Special Night, Milestone Win for Indians
Tagged under: District 6, News, Scoreboard, Scores
Brad Strawser | September 28, 2018
On a field so wet it sounded like a sponge, the Juniata Indians defeated the Pine Grove Cardinals to capture their first win of the season and their coach’s 300thcareer win.
Coming into the night, the Indians were winless and their opponents had only lost one game all season. Coach Gary Klingensmith stated last week however, that he believed his team could win out to finish the season. They got on that track Friday night as they won with a score of 28-14 at Dietrick Field.
— Brad (@BradStrawser) September 29, 2018
Freshman Jacob Condo got the call at quarterback for the Indians as senior Jeremiah Parson suffered a foot contusion the week prior. Condo stepped up to the task and would throw for three touchdowns and score one rushing touchdown on the night.
After the game, Condo was seen teary-eyed. He went on to tell that his grandfather had passed away that morning. When asked about the weight of the situation, Condo said: “The seniors before the game really helped me get in the mood to play. I could barely make it to school. I knew my pap would’ve wanted me out there and he was up there looking down on me.”
One of the keys that helped drive the success of Condo’s night was senior Bryson Clark. He returned to the offensive huddle and caught two touchdown passes. Clark talked about his return saying, “The hamstring felt great. I tried to hydrate as much as I could. I was taking shots of pickle juice on the sidelines to help. It feels great to be back.”
The sidelines were packed with excitement as the clock tick down to zero. A milestone that would not be forgotten in Juniata football history. Their legendary head coach, Gary Klingensmith, after five weeks of trying, reached his 300thcareer coaching victory.
— Brad (@BradStrawser) September 29, 2018
“Our players really deserved this, we’ve gone through a lot of adversity up to this, but our guys kept their nose to the grindstone and it was our turn. It feels great,” said Klingensmith on the meaning of the win for the team.
Klingensmith didn’t spend much time talking about his milestone win. He was happier for his players, their hard work, and for the rest of the season. When asked about the meaning of win 300, he said, “I’m glad it’s over with. I never give it any thought. We don’t have to worry about 300 anymore and now we can just go play football.”
This didn’t stop friends and family of Klingensmith from celebrating his milestone win. Many people rushed out to the field to celebrate and take pictures with the team and the coach. It was a night to remember for Indian football.
— Brad (@BradStrawser) September 29, 2018
The Indians will look to continue improving their record (1-5) as they travel to Upper Dauphin (5-1) in week 7.
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