CURWENSVILLE WINS AML TITLE

Oct. 30, 2004

With the win, the Golden Tide (9-0) sew up the No. 1 seed in the District 9 Class A Playoffs and will get a first-week bye. Coudersport (8-1) will be the No. 3 seed and will host rival Smethport (6-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

As it has been all season, Nate and Nick Sipes paced Curwensville. Nate ran 34 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns and Nick added 127 yards on 24 carries. Shawn Sopic ran nine times for 76 yards and a touchdown and passed for 55 yards.

Curwensville led 12-7 at halftime but Coudersport scored on a 2-yard David Babcock run in the third quarter to take a 14-12 lead. It is the first time Curwensville had trailed since losing 7-0 to Smethport early in the season opener. It is also the first tide the Golden Tide have trailed in the second half all season.

Coudersport’s lead didn’t last, as Nate Sipes scored on a 1-yard run with 40 seconds left in the third quarter to take a 20-14 lead.

Then with 5:47 left in the game, Nate Sipes scored on a 2-yard run making it 26-14.

Curwensville led 12-0 on a 1-yard Nate Sipes run and a 38-yard run by Sopic.

Coudersport got its first touchdown on a 44-yard halfback option pass from David Babcock to Mike Kehr.

John Gerhart was 8-for-18 passing for 159 yards to lead Coudersport with Mike Kehr making four catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. Rob Cavallari added four catches for 46 yards, and Babcock one for 42 yards. Babcock also ran seven times for 48 yards, while Jeremiah Wagner added eight runs for 42 yards.

NOTES – It is Curwensville second AML title … The Golden Tide also won the title in 2000 with a 33-21 win over Port Allegany … Curwensville lost the 2001 AML Title game to Smethport 27-14 … It is the third straight year Coudersport has lost in the AML Title Game. In 2002 the Falcons fell to Kane 35-19 at home and last year they lost at Brockway 21-13 … Those three games are the first three AML Title Games for Coudersport … Smethport has won seven AML title since 1986.