HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata quarterback Jay
Leonard threw for 186 yards, completing 15 of 30 passes
and ran for another 27 yards to lead his squad to its first-ever
Centennial Conference (CC) football victory in two seasons in the
league – a 12-10 triumph over McDaniel on Saturday.
The Eagles (1-4, 1-2 CC), who came into the game at a
CC-low 57.0 rushing yards per game, ran for a season-high 153 yards
as part of its season-best 339 yards of total offense.
T.J. Develin (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown
Area) led the Green Terror (2-3, 1-2 CC) with 88 yards
rushing on eight carries but 70 of those yards came on one
play.
On McDaniel's third play from scrimmage Develin, who
ran for short gains on first and second downs, found a hole in the
middle of the line and took it 70 yards for his second rushing
touchdown of the season and a 7-0 Green Terror lead 3:17 into the
game. The play marked the longest run play for the Green Terror
since Jamie Harris went for 89 yards and a score against Swarthmore
on Nov. 4, 2000.
With McDaniel clinging to a 7-6 lead and six minutes on
the third-quarter clock, Juniata forced a seventh consecutive
three-and-out.
Punting from his own 47, Travis Wenrich
(Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser) unfurled a 52-yard punt
that Brandon Spayd picked up at the one-yard line.
A 36-yard return set the Eagles up at their own 37 with 4:12 to
play in the period.
With a first down on the Green Terror 40, Leonard called
his own number and took off for a 14-yard gain around the right
end.
An 11-yard completion to Derek Kramer and
14-yard pass play to Matt Dunker put Juniata at
the McDaniel 1.
Leonard wasted no time, diving in on the next play to put
his team on top but a failed two-point conversation kept it a
one-possession game with 1:21 to play in the period.
A 42-yard Paul Smith (Woodlawn, Md./Western
Tech) kickoff return gave the Green Terror possession in
Eagle territory.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Zach
Swope (Jessup, Md./Hammond) found Matt Cahill
(Havertown, Pa./Haverford Twp.) for a nine-yard gain and
McDaniel moved the chains for the first time since Develin's
first-quarter run.
Six straight Eric Zwilsky (Knoxville,
Md./Brunswick) rushes moved the Green Terror from the 28
to the Juniata 9 before an incomplete pass forced a Jay
Leonard (Westminster, Md./Westminster) field goal attempt.
The senior kicker was true from 26 yards out, pulling the visitors
within 12-10 with 10:50 to play.
After four Kramer runs netted 16 yards, the Eagles'
Leonard went deep, finding Dunker for a 37-yard gain over a
McDaniel defender at the Green Terror 15.
Five more Kramer carries moved the ball to the three-yard
line but a juggling non-catch in the back of the end zone by
Lance Curry turned the ball over on downs, giving
McDaniel hope with 3:01 on the clock.
Swope engineered the ensuing drive, finding Cahill on a
15-yard fourth-down play and Zwilsky for a 12-yard gain on the next
play.
A pair of four-yard gains set up fourth-and-2 at the
McDaniel 44. With 41.6 seconds on the clock, Swope hit
Austin Miller (Odenton, Md./Arundel) but a holding
penalty made it fourth-and-12.
Swope found Cahill beyond the sticks on the play but
Cahill was ruled out of bounds when he made the catch, turning the
ball back over to Juniata with 30.8 seconds on the clock.
After Develin's early touchdown run – the
squad's eighth scoring drive that took fewer than three
minutes this season – the Eagles countered with an 11-play,
57-march to the McDaniel 14 before Smithrecovered the Green
Terror's seventh fumble of the season.
After a McDaniel three-and-out, Juniata took over at the
Green Terror 42 and drove 33 yards before Andrew
Masullo hit a 26-yard field goal from the left hash to
draw the hosts within 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
On their first possession of the second half, the Eagles faced
third-and-5 deep in their own end, Leonard hit Curry on a crossing
route at his own 25. After Curry turned upfield, Stephen
Cohn threw a block on a McDaniel defender that
sprung his teammate for another 25 yards, turning the play into a
47-yard gain and setting Juniata up with a first down on the Green
Terror 39.
Facing a fourth-and-7 at the McDaniel 24, Leonard found
Chad Steiner for a 16-yard gain, setting up first
and goal at the eight-yard line.
Three plays later, Masullo set up for a second 26-yard
field goal attempt – this time from the right hash –
and split the uprights to pull the hosts within 7-6.
In addition to a 339-192 difference in total offense, the
Eagles also held a nearly 17-minute advantage in time of possession
and a 22-5 edge in first downs.Mike Weick (Holland,
Pa./Penn Charter) finished with a career best in tackles
for the second straight week, making 18 stops. Aaron
Slaughter (Baltimore, Md./Loyola) added a career-high 15
tackles and an interception while Ryan Blaser
(Gaithersburg, Md./Einstein) also reached a career
high with nine stops. Wenrich had seven stops, an interception and
pass breakup.
After the week off next Saturday, the Green Terror returns
to action at home against No. 5 Muhlenberg on Oct. 18. Game time is
1 p.m.
-30-
