COUDERSPORT RUNS AWAY FROM CURWENSVILLE WITH HUGE FIRST QUARTER

SEPT. 13 WEEK THREE - Coudersport 33, Curwensville 12

By Rich Rhoades

CURWENSVILLE -- In a rematch of last year's District 9 Class A Championship game, the game was decided in the first quarter.

Visiting Coudersport shook off its frustrating loss to Eisenhower last week by scoring 27 points in the first quarter on its way to a 33-12 win over Curwensville, spoiling the Golden Tide's homecoming festivities.

Zach Hershey sparked the Falcons (2-1) right off the bat, taking the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown. Hershey rushed for 97 yards, caught three passes for 48 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Following Hershey's kickoff return, the Golden Tide return team failed to field the ensuing kickoff. Coudersport recovered at the Tide 15 and scored four plays later on quarterback Ben Cary's 3-yard TD pass to Jarrett Levavasseur.

Curwensville (2-1) gave the ball away three plays later on a fumble and the Falcons cashed in one play later on Hershey's 53-yard TD run.

It wasn't over.

Cary tossed his second TD pass of the quarter when he hit tight end Paul Strayer on a 3-yard completion with 32 seconds left in the first quarter. That made it 27-0 with a little over three quarters left to play.

Curwensville finally found the scoreboard on its next possession, going 54 yards on 11 plays. Quarterback Travis McDonald threw a 6-yard TD pass to Brooks Collins with 7:11 left in the first half.

Each team scored once in the second half. The Golden Tide cut the Falcons' lead to 27-12 on McDonald's 70-yard TD pass to Greg Gilbert with 41 seconds left in the third quarter.

Coudersport put to rest any Curwensville hope of rallying when it added a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Mike Kehr's interception of a McDonald pass at the Tide 26 set up Hershey's third TD of the game on a 1-yard run with 7:26 left to play.

Coudersport only outgained Curwensville, 212-205. Cary completed 9 of 23 passes, using seven different receivers, for 104 yards and two TDs.

For Curwensville, McDonald was 8-for-16 for 112 yards with a TD pass and was intercepted twice. The Tide's leading rusher, Doug Swatsworth, gained 32 yards on four carries, all of them coming in the first half. Swatsworth left the game before the half with an apparent rib injury.

COUDERSPORT 33, CURWENSVILLE 12
Score By Quarters
Coudersport 27 0 0 6 - 33
Curwensville 0 6 6 0 - 12
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
CO - Zach Hershey 79 kickoff return (Caleb Morris kick), 11:48.
CO - Jarrett Levavasseur 3 pass from Ben Cary (Morris kick), 10:31.
CO - Zach Hershey 53 run (Morris kick), 8:45.
CO - Paul Strayer 3 pass from Ben Cary (kick failed), :32.
Second Quarter
CW - Brooks Collins 6 pass from Travis McDonald (kick failed), 7:11.
Third Quarter
CW - Greg Gilbert 70 pass from Travis McDonald (pass failed), :41.
Fourth Quarter
CO - Zach Hershey 1 run (kick failed), 7:26.
CO CW
First Downs 12 10
Rushes-Yards 31-108 33-78
Passing Yards 104 127
Passes: Comp-Att-Int 9-23-0 9-18-2
Total Yardage 212 205
Punts-Average 5-35.4 3-36
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 7-46 5-48
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - Coudersport: Zach Hershey 23-97, Zach Pucci 4-28, Ross Simcoe
1-6, Ben Cary 3-(-23). Curwensville: Doug Swatsworth 4-32, Brooks
Collins 10-25, Gary Kephart 4-9, Dean Swatsworth 2-8, Nate Sipes 5-3,
Travis McDonald 8-1.
Passing - Coudersport: Ben Cary 9-for-23, 104 yds., 2 TDs. Curwensville:
Travis McDonald 8-for-16, 112 yds., 2 TD, 2 Ints.; Dean Swatsworth
1-for-2, 15 yds.
Receiving - Coudersport: Zach Hershey 3-48, Jeremiah Frederick 1-22,
Ross Simcoe 1-15, Zach Hetrick 1-8, Zach Pucci 1-5, Jarrett Levavasseur
1-3, Paul Strayer 1-3. Curwensville: Greg Gilbert 3-90, Tony Thompson
1-12, Brooks Collins 3-9, Jeremy Struble 1-9, Jonathan Anderson 1-7.
Interceptions - Coudersport: Jeremiah Frederick, Mike Kehr.
Sacks - Coudersport: Scott Easton 3.5, Jesse Bova 0.5. Curwensville:
Tony Pennington, Jonathan Anderson, Josh Orcutt.