HS Football Roundup: Trojans use late-game big plays to down Carlisle

Andy SandrikOctober 7, 20244 Mins read1

CARLISLE – Chambersburg used two late TDs to pull away from Carlisle, 28-13, in Friday’s tightly-contested Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division contest.

The Trojans (3-4, 2-4 Commonwealth) led by just one point, 14-13, in the fourth quarter, but they got some breathing room when Antonio Harrison scored his third TD of the game on a 57-yard run. Another big TD, a 42-yarder from Imani Watson, expanded Chambersburg’s advantage to 28-13 and sealed the win for the Trojans.

The Thundering Herd (0-7, 0-6) certainly made Chambersburg work. Carlisle took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Chase Bonner crashed into the end zone for a TD from two yards out. The Trojans tied the game with a seven-yard TD plunge from Harrison, before a one-yard score from Harrison had Chambersburg leading 14-7 at halftime. Carlisle scored the first TD in the fourth quarter and trailed 14-13 after missing the extra point, a score which woke up the Trojans and helped them finish strong.

Chambersburg was led by Harrison, who logged 14 carries for 113 yards, while Watson added 63 yards on seven carries. Trojans QB Caegan Truett completed 9 of 14 passes for 93 yards. Truett’s top target was Trever Luther, who hauled in five catches for 74 yards.

Defensively, Chambersburg was highlighted by Evan Brown and Jason Chambers, who each registered interceptions.

The Trojans return to the field on Friday when they play host to Altoona (0-7, 0-6), a team coming off a 33-0 loss to Harrisburg.

Mifflin County 20, Waynesboro 14

Mifflin County’s Josh Maldonado rushed 27 times for 88 yards and two TDs to lead the Huskies to a hard-earned victory over Waynesboro on Friday. Harrison Bulick also returned a fumble for a TD for Mifflin County.

The Huskies improved to 3-4 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-Penn Keystone Division.

The Tribe (4-3, 3-3) will try to snap a two-game losing streak on Friday, when they hit the road to face Mechanicsburg (7-0, 6-0), a team coming off a 42-14 win over Northern.

Milton Hershey 30, Greencastle-Antrim 29

Carter McCauley had a monster game, hauling in 13 passes for 223 yards and two TDs, but Greencastle-Antrim fell by one point to Milton Hershey in Friday night’s Mid-Penn Colonial Division contest.

Milton Hershey (3-4, 3-2 Colonial) scored first, but the Blue Devils surged ahead to a 14-7 lead on a pair of TD passes from QB Lane Barry to McCauley. The Spartans used two TDs of their own to build a 18-14 halftime lead.

The seesaw game continued into the third quarter, when Greencastle (1-6, 1-5) went ahead 21-18 on a two-yard scoring plunge from Noah Shifflett, before Milton Hershey reclaimed the lead with a 12-yard TD run.

Greencastle zipped to another lead, 29-24, on a seven-yard TD from Shifflett, before the Spartans answered with a go-ahead score to secure a one-point cushion over the Blue Devils. Milton Hershey then held on for victory.

Greencastle churned out nearly 500 yards of offense, and got big rushing efforts from Blake Reuter (14 carries, 91 yards), Shifflett (11-85), and Lars Galinanes (13-65). Barry completed 15 of 23 passes for 209 yards, two TDs, and an interception.

On Friday, the Blue Devils will play host to Juniata (5-2), a team coming off a 33-6 win over Newport.

North Hagerstown 35, Smithsburg 7

North Hagerstown ran for five rushing TDs as it came from behind to earn its first victory of the season over Smithsburg on Friday.

The Leopards (0-5) drew first blood in the opening quarter when Alex Bachtell hauled in a 24-yard TD pass from Carter Nesbitt, but it was all Hubs (1-4) from there.

