ELIZABETHVILLE — Tri-Valley quarterback Jaden Buchanan felt more comfortable running the Bulldogs’ offense in Week 2 than he did in his debut last week.
It showed Friday night.
Buchanan had 166 yard of total offense, accounting for four touchdowns, while Tri-Valley’s defense turned in another shut-down performance in a 41-13 rout of Upper Dauphin in the Tri-Valley League opener for both at Veterans Memorial Field.
The Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 TVL) used a big second half last week to roll past Millersburg 45-16. Tri-Valley was in control from the start Friday against the Trojans (0-2, 0-1) building a 22-0 halftime lead and 41-0 advantage before Upper Dauphin scored two late touchdowns to set the final.
Tri-Valley’s victory Friday also avenged its 12-0 loss to Upper Dauphin in Week 2 last year.
“I think it was really important to start 2-0,” senior lineman Hunter Herb said. “Last year we lost to them. I think we are in better shape this year and I think we took it to them. It is nice to start off 2-0.”
In his quarterback debut last week, Buchanan ran for 25 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 94 more. In his second start Friday, Buchanan had 68 yards rushing on just six carries, scoring on touchdown runs of 12 and 19 yards. He was also 7-of-15 passing for 98 yards and two more scores.
“The first week I was getting used to it a little bit and I was a little shaky,” Buchanan said. “Second week I got in my groove now and it feels good.”
Buchanan looked a little smoother running Tri-Valley’s option offense Friday. His fakes were a little crisper and his play-action was a bit more convincing.
Buchanan’s first touchdown was Tri-Valley’s first score of the game on a keeper through the left side of the Bulldogs’ line as he followed Danny Scheib through the hole and scored from 12 yards out.
Buchanan’s second touchdown came early in the second half when the Trojans’ defense bit on his fake hand-off to Dawson Schmalm. Buchanan then went in around the left side from 19 yards out.
Colby Harner’s point after kick made it 29-0.
Buchanan’s improvement also showed in the passing game, too, as he used his scrambling ability and turned them into big plays. The touchdown passes were Buchanan’s first of the season.
He hit Tyler Lucas from 35 yards out with 2:25 left in the first half. Buchanan rolled to his right and spotted Lucas open at around the 10 and Lucas did the rest.
On a third-and-1 play late in the third quarter, Buchanan again rolled to his right and found younger brother Ashton Buchanan open in the end zone and hit from 23 yards away. That made it 35-0.
“We knew we could run the ball on them very well, which obviously opens up the passing game,” Buchanan said. “They expect the run. Play-action passing, we did a lot of that tonight and it worked very well.”
Tri-Valley finished the night with 364 yards of offense, including 241 on the ground. Scheib ran for 81 yards and a score, while Schwalm added 42 yards on nine attempts.
After shutting down Millerburg quarterback Christian Wingard last week, Tri-Valley’s defense dominated again Friday. The Bulldogs allowed just four yards of offense in the first half and 91 for the game.
Most of Upper Dauphin’s yards came on two pass plays from Aaron Cleveland to Donny Gelnett. The first covered 28 yards midway through the second quarter for the Trojans’ first first down of the game. Cleveland then hit Gelnett over the middle for a 54-yard hookup late in the four quarter.
“I think we have good leaders on defense because we returned a lot,” Herb said. “But we have a lot of young kids. It’s a good mix. They have a lot of energy. We are flying around to the football.”
The Cleveland-to-Gelnett score was Upper Dauphin’s first touchdown of the season after the Trojans were shut out by Camp Hill 56-0 in their opener. Upper Dauphin’s was unable to get much of anything going Friday.
“Sometimes its the offensive line, sometimes it is the back,” Upper Dauphin coach Brent Bell said. “At the high school level we expect our backs to be part of pass blocking. We have some new guys in there so they are not reacting or maybe not reading the right things as well. I don’t want to throw just every thing on the line but we definitely have an issue on our line at this point.”
Game Summary
TV (2-0, 1-0) 6 16 13 6 — 41
UDA (0-2, 0-1) 0 0 0 13 — 13
TV — J. Buchanan 12 run (Kick blocked)
TV — Scheib 5 run (Scheib run)
TV — T. Lucas 35 pass from J. Buchanan (Rothermel pass from Yoder)
TV — J. Buchanan 19 run (Harner kick)
TV — A. Buchanan 23 pass from J. Buchanan (Kick failed)
TV — I. Lucas 9 run (Kick failed)
UDA — Gelnett 54 pass from Cleveland (Uhler kick)
UDA — Kerstetter 55 fumble return (No attempt)
TV UDA
First Downs 18 5
Rushes-Yards 38-241 21-(-20)
Passes 8-16-0 3-10-0
Passing Yards 123 91
Total Yards 364 71
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties 3-35 6-50
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Tri-Valley — Scheib 9-81, J. Buchanan 6-68, D. Schwalm 9-42, T. Lucas 5-22, I. Lucas 5-20, Rothermel 1-10, Leedy 1-3, Schaeffer 1-1, Borja 1-(-6). Upper Dauphin — T. Wiest 8-22, M. Wiest 3-1, Cleveland 10-(-43).
PASSING: Tri-Valley — J. Buchanan 7-15-0, 98; Yoder 1-1-0, 25. Upper Dauphin — Cleveland 3-10-0, 91.
RECEIVING: Tri-Valley — T. Lucas 2-60, A. Buchanan 4-43, Scheib 1-11, D. Schwlam 1-9. Upper Dauphin — Gelnett 2-82, Laudenslager 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS: None.