NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Redbank Valley’s 39-0 win over visiting Curwensville Thursday night could basically be summed up in one play.
(Photo of Redbank Valley’s Sam Hetrick. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)
With the Bulldogs already ahead 32-0 late in the third quarter, backup quarterback Cam Wagner threw a jump ball in the direction of 6-foot-2 senior wide receiver Sam Hetrick.
And Hetrick, showing some of the ability that made him the District 9 high jump champion in Class 2A last spring, was able to sky over Curwensville defenders Jake Mullins and Collin Jacobson to come down with the catch off the underthrown ball that turned into a 61-yard touchdown.
The play, which was named the Clarion/New Bethlehem Burger King Whopper Play of the Game, is one Hetrick can’t wait to relive in film Friday morning and showed just how much more athletic the Bulldogs (7-0) are than the Golden Tide (1-6).
“I remember the ball was a little bit underthrown,” Hetrick, who caught two touchdown passes in the game while adding an interception on defense and catching four balls for 96 yards – all good enough for the Hager Paving Player of the Game, said. “But I jumped, tipped it up, I caught it and looked and saw the safety and the corner both laying on the ground. I took it (to the end zone).
“It’s super fun (to have a play like that) and then you go to film tomorrow and watch it again. It makes the experience so much better.”
Watch the play courtesy of Shane Lux of www.pafootballnews.com.
Sam Hetrick 61 yd td on the tip drill, @RVBulldogs Redbank 39 Curwensville 0, 227 3rd, @WPAFootball @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/1dXTOybmcP
— Shane Lux (@luxy_aLLin) October 4, 2019
The overall experience for Redbank Valley in the Autumn Leaf Festival Thursday night special was pretty good.
The Bulldogs outgained Curwensville 386 yards to 62 yards and watched their defense turn in a second straight shutout performance – Redbank Valley has allowed just six points over the past three weeks.
The defensive performance including four turnovers – three of them interceptions – with Dalton Bish picking off Curwensville freshman quarterback Dan McGarry twice.
“Our d-line gets a lot of pressure in the backfield,” Hetrick said. “I think that is our main strong point. (When you do that) the (quarterback) just lob(s) it up because they have a 6-5 and 6-2 defensive end coming at them. They just throw it up hoping the wideout catches it.”
While Redbank Valley’s defense was harassing the Curwensville offense, the Bulldogs offense was using a balanced attack to score six touchdowns, including five in the first half that opened up a 32-0 halftime lead.
Redbank Valley threw for 192 yards and ran for 194 yards.
“I think the point of a good high school team is to be able to do both,” Hetrick said. “Because a team that can run well will get stopped by a team with a good d-line and a team that can throw well will get stopped by a team with good d-backs. If we can do both, hopefully, that will take us to the D9 championship.”
Watch Hetrick’s full postgame interview.
Redbank Valley scored twice in the first quarter and three more times in the second to take the 32-0 halftime lead that could have been more if a Bulldog touchdown hadn’t been called back because of a penalty – Redbank Valley actually had three scores wiped off the board on the night because of infractions.
Kobe Bonanno, who ran four times for 40 yards, scored on two of those carries in the first quarter finding the end zone from 11 yards out and then again from a yard out.
Then in the second quarter, Ethan Hetrick caught a pair of touchdown passes from Gunner Mangiantini sandwiched between a 14-yard catch by Sam Hetrick from Mangiannti.
The final two touchdowns of the half came 29 seconds apart both in the final minute – Sam Hetrick at 57 seconds and Ethan Hetrick at 28 seconds following an interception.
Gunner Mangiantini was 13 of 21 passing for 131 yards and the three scores and also ran seven times for 64 yards.
NOTES: Redbank Valley is 7-0 for the first time since 1996 … The Bulldogs play at Coudersport at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 … It is the first back-to-back shutouts for Redbank Valley since 2008 when they shutout Keystone and Union back-to-back.
REDBANK VALLEY 39, CURWENSVILLE 0
Score By Quarters
Curwensville 0 0 0 0 – 0
Redbank 12 20 7 0 – 39
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
R – Kobe Bonanno 11 run (run failed), 10:09
R – Kobe Bonanno 1 run (pass failed), 0:17
Second Quarter
R – Ethan Hetrick 33 pass from Gunner Mangiantini (Bonanno run), 11:13
R – Sam Hetrick 14 pass from Gunner Mangiantini (pass failed), 0:57
R – Ethan Hetrick 31 pass from Gunner Mangiantini (conversion failed), 0:28
Third Quarter
R – Sam Hetrick 61 pass from Cam Wagner (Derrick Downs kick), 2:27
TEAM STATS
Curwensville – Stat – Redbank Valley
5 First Downs 19
31-28 Rushes-Yards 32-194
2-12-3 Comp-Att-Int 14-22-0
34 Passing Yards 192
62 Total Yards 386
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
6-54 Penalties-Yards 9-86
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Curwensville: Duane Brady 15-46, Zach Holland 6-13, Dan McGarry 9-(-30). Redbank Valley: Gunner Mangiantini 7-64, Kobe Bonanno 4-40, Hudson Martz 7-39, Cam Wagner 3-27, Justin Ferringer 1-20, Ray Shreckengost 3-4, Brenden Shreckengost 2-3, Tate Minich 4-1, Team 1-(-4).
Passing – Curwensville: Dan McGarry 2-for-12, 34 yards, 3 interceptions. Redbank Valley: Gunner Mangiantini 13-for-21, 131 yards, 3 touchdowns; Cam Wagner 1-for-1, 61 yards, touchdown.
Receiving – Curwensville: Jake McCracken 1-30, Spencer Hoover 1-4. Redbank Valley: Sam Hetrick 4-96, Ethan Hetrick 4-66, Javin Brentzel 3-11, Dalton Bish 1-10, Trenten Rupp 2-9.
Interceptions – Redbank Valley: Dalton Bish 2, Sam Hetrick.
