Tyrone’s game last night against Huntingdon started as the Johnny Franco show, but it quickly became a coming out party for quarterback Tyler Golden.
In his second varsity start, the 6-foot senior turned in one of Tyrone’s all-time single game performances at his position, completing 8 of 9 passes for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Golden Eagles dismantled the defending District 6-AAA champions 35-13 before a packed house at War Veterans Memorial Stadium in Huntingdon.
If Golden was at all shaken after completing just 1 of 8 passes in the season-opener, it never showed.
“I just wanted to come out and show everyone that I could do the job and fill in at the quarterback position the best I could,” Golden said.
His best was more than enough against the ‘Cats. Along with his passing totals, Golden also rushed for a score and went without an interception for the second straight week.
But while Golden and Franco captured the offensive spotlight, the performance of the Eagles’ defense may have been even more impressive. Against a Bearcat team that rolled up more than 360 yards on the ground in a Week 1 victory over Mount Union, the Eagles allowed just 143 total yards, while sacking Huntingdon quarterback Shawn Shoemaker five times.
“Tyrone was an oiled machine tonight,” said Huntingdon coach Jim Zauzig. “They only had a handful of penalties; they don’t turn the ball over. You have to earn everything you get against them. We’re still in that sloppy, beginning-of-the-year mode.”
Franco finished the game with 124 yards on 20 carries – his second straight 100-yard rushing performance – and scored three touchdowns, including a 65-yard reception in the second quarter that put the Eagles ahead 21-0.
Senior Justin Schopp had a career night at wide receiver, hauling in five passes for 143 yards and a 69-yard touchdown reception.
The win improved the Eagles’ record to 2-0 on the season in a pair of impressive performances. Last week, Tyrone stymied the powerful rushing attack of Bellwood-Antis in a 16-0 win, and last night the Eagles’ defense limited the ‘Cats to just 90 yards on 27 carries.
What’s more, the Eagles have done it without two-way starters Doug Morrow and Tyler Gillmen, still out with injuries.
“I’m so proud of this group,” said Tyrone coach John Franco. “They’ve had so much adversity to overcome. Big plays are one key, but the heart and spirit of these kids is second to none. They’ve really developed into a cohesive team.”
It showed on Tyrone’s first series, when the Eagles moved the ball 73 yards in eight plays, mixing the run with the pass and running as well to the right as they did to the powerful left side of their offensive line. The Eagles converted twice on third down, once on a nine-yard completion from Golden to Schopp, and again when Franco rambled for 15 yards on third-and-three.
Franco punctuated the drive with a 25-yard run off right tackle with 8:42 left in the opening quarter. Johnny Shaffer came on to kick the first of five extra-points to make it 7-0.
The Eagles struck again on the second play of the second quarter, when Golden rolled to his right off of play-action and fired a strike to Schopp, who got behind the defense on an out-and-up route. The play totaled 69 yards, and Golden’s second career touchdown pass gave Tyrone a 14-0 lead.
After forcing a Bearcat punt, it took Tyrone just two plays to go ahead by three scores. This time, Golden found Franco down a seam in the Huntingdon secondary and Franco broke one tackle on his way to the endzone for a 65-yard score.
“They exploited our corners last year, and (this year) I thought we had four solid corners,” Zauzig said. “There’s a battle for two jobs now. We’ve got to be making plays out there.”
Huntingdon (1-1) regrouped and made it 21-7 with a nine-play, 59-yard drive midway through the second quarter. Fullback Tim Rohrer carried most of the load, running four times for 25 yards, and Joe Riley went in from the one at the 3:24 mark to make it 21-7.
But Tyrone answered with another long scoring march, this time going 64 yards in six plays, capped by Golden’s one-yard run. They key to the series came on first-and-10 from the Huntingdon 46 when Golden laced a perfectly thrown ball over cornerback Derek Heath into the outstretched arms of Schopp for a 41-yard gain to the five. Golden punched it in three plays later to make it 28-7.
“Tyler has paid his dues,” Franco said. “He hasn’t yet realized how good he is.”
Riley restored life to the ‘Cats on the ensuing kickoff. After fielding it at his own 11 and bursting through the wedge, he sprinted towards the right sideline before sharply cutting back against the grain and racing to an 89-yard touchdown. Mark Blumling missed the extra-point, and Tyrone led 28-13 at halftime.
But any momentum Huntingdon gained from Riley’s dash was quickly extinguished in the third quarter. Shaffer and Donnie Conrad each came up with sacks of Shoemaker to force a Bearcat punt, and from there the Eagles were off to the races again, using a 59-yard, eight-play drive to go ahead 35-13.
Franco carried four times for 24 yards and Golden converted on third-and-10 with an 18-yard pass to Schopp. Franco carried the final six yards for his third score.
Huntingdon never again mounted a serious offensive threat, punting twice more in the second half and turning the ball over once on a fumble recovery by Jason Reese.
“I’m so impressed with the way our guys play,” coach Franco said. “I think the key is we haven’t made (too many) mistakes. We still make too many to suit me, but I think we put the ball on the ground only once.”
GAME NOTES: Reese and Tyler Hoover also recorded sacks as Tyrone stopped nine plays in the Bearcats’ backfield … Shaffer also had a sack in the first quarter … the Eagles have now won 15 straight regular season games … Tyrone visits Lewistown next Friday.
Tyrone 35 Huntingdon 13
Tyrone 7 21 7 0 – 35
Huntingdon 0 13 0 0 – 13
First Quarter
T – Franco 25 run (Shaffer kick) 8:42
Second Quarter
T – Schopp 69 pass from Golden (Shaffer kick) 11:17
T – Franco 65 pass from Golden 8:05
H – Riley 1 run (Blumling kick) 3:24
T – Golden 1 run (Shaffer kick) :27
H – Riley 89 kick return (kick failed) :11
Third Quarter
T – Franco 6 run (Shaffer kick) 4:44
Team
T H
First Downs 17 9
Yards Rushing 42-190 27-90
Pass Att.-Comp. 8-9 7-15
Pass Yards 233 53
Total Yards 423 143
Fumbles/Lost 1-0 1-1
Interceptions Thrown 0 0
Penalties/Yards 4-40 5-40
Punts/Avg. 3-30 6-41.8
Rushing
Tyrone – Franco 20-124; Barlett 6-30; Golden 3-(-2); Bradley 2-6; Tate 4-17; Ingle 3-4; Mingle 2-3; Crowell 2-8.
Huntingdon – Riley 10-23; Rohrer 5-50; Shoemaker 11-16; Pacheco 1-1.
Passing
Tyrone – Golden 8-9-233, 2 TD 0 Int.
Huntingdon – Shoemaker 6-9-47; Walters 1-6-6.
Receiving
Tyrone – Schopp 5-143; Franco 1-65; Tate 2-25.
Huntingdon – Rohrer 3-21; 1-6; Reed 2-8; Cressman 1-16.
