchdown at the 10:59 mark and a 26-14 lead as the conversion failed.

After a bad snap on a Canton punt near their own goal line resulting in a one yard punt, Towanda took advantage of the field position as Vanderpool tossed a five yard pass to Will Shrawder for a touchdown and a 33-14 lead in the final quarter.

The Warriors only managed 42 yards in the entire second half including turning the ball over twice on downs and having to punt twice in the half. The final score of the contest is when Gage Evans drove in from 3 yards out to make the final margin 40-14 with exactly one minute to play.

Towanda improves to 4-2 and will be on the road next Friday against Athens (2-3). The Wildcats will host (1-4) Wellsboro Friday night, Canton (3-3) will be home with Wyalusing next week. The Rams (3-2) will be home with undefeated Troy (5-0) Friday night

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
QwikCut
 
GoRout
 
Sports Paradise
 
Football Legends board game
 
 
x