The Tyrone and Penns Valley junior varsity football teams had to put up with the cold, rain and even a few wet snow flakes in their junior varsity football game on Monday. That was in addition to finding out that they were playing not at Gray Veterans Memorial Field, at the usual 6 p.m. starting time, but on the Tyrone soccer field. With the kick-off taking place at 4 p.m. to get the game in before it got dark, with no lights on the field and very few bleachers as well. The scoreboard operator was situated on the small hill overlooking the field with just a table to set the scorepad on.
With nothing much happening that was normal, one thing was too usual for Tyrone junior varsity coach Darren Elvey.
“The only way we have lost this year, is when we have hurt ourselves,” explained Elvey shortly after five Eagle turnovers played a major part in the Penns Valley 13-6 victory. “I don’t think anybody has outplayed us. I just think the mistakes and turnovers have hurt us and that’s it.”
Penns Valley took the opening kick and marched down the field with the one long drive of the game, that was a mixture of defense and poor conditions. Adam Brown covered the final nine yards to score the touchdown for Penns Valley to cap the 12-play series that took seven and a half minutes off the clock and covered 59 yards.
The Eagles got going on the following series initially. Jeremy Barlett opened the series with a gain of four yards before Mark Mingle carried twice for eight yards to move the sticks for a first down, but a no gain and two incomplete passes forced a punt.
Ty Corl had his number called three straight times for 10 yards following a five-yard completion from Kyle Hockenberry to Brown on the first play. The Tyrone defense held however stopping Corl for a yard loss and sacking Hockenberry for a loss of two more.
The Golden Eagles, outweighed considerably on the front line, went into their self-destruct mode for the rest of the first half however, losing the ball twice on pass interceptions.
Tyrone came out with the kick to start the third quarter, but things quickly went from bad to worse, when the Eagles fumbled the kick and Penns Valley recovered at the T-27. “I thought, coming out after halftime, we were really going to turn things around,” said Elvey. “And there we go, we fumble the opening kickoff.”
The Eagle defensive unit stopped Penns Valley and the two teams went back and forth at each other for the rest of the third quarter and nearly half of the fourth.
Corl carried three times for 19 yards and on a fourth down at the 13, Penns Valley called on their field goal unit. When the ball was snapped high, Hockenberry, the holder scrambled around and found Billy Fegley in the middle for a screen pass that scored the 13-yard TD. Brown then kicked the PAT for a 13-0 lead with 6:11 to play.
Tyrone lost the ball again when Penns Valley picked off their third interception of the afternoon to thwart one drive.
Finally with time running out, Tyrone hit the end zone. Levi Reihart found Dustin Rudasill open down the middle behind the Penns Valley defense for a 35-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles went for two on the extra point try but failed on a pass.
“It all comes down to the turnovers, you can’t turn the ball over five times,” said Elvey. “Give Penns Valley all the credit. They controlled the line of scrimmage the whole game. They controlled time of possession. We just made too many mistakes.”
The Tyrone junior varsity football team closes out their season with a 5-3 record.
