BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP – It’s a series that goes back better than a century, Jersey Shore vs. Central Mountain (the Wildcats successors to the former Lock Haven High School and the BEN Panthers) and the series will be renewed tonight, game time 7 p.m. at Central Mountain’s Malinak Stadium.
The Bulldogs (4-5) have dominated in recent years, but the Wildcats (1-8) have to go into the contest with their hopes renewed after their thrilling first win, a 28-21 overtime victory at Mifflinburg (2-7) last Friday.
Jersey Shore meanwhile will come to Central Mountain seeking to recover from a late home meltdown against Bald Eagle Area. The Eagles (8-1) stunned a Thompson Street Stadium crowd with two touchdowns over the final 1:42 to pull out a 24-23 win last Friday night.
For Jersey Shore its five losses to this point are the most since the Bulldogs went 6-7 in 2013, head coach Tom Gravish’s second year at the helm. ‘Shore was 7-4 a year ago, including a 49-14 stomping of the Wildcats. Returning running back Kyle Tomb (jr, 6-0, 184) feasted on CM last year, rushing for 181 yards and five touchdowns.
Slowed by injury earlier in the season, Tomb’s numbers are down from a year ago. Through the first eight games this year he had 263 yards on 96 carries and a total of three touchdowns. Jersey Shore’s top ground-gainer is junior Dawson Sechrist (5-9, 172) who had rushed for 399 yards through the first eight games. The starting quarterback this year is junior Tanner Lorson (6-2, 180). He has picked up 994 yards passing on 77 completions in 176 attempts, throwing for 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions through the first eight games.
Last Friday was a record-setting night for the Wildcat pass-catch team of quarterback Zane Probst and wide-out Collin Jones. They combined for a school record four touchdown passes. The old game touchdown reception record was three, recorded by Frank Probst in 2004 against Erie Central. Jones also broke the record for passing yardage in a season, now at 911 yards, the old mark 808 set by Cole Renninger in 2012. Probst’s four scoring strikes to Jones (25, 4, 42,10 yards) broke the old quarterback TD passing mark of three: (assistant coach) Sean Hanna in 2003, Blake Barth in 2004, Cody Dolan in 2008. Probst also set a new school record for passing yardage in a season. With 234 yards Friday Probst now has 1,554 yards on the year, the old mark 1,365 yards set by Phil Mann in 2000. His 118 completions (18-34 Friday) broke a tie with Hanna’s 100 in 2003.
The record-online will offer live audio stream of the game with John Lipez and Tom Elling offering up the call to bring you all the action. The stream will go live approximately 15 minutes before kickoff.
–
–
