PORT ALLEGANY 46, JOHNSONBURG 32

Sept. 1, 2007

PORT ALLEGANY – If you like offense, then Port Allegany was the place to be Saturday afternoon.

The homestanding Gators and the visiting Johnsonburg Rams combined for 666 yards of total offense and 78 points in Port Allegany’s 46-32 season opening win.

The game didn't start out like it was going to be a fireworks show, as the game remained scoreless nearly eight minutes into the contest.

But then all of a sudden something happened and the teams exploded for 24 points in the final 4:06 of the opening quarter including 22 in the final 2:38.

Port Allegany struck first when Johnsonburg quarterback Zach Padasak, who finished the night 14-for-26 for 218 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first start, was called for intentionally grounding in the end zone resulting in a safety and a 2-0 Gator lead with 4:06 left in the first quarter.

The Gators then made it 8-0 when Nick Nichols, who ran for 132 yards on 19 carries, scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 40-yard run at the 2:38 mark.

A 1:04 later Port Allegany found itself up 16-0 when Josh Guererro blocked a punt and the ball was returned 30 yards to pay dirt by Mark Larson.

Not to be outdone, Johnsonburg answered back with a 48-yard scoring strike from Padasak to Ren Yonker with 18 seconds left in the quarter making it 16-8 going to the second frame. It was one of six grabs for Yonker who finished the day with 136 yards receiving and two scores while also throwing a touchdown pass (1-for-1, 42 yards).

The game remained at 16-8 nearly halfway through the second quarter when the offense all of a sudden found itself again for both teams.

Port Allegany made it 24-8 on a 7-yard Derek Morey run with 7:27 left in the half, but Johnsonburg got the next to scores to cut the lead to 24-20 with just over two minutes remaining before halftime.

First, Zane Zelehoski, who ran 11 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns while catching two passes for 20 yards, scored on an 85-yard run at 6:18. Then Padasak hooked up with Yonker for the second time in the game at the 2:26 mark.

But Port Allegany stole the momentum going into the halftime when Nichols scored on an 11-yard run with just 26 seconds left making it 30-20 Gators at the half. 

In keeping with the see-saw nature of the game, Johnsonburg scored first in the second half on a 1-yard Zelehoski run the ended a 10-play, 59-yard run and closed the gap to 30-26.

But Port Allegany put the game away with the contest's next three scores making the score 46-26 midway through the fourth quarter.

Cameron Stuckey got the first score on a 60-yard run a 1:01 seconds after Zelehoski's run making it 37-26 Gators at the end of three.

Port Allegany then got its second safety of the game when Padasak was sacked in the end zone at the 6:34 mark of the fourth quarter making it 39-26, and 12 seconds later Nichols busted through a hole and went 39 yards to the end zone to basically seal the game.

Johnsonburg did get one final touchdown when Yonker hit Craig Carrow with a 42-yard pass 37 seconds after the Nichols touchdown. Carrow finished with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. 

The game was a contrast of styles for the two teams.

All 286 of Port Allegany's yards game on the ground with the Gators attempting just two passes and completing neither one. 

Johnsonburg, meanwhile, had 380 yards of offense including 260 through the air. 

NOTES – It was the most combined points between District 9 teams since opening week last season when Bradford (56) and Clearfield (35) combined for 91 points. It was also the most combined tallies in an AML game since Port Allegany (41) and Elk County Catholic (38) combined for 79 Oct. 28, 2005, and it was the most points for the Gators since they beat Sheffield 53-0 Oct. 22, 2005.

PORT ALLEGANY 46, JOHNSONBURG 32

Score by Quarters

Johnsonburg 8 12 6 6 – 32

Port Allegany 16 14 7 9 – 46

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

P – Safety, 4:06

P – Nick Nichols 40 run (2-point conversion failed), 2:38

P – Mark Larson 30 return of blocked punt (Morey run), 1:34

J – Ren Yonker 48 pass from Zach Padasak (Yonker pass from Padasak), 0:18

Second Quarter

P – Derick Morey 7 run (Nichols pass from Morey), 7:27

J – Zane Zelehoski 83 run (2-point conversion failed), 6:18

J – Yonker 13 pass from Padasak (kick blocked), 2:26

P – Nichols 11 run (kick blocked), 0:27

Third Quarter

J – Zelehoski 1 run (kick blocked), 7:08

P – Cameron Stuckey 60 run (Stuckey kick), 6:07

Fourth Quarter

P – Safety, 6:34

P – Nichols 40 run (Stuckey kick), 6:22

J – Craig Carrow 43 pass from Padasak (2-point conversion failed), 5:45

J                       P

First Downs                        11                    14

Rushes-Yards                     21-120             52-286

Passing Yards                     260                  0

Passes: Comp-Att-Int         15-27-2            0-2-0

Total Yards                                    380                  286

Punts-Avg.                         2-33                 3-38.3

Fumbles-Lost                     1-1                   2-1

Penalties-Yards                  5-48                 3-25

RUSHING – Johnsonburg: Zane Zelehoski 11-108, Mark Myers 5-14, Zach Padasak 3-(-11), Craig Carrow 1-14, Vince Vavala 1-(-5). Port Allegany: Nick Nichols 19-132, Mark Larson 11-74, Seth Lowery 8-43, Derek Morey 2-56, Levi Perry 2-10, Cameron Stuckey 6-(-11), A.J. Guerrero 1-2, Paul Woods 1-3, Team 2-(-23).

PASSING – Johnsonburg: Padasak 14-for-26, 218 yards, 2 TDs, 2 Ints; Ren Yonker 1-for-1, 42 yards, 1 TD. Port Allegany: Morey 0-for-2.

RECEIVING – Johnsonburg: Ren Yonker 6-136, Carrow 5-93, Zelehoski 2-20, Myers 1-9, Andy Benson 1-2.

INTERCEPTIONS – Port Allegany: Stuckey, Lowery.