Mahanoy Area struggled Friday night against the visiting Catasauqua Rough Riders.
The game kicked off with Mahanoy Area's Colm McGroarty bulldozing his way into the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Golden Bears didn't stop there, successfully converting for two points, setting the score at 8-0 with 7:29 left in the opening quarter.
As the first quarter came to a close, Mahanoy Area held onto their 8-0 lead, but they were about to face a fierce resurgence from the Rough Riders.
Catasauqua's quarterback, Aiden Hess, ignited his team's offensive charge with a 7-yard scoring run, narrowing the lead. The first half concluded with Mahanoy Area still ahead at 8-6.
In the 3rd, Hunter Reitz powered through for a 4-yard touchdown run, and a successful pass from Hess to Dylan Pacheco for a 2-point conversion saw the Rough Riders taking the lead at 14-8 with 4:03 left in the quarter.
The third quarter ended with the Rough Riders maintaining their lead at 14-8, but they were far from finished.
In the fourth quarter, the Rough Riders continued their assault on the Golden Bears' defense. Jyzaiah Bonilla dashed for an 8-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass from Hess to Ian Juica, extending the Rough Riders' lead to 22-8 with 11:17 left in the game.
Catasauqua's Jordan Bradshaw added to the misery for Mahanoy Area with a 16-yard touchdown run, sealing the deal at 28-8 with just 4:59 remaining on the clock.
Not content with their lead, the Rough Riders pushed the envelope even further. Chad Beller rumbled his way into the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown run, and Jayden Olivencia nailed the extra point with 3:34 left in the game, extending the lead to an insurmountable 35-8.
Mahanoy Area's Owen Ogrodnick managed to salvage some pride for his team with an 8-yard touchdown run, but it was too little, too late.
The final whistle blew with the scoreline reading 35-14 in favor of the Catasauqua Rough Riders, securing their victory.
This victory improved Catasauqua's record to an impressive 3-1 for the season, while Mahanoy Area fell to 1-3. The Golden Bears will be looking to bounce back when they travel to face Riverside next Friday.
As the first quarter came to a close, Mahanoy Area held onto their 8-0 lead, but they were about to face a fierce resurgence from the Rough Riders.
Catasauqua's quarterback, Aiden Hess, ignited his team's offensive charge with a 7-yard scoring run, narrowing the lead. The first half concluded with Mahanoy Area still ahead at 8-6.
In the 3rd, Hunter Reitz powered through for a 4-yard touchdown run, and a successful pass from Hess to Dylan Pacheco for a 2-point conversion saw the Rough Riders taking the lead at 14-8 with 4:03 left in the quarter.
The third quarter ended with the Rough Riders maintaining their lead at 14-8, but they were far from finished.
In the fourth quarter, the Rough Riders continued their assault on the Golden Bears' defense. Jyzaiah Bonilla dashed for an 8-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass from Hess to Ian Juica, extending the Rough Riders' lead to 22-8 with 11:17 left in the game.
Catasauqua's Jordan Bradshaw added to the misery for Mahanoy Area with a 16-yard touchdown run, sealing the deal at 28-8 with just 4:59 remaining on the clock.
Not content with their lead, the Rough Riders pushed the envelope even further. Chad Beller rumbled his way into the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown run, and Jayden Olivencia nailed the extra point with 3:34 left in the game, extending the lead to an insurmountable 35-8.
Mahanoy Area's Owen Ogrodnick managed to salvage some pride for his team with an 8-yard touchdown run, but it was too little, too late.
The final whistle blew with the scoreline reading 35-14 in favor of the Catasauqua Rough Riders, securing their victory.
This victory improved Catasauqua's record to an impressive 3-1 for the season, while Mahanoy Area fell to 1-3. The Golden Bears will be looking to bounce back when they travel to face Riverside next Friday.
Story and Photos by J. Reed
