COUDERSPORT 41, CURWENSVILLE 13

Oct. 29, 2005 - AML TITLE GAME

CURWENSVILLE – Boomer Wetzel fired three touchdowns passes and the Coudersport defense lowered the boom on the top rushing attack in District 9 as the Falcons captured their first Allegheny Mountain League football title with a 41-13 trashing of Curwensville on Saturday.

"We’ve had good teams and we’ve played good teams," said Paul Simcoe,
the 27th year (179-73-8) head coach of the Falcons. "We didn’t always
match up as well as we could have. Tonight we matched up well even with
a couple of kids hurt. All the kids played together and did a great job
tonight."

After dropping the last three AML title games to Curwensville (2004), Brockway (2003) and Kane (2002), the Falcons avoided a Buffalo Bill-type fate of four consecutive championship losses with a slobberknocking, punishing defense that held the Golden Tide 66 yards under their rushing average of 309 per game.

"We hit them (Golden Tide) hard and they knew when they were hit," Simcoe recalled. "We wanted to contain them and not let them get the big play. They had trouble running the ball and that hasn't happened all year."

While Coudy's first-string defense was limiting the defending champs to just 170 yards on the ground, Wetzel was carving up the Golden Tide secondary with a 7-for-8 and 166-yard performance.

"He did a great job," Simcoe said of Wetzel, who is a 5-10, 160-pound sophomore. "Curwensville was keying on David (Babcock), so we took some shots at some other things. Early on they (Golden Tide) did a great job of shutting our run game down."

The 9-0 Falcons were not soaring at the outset as they punted on their first possession of the game and fumbled on the next two.

Curwensville capitalized on the second turnover with a 37-yard, four-play drive that culminated with an 8-yard touchdown run by junior Nick Sipes, who entered the contest as District 9’s second-leading rusher with 1,227 yards. Sipes also booted the extra
point and it was 7-0 with 5:05 left in the opening quarter.

"The turnovers were on a toss play, and I can't remember what the other one was," Simcoe noted. "Those could've hurt us, but to our kids’ credit, they didn't get down."

It only took Coudy four plays to answer as a 17-yard screen pass from Wetzel to Babcock moved the pigskin to the Golden Tide 42. Wetzel then found a wide-open Sam Decker at the 11 and the 5-11, 160-pound junior fullback rumbled into the end zone to complete the 42-yard aerial. Caleb Morris drilled the PAT halfway to Clearfield and the 20th AML title game was knotted at seven.

Once again Curwensville failed to move the chains and Babcock carried the ensuing punt from midfield down to the 23.

Wetzel hit Decker for an 11-yard gain to the 12, and then three plays later with a pass-rusher breathing down his neck, Wetzel and Mike Cole combined on an 8-yard scoring pass. The point after by Morris was good and it was 14-7 Coudy with 13 ticks showing in first period.

The Golden Tide’s next possession was another three-and-out and the North Division champion Falcons were on the move again.

On a second-and-17 from the enemy’s 33, Decker blasted around right end on a double reverse for a 28-yard gain to the 5. Babcock then utilized a huge hole on the right side of the line for a five-yard run and his 20^th rushing score of the year. Morris again sent the PAT in orbit for a 21-7 Coudy bulge with 8:52 left in the half.

"I thought the play of the game was that reverse we ran down there to set up our third touchdown," Simcoe declared. "He (Decker) had never run that in practice. When we called the play, he asked me if it was going to be a handoff or a pitch."

The Golden Tide then set off on a flight that would’ve required a full-length movie as the hosts started from their own 19, and 16 plays and eight minutes later, they were knocking at the Coudy door.

On a fourth-and-goal from the five, Sipes was gang-tackled just outside the one and then appeared to have shoveled the ball across the end line.

The strategy backfired when Andy Chisholm fell on the loose ball to preserve the Falcons' 14-point lead at the break.