North Hagerstown took a 13-7 lead into halftime after getting a pair of seven-yard TD runs from Germanus Abonge. The Hubs expanded that advantage to 27-7 after three quarters with a 19-yard rushing score from Javoun Frith and a four-yard TD scamper from Ty’Qwell Fauntleroy. North Hagerstown got one more score, a 16-yard TD run from Frith in the fourth quarter.

Nesbitt completed 13 of 26 passes for 167 yards, a TD, and two interceptions, with Bachtell catching seven of those passes for 115 yards. Bachtell also shined on the defensive side, totaling seven tackles while causing and recovering a fumble, while Zac Smith registered nine tackles and an interception. Smithsburg also got double-digit tackling games from Tyler Ward (12 tackles), Mikha Stull (10) and Chase Hill (10).

North Hagerstown will go for its second win on Thursday, when it hits the road to face Williamsport (3-2), a team coming off a 35-14 loss to Boonsboro. The Leopards are also back in action on Thursday, when they travel to face Clear Spring (3-2), a squad that fell to Albert Gallatin by a 41-21 score last week.

Thomas Johnson 13, South Hagerstown 7

South Hagerstown held a lead, but could not hold on in Friday’s loss to Thomas Johnson.

The Rebels (1-4) built a 7-0 advantage, before Thomas Johnson (2-3) returned a kickoff down the left sideline for a TD to tie the game. The game remained 7-7 until the final moments of the game, when the Patriots completed the game-winning TD pass.

It was a tough loss for South Hagerstown, which outgained Thomas Johnson in yardage by a 215-159 margin.

The Rebels will be looking to bounce back on Friday, when they travel to to Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., to take on Jefferson. The Cougars (2-3) are coming off a 42-13 win over Hedgesville.

Standings

Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division: 1. CD East (7-0 overall, 6-0 division), 1. Harrisburg (6-1, 6-0), 3. State College (6-1, 5-1), 3. Bishop McDevitt (6-1, 5-1), 5. Cumberland Valley (3-4, 3-3), 6. Central Dauphin (2-5, 2-4), 6. Chambersburg (3-4, 2-4), 8. Cedar Cliff (2-5, 1-5), 9. Carlisle (0-7, 0-6), 9. Altoona (0-7, 0-6).

Mid-Penn Keystone Division: 1. Mechanicsburg (7-0 overall, 6-0 division), 1. Shippensburg (7-0, 6-0), 3. Hershey (5-2, 4-2), 4. Waynesboro (4-3, 3-3), 4. Northern (3-4, 3-3), 4. Lower Dauphin (3-4, 3-3), 7. Gettysburg (2-5, 2-4), 7. Mifflin County (3-4, 2-4), 9. Red Land (1-6, 1-5), 10. Palmyra (1-6, 0-6).

Mid-Penn Colonial Division: 1. Trinity (6-1 overall, 5-0 division), 2. Susquehanna Township (6-1, 4-1), 3. East Pennsboro (4-3, 4-2), 4. Milton Hershey (3-4, 3-2), 4. Big Spring (3-4, 3-2), 6. West Perry (4-3, 2-3), 6. Middletown (3-4, 2-3), 8. Greencastle-Antrim (1-6, 1-5), 9. Boiling Springs (1-6, 0-6).

Mid-Penn Capital Division: 1. Line Mountain (5-2 overall, 4-1 division), 1. Camp Hill (4-3, 4-2), 1. Juniata (5-2, 5-1), 4. Steelton-Highspire (5-2, 4-1), 5. James Buchanan (4-3 overall, 3-3 division), 6. Upper Dauphin (3-4, 2-2), 7. Susquenita (2-5, 2-3), 8. Newport (1-6, 0-5), 9. Halifax (0-7, 0-6).

Washington County: 1. Boonsboro (4-1), 2. Saint James (4-2), 3. Williamsport (3-2), 3. Clear Spring (3-2), 5. North Hagerstown (1-4), 5. South Hagerstown (1-4), 5. Hancock (1-4), 8. Smithsburg (0-5).