COUDERSPORT DEFEATS DEFENDING CHAMPION CURWENSVILLE TO WIN D9 CLASS A FOOTBALL TITLE

WEEK 11 -- District 9 Class A Title Game

BROCKWAY – Big plays and defense when it mattered the most delivered the Coudersport Falcons their first district title since 1994.

Quarterback Ben Cary threw three touchdown passes to lead the Falcons to an 18-13 victory over defending champion Curwensville in the District 9 Class A Championship game Saturday at Brockway Taylor Memorial Field.

Coudersport (10-1) advances to the PIAA state playoffs against District 10 champion Sharpsville at a District 9 site and time to be announced. Curwensville finished 8-3.

The Falcons’ offense produced three touchdowns thanks to some big plays, most of that starting with Cary, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 220 yards. The game-winner came on the second play of the second half when he hit speedster Steve Brink for a 59-yard TD pass.

The Cary-Brink connection was brilliant for the Falcons. Brink caught five passes for 163 yards. They hooked up for a 71-yard TD on the final play of the first quarter to give Coudersport a 12-0 lead.

Thanks to some late-game defensive stands, the 59-yarder early in the third quarter was the difference on the scoreboard.

Two straight tipped Coudersport punts by the Curwensville special teams gave the Golden Tide the ball at the Coudersport 28 and 23 on successive possessions late in the fourth quarter. Both times, Curwensville failed to gain a first down. It was the only two possessions of the game that the Golden Tide failed to get a first down.

The second possession came with 2:02 left in regulation. Quarterback Jim Thompson’s pass to Mark Records in the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-9 from the 22 was tipped away by Falcons defensive back Jarrett Levavasseur, denying a game-winning TD for the Golden Tide.

Coudersport opened the game’s scoring on Cary’s 7-yard pass to Zach Hershey with seven minutes left in the first quarter. The score was set up by Zach Hetrick’s 40-yard interception return to the Tide 8-yard line.

Coudersport then took a 12-0 lead on Cary’s 71-yard pass to Brink. The Falcons missed on the two-point conversion try. They were 0-for-3 on conversions in the game.

Curwensville took the ensuing kickoff 55 yards and found the end zone for the first time when Ryan Bilger bulled in from two yards out. Cory Bailor missed the point-after kick.

The Golden Tide grabbed the lead thanks to a Falcons fumble – Coudersport fumbled the ball five times and lost three in the game – by Levavasseur trying to field a punt inside his own 5-yard line. Brooks Collins recovered the fumble at the Falcons 3 and two plays later Keegan Prisk scored from two yards out. Bailor’s point-after kick made it 13-12, which lasted until intermission.

Coudersport did have a chance to score late in the first half, but time ran out with the Falcons at the Tide 8-yard line.

Frustrated by missing out on a scoring chance, the Falcons quickly erased those memories by striking big on the second play from scrimmage when Cary found Brink for the 59-yarder. Curwensville took the ensuing kickoff and drove deep into Falcons territory, but the drive stalled on downs at the Falcons 15 when Bilger was stopped for one yard on a fourth-and-2 play.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Tide drove into Coudersport territory again, but stalled on downs when Prisk was stopped for a 2-yard gain on a fourth-and-5 play from the Falcons 32. That was only part of a string of key plays by the Coudersport defense to stop the power-running attack of Curwensville.

Curwensville limited Coudersport to 29 yards rushing on 27 carries, but Cary’s passing yards were the difference. The Golden Tide gained 197 yards on the ground, with Joe Bennett leading the way with 89 yards on 20 carries. 

Game notes: Curwensville was trying the became the first repeat District 9 Class A champion since Smethport won back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996 ... The Golden Tide were also trying to become the first team other than Smethport to win back-to-back Class A titles. The Hubbers have done it twice also winning back-to-back titles in 1991-92 ... Smethport was also the last time who had a chance to defend its title falling to Clarion in 1997 as it tried to win its third straight title ... In addition to Curwensville and Smethport, the only other team to has had a chance to defend its Class A title was Clarion-Limestone in 1991. The Lions fell to Smethport in 1991 after winning the title in 1990.