It was a night of grit, strategy, and high drama as the North Schuylkill Spartans edged out the Notre Dame Green Pond Crusaders in an intense overtime thriller, winning 26-23 to advance to the District XI Class 3A championship game.
This playoff rematch marked the second meeting of these teams this season, with the Spartans dealing the Crusaders their only regular-season loss back in Week 3.
The Spartans struck first with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter when kicker Gavin Mentzer nailed a 31-yard field goal, putting North Schuylkill up 3-0. Notre Dame Green Pond answered back in the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Striba, followed by a successful extra point kick from Mark Talpas, giving the Crusaders a 7-3 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, North Schuylkill made a bold strategic move with an onside kick by Mentzer, who recovered his own kick, surprising Notre Dame Green Pond and swinging the momentum in the Spartans' favor. They capitalized on the recovery, putting together a drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown run by Angel Ortiz, with Mentzer adding the extra point to reclaim the lead, 10-7.
Notre Dame Green Pond responded with Striba’s second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run with just 1:34 left in the third quarter. The Crusaders attempted a 2-point conversion but came up short, leaving them with a narrow 13-10 advantage. Notre Dame widened the gap in the fourth quarter when quarterback Matt Bodnar connected with Clark on a 59-yard touchdown pass, with Talpas adding the extra point to make it 20-10.
But North Schuylkill wasn’t ready to concede. With 4:22 left in the game, Cadin Mengel charged through for a 13-yard touchdown, and Mentzer’s kick brought the Spartans within three points at 20-17. Then, in the final minute of regulation, Mentzer hit a clutch 23-yard field goal to even the score at 20-20, sending the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Notre Dame Green Pond moved the ball to the 4-yard line before settling for a field goal from Talpas to take a 23-20 lead. North Schuylkill, having won the toss, put their hopes in quarterback Mengel. On their first play, Mengel followed his offensive line, bursting through a hole and racing 10 yards into the end zone to clinch the victory, 26-23.
With the win, the Spartans advance to the District XI Class 3A championship, where they will face undefeated Northwestern Lehigh on Friday night. The venue for the championship matchup has yet to be announced.
The Spartans struck first with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter when kicker Gavin Mentzer nailed a 31-yard field goal, putting North Schuylkill up 3-0. Notre Dame Green Pond answered back in the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Striba, followed by a successful extra point kick from Mark Talpas, giving the Crusaders a 7-3 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, North Schuylkill made a bold strategic move with an onside kick by Mentzer, who recovered his own kick, surprising Notre Dame Green Pond and swinging the momentum in the Spartans' favor. They capitalized on the recovery, putting together a drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown run by Angel Ortiz, with Mentzer adding the extra point to reclaim the lead, 10-7.
Notre Dame Green Pond responded with Striba’s second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run with just 1:34 left in the third quarter. The Crusaders attempted a 2-point conversion but came up short, leaving them with a narrow 13-10 advantage. Notre Dame widened the gap in the fourth quarter when quarterback Matt Bodnar connected with Clark on a 59-yard touchdown pass, with Talpas adding the extra point to make it 20-10.
But North Schuylkill wasn’t ready to concede. With 4:22 left in the game, Cadin Mengel charged through for a 13-yard touchdown, and Mentzer’s kick brought the Spartans within three points at 20-17. Then, in the final minute of regulation, Mentzer hit a clutch 23-yard field goal to even the score at 20-20, sending the game into overtime.
In the overtime period, Notre Dame Green Pond moved the ball to the 4-yard line before settling for a field goal from Talpas to take a 23-20 lead. North Schuylkill, having won the toss, put their hopes in quarterback Mengel. On their first play, Mengel followed his offensive line, bursting through a hole and racing 10 yards into the end zone to clinch the victory, 26-23.
With the win, the Spartans advance to the District XI Class 3A championship, where they will face undefeated Northwestern Lehigh on Friday night. The venue for the championship matchup has yet to be announced.
