LAURELDALE — When a team is mired in a lengthy losing streak like Pottsville, there are times when every ball seems to bounce the wrong way.
Up by a point, the Crimson Tide finally appeared headed for a win with Muhlenberg starting a drive at its own 2-yard line with 1:35 left on the clock and just one timeout.
Once again, the bounces and some crucial penalties went against the Tide.
Muhlenberg quarterback Cody Fidler found Anthony Jenkins at the front corner of the end zone with 40.2 seconds left to rally the Muhls to an 18-13 victory in a Berks Football League Section I contest Friday night, sending Pottsville to its 15th straight defeat.
“We had them right where we wanted them — one timeout left on the (2-yard) line,” Pottsville coach Tom McGeoy said. “Penalty got them out of the hole, then a big play and they’re right in scoring range right away. Their kids made plays, and you’ve got to give them credit. They kept battling. They could’ve packed it in on the 2-yard line, and they didn’t. I’ll give them all the credit in the world.”
The first penalty was a 15-yard facemask call that moved the ball to the 16. Fidler actually released the ball to throw it away in his own end zone, but intentional grounding was not called.
Fidler followed with a 29-yard hookup to Jenkins
out to the Muhl 45. Six more plays moved the ball to the Tide 21 when the sideline was flagged for contacting the official to move the ball to the 11 with about 48 seconds left.
“I think the ref ran into me,” McGeoy said. “I was back behind the line and bent over, and he ran into my head. So I don’t know where you have to stand to be legal or not. So that’s that. The first penalty was big. They called facemask. Ian (Renninger) was behind him, so if anything it would have been a horse collar (tackle).”
Pottsville (0-4, 0-1 BFL) had one final chance as quarterback Eric Wapinsky, who finished 9-of-19 for 122 yards, hit Kory Kleckner for a 55-yard gain to the Muhlenberg 25. Three straight incompletions followed as time expired on the Crimson Tide’s chances.
“That was a heckuva play by Kory, a heckuva catch,” McGeoy said. “Going up and getting it. Maybe we should do that a little more often. That’s a heckuva play. I thought he had some shots in the end zone there. They’re battling. I guess they’re letting them play there at the end.”
It was one of the most complete games Pottsville has played over those 15 losses as running back Darion Jacoby finished with 113 yards on 31 carries and the Tide finished with 302 total yards.
Jacoby scored on runs of 27 yards on Pottsville’s opening drive and 7 yards to start the third quarter to give Pottsville the lead back at 13-12.
Muhlenberg (1-3, 1-0) scored on a 46-yard interception return by Jenkins midway through the second quarter before taking a 12-7 edge on Fidler’s 50-yard strike to Najee Smith with 2:56 left in the half.
Pottsville surrendered just 63 yards rushing and 77 passing before Muhlenberg’s surge with 2 minutes left in the game.
“We’ve just got to learn how to finish a game,” McGeoy said. “We played good for three quarters and 10 minutes. We just have to learn to finish the two. We have to figure out how to get off the field, make a play.
“We’ve got to see what’s going on. Offensively, I wish we could have run a little more time off. Defensively, we had some guys in man coverage, young guys, who made young-guy mistakes again.”
Game Summary
Pot (0-4, 0-1) 7 0 6 0 — 13
Muhl (1-3, 1-0) 0 12 0 6 — 18
P — Jacoby 27 run (Kol. Kleckner kick)
M — Jenkins 46 INT return (kick blocked)
M — Smith 50 pass from C. Fidler (kick failed)
P — Jacoby 7 run (kick blocked)
M — Jenkins 11 pass from C. Fