When a team reaches the redzone four times and comes away with zero points, their chances of winning are slim. That is exactly what happened on Friday night, as the Warriors opened the season with a 41-16 loss to the Mounties of Philipsburg-Osceola. The Mounties came out of the gates on fire, forcing the Warriors to punt on their first drive and marching right back down the field to score the game’s opening points. A few drives later an Ayden Gutierrez pass was tipped and intercepted by the Mounties. The Mounties took advantage of the Warrior mishap and went on another scoring drive to go up 15-0.
After being faced with their first test of the season, the Warriors got the passing game rolling. With under a minute to go in the first half, Gutierrez found Noah Hoffner in the endzone for a thirty-seven yard score. Sarah Betts tacked on the extra-point to make it an eight point game. Betts would go on to make both extra-point attempts in her first varsity football game. Gutierrez threw for 172 first half yards. Hoffner reeled in six passes in the first half for 150 yards and the lone Warrior touchdown. The Warriors took the momentum into the half trailing 15-7.
“It felt pretty great scoring the first touchdown of the season at home,” Noah Hoffner said. “We were able to take advantage of the outside and after that it was just throwing and catching.”
The Mounties received the ball to start the half. The Warriors and Mounties traded punts back and forth for four drives in a row. On the Warriors second punt of the half, a Mountie return man took the Eddie Dale punt 74 yards to the house to put Philipsburg up 21-7. On the following drive, Gutierrez was intercepted by the mounties for the second time on the night. Again, the Mounties took advantage of the Warriors’ mistakes and went on another scoring drive to go up 28-7.
Though faced with adversity, the Warriors didn’t quit. Late in the third quarter, the Mounties were punting from their own endzone. The snap went out of the endzone, resulting in a safety. The score now sat at 28-9. On the following drive, the Gutierrez-Hoffner connection was alive once again, as Hoffner hauled in an eight yard touchdown pass to put the score at 28-16.
From that point on, it was all Philipsburg. The Mounties would score twice more in the final quarter to set the final at 41-16.
Eddie Dale said, “It’s hard to put points up on the board by not capitalizing in the redzone after long drives. Missed opportunities for take-a-ways on defense also gave Philipsburg more chances to score.”
The Warriors travel to Moshannon Valley (0-1) this Friday.
BOX SCORE:
SCORE BY QUARTERS PO- 15 0 13 13 = 41
WB- 0 7 9 0 = 16
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Sarah Betts kicks her first ever varsity field goal against Philipsburg.
Image/Graphics by Syed Karimushan'
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Ayden Gutierrez throws his first touchdown of the season to Noah Hoffner.
Image/Graphics by John Kristofits'
Individual Statistics
Passing:
Ayden Gutierrez 14-of-35, 253 yds., 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing:
Will Herring 13-29
Aidan Kephart 4-15
Ayden Gutierrez 6-(-15)
Derek Browne 1-(-1)
Camden Kopchik 1-(-2)
Receiving:
Noah Hoffner 9-190 (2 TD’s)
Trent Bellomy 2-39
Eddie Dale 1-8
Camden Kopchik 1-8
Will Herring 1-8
