SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Sometimes, a team’s best defensive player ends up being its best offensive player, too.
That’s what Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr got out of running back/linebacker Nick Kerschner in his team’s 21-7 win over Panther Valley in an Anthracite Football League game Friday night at Rotary Field.
Kerschner’s power running, the result of excellent offensive line play as well, resulted in a 123-yard rushing performance.
His two touchdown runs of 3 yards in the second quarter and 4 yards in the fourth were all the Hurricanes needed to earn an opening-game victory.
Quarterback Danny Lozada connected on 9-of-14 passes for 102 yards, including a touchdown.
Schuylkill Haven’s defense, led by Kerschner, took care of the rest, limiting the Panthers to 111 yards of offense and holding them down after allowing a first-quarter touchdown that tied the game 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
“We’re really a young team, but up front, we have some veterans,” Farr said. “We learned a whole new defense this offseason. Kerschner did a good job, but he would tell you it was the guys up front. Danny (Lozada) did a great job of controlling the ball. He throws a real catchable ball.”
The first quarter featured one offensive series from each team that resulted in scores.
Schuylkill Haven (1-0, 1-0 AFL) opened with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard pass from Lozada to Preston Gehring for a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes left in the opening frame.
Panther Valley (0-1, 0-1) answered with its own 12-play, 78-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Danny Gilberry to Tristan Blasko that tied the score with no time remaining in the first quarter.
“They came out and had a nice drive but our kids responded and we had a nice drive ourselves,” Panther Valley coach Matt Davis. “That’s something we didn’t do last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the plays after that. Their defense took away the edge on us.”
Schuylkill Haven took the lead for good on 3-yard scoring run by Kerschner with 1:51 left in the second quarter for a 14-7 halftime lead.
But the Hurricanes didn’t secure the victory until the fourth quarter when they produced a 12-play, 73-yard drive that resulted in a 4-yard scoring run by Kerschner for a 21-7 lead with 3:39 left in the game.
“What I’m really proud of is our leaders did a good job of getting our young kids ready,” Farr said. “We had four freshmen on the field and they didn’t waver at all.”
Game Summary
PV (0-1, 0-1) 7 0 0 0 — 7
SH (1-0, 1-0) 7 7 0 7 — 21
SH — Gehring 14 pass from Lozada (Evitts kick)
PV — Blasko 4 pass from Gilberry (Morgans kick)
SH — Kerschner 3 run (Evitts kick)
SH — Kerschner 4 run (Evitts kick)
PV Haven
First Downs 5 17
Rushes-Yards 23-52 37-194
Passes 6-14-0 9-14-0
Passing Yards 59 102
Total Yards 111 296
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties 2-20 3-24
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Panther Valley — Gilberry 11-22, Capobianco 5-17, Figueroa 6-13, Vavra 1-0. Schuylkill Haven — Kerschner 17-123, Lozada 5-29, Gehring 10-25, Browne 4-16, Batz 1-1.
PASSING: Panther Valley — Gilberry 6-14-0, 59. Schuylkill Haven — Lozada 9-14-0, 102.
RECEIVING: Panther Valley — Blasko 4-40, Vavra 1-15, Rodriguez 1-4. Schuylkill Haven — Gehring 3-65, Browne 4-25, Mills 1-9, Yoder 1-3.