"That (defensive stop) was huge," Simcoe stated. "He (Sipes) knew he was stopped and put the ball on the carpet, but fortunately we came up with it."

Following another Golden Tide punt to commence the second half, Wetzel put the chilly night’s game on ice with a 59-yard scoring strike to Steve Bernard. The Morris kick was true and the Coudy lead had mushroomed to 28-7 with 8:46 left in the third stanza.

"The big play was the fade pass to Steve Bernard," Simcoe said. "The game was over. In my mind I didn’t think they (Golden Tide) could come back."

After Babcock toted a 26-yard punt return to the hosts’ 33, District 9’s third-leading rusher (1,160 yards) had an 18-yard jaunt that set up Decker's 9-yard TD. This time the PAT was blocked, but it was 34-7 with 5:59 remaining in the third.

Then with 3:45 left in the game, Decker broke a tackle at the 30 on his 42-yard trip to pay dirt. Morris nailed his fifth extra point of the evening and the visitors' bleachers were rocking at 41-7.

"He is very underrated and overlooked," Simcoe said of Decker, who carried 10 times for 106 yards and scored three times. "He is one helluva player."

Then against clean white uniforms with purple trim, Sipes scored on a 41-yard run but missed the extra point for the final 28-point margin.

With 1:20 remaining, Simcoe was dowsed with the congratulatory water bucket and the celebration was on.

"I got a bath," Simcoe grinned. "I got set up by my assistant coaches."

Coudy is now the top seed in the District Class A playoffs and will host No. 8 Kane (5-4) Friday. Curwensville (7-2) falls to No. 4 and will host No. 5 Port Allegany (7-2) Saturday. The other match ups are No. 7 Elk Catholic (5-4) versus No. 2 Clarion (7-2) at Clarion University Friday and No. 6 Johnsonburg (6-3) visiting No. 3 Clarion-Limestone (8-1) Saturday. All kickoffs are 7 p.m.

COUDERSPORT 41, CURWENSVILLE 13

Score By Quarters

Coudersport 14 7 13 7 – 41

Curwensville 7 0 0 6 – 13

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

CW – Nick Sipes 8 run (Sipes kick), 5:05

CD – Sam Decker 42 pass from Boomer Wetzel (Caleb Morris kick), 3:57

CD – Mike Cole 8 pass from Wetzel (Morris kick), :13

Second Quarter

CD – David Babcock 5 run (Morris kick), 8:52

Third Quarter

CD – Steve Bernard 59 pass from Wetzel (Morris kick), 8:46

CD – Decker 9 run (Kick blocked), 5:59

Fourth Quarter

CD – Decker 42 run (Morris kick), 3:45

CW – Sipes 41 run (Kicked failed), 3:21

Team Statistics

CD CW

First Downs 13 13

Rushes-Yards 36-179 44-238

Passing Yards 169 84

Passing: Comp-Att-Int 7-8-0 6-18-0

Total Yards 345 328

Penalties Yards 2-8 4-30

Punts-Avg. 2-24.0 9-23.0

Individual Statistics

Rushing – Coudersport: Sam Decker 10-116, David Babcock 14-72, Mike Cole 4-11, Boomer Wetzel 3-(-14), Bret Whitman 1-(-2), Kyle Gee 1-1, Derek Burdick 1-(-1), Team 2-(-4). Curwensville: Nick Sipes 20-126, Philip Solley 10-46, Shawn Sopic 6-24, Brandon Hess 4-18, Ben McGary 2-4, Matt Holland 1-20, Team 1-0. ;

Passing – Coudersport: Wetzel 7-for-8, 169 yards, 3 touchdowns. Curwensville: Sopic 6-for-18, 84 yards.

Receiving – Coudersport: Josh Corey 1-17, David Babcock 1-20, Sam Decker 2-51, Mike Cole 2-22, Steve Bernard 1-59. Curwensville: Cody Botzman 2-20, Nick Sipes 1-29, Adam Pennington 1-16, Brandon Hess 1-19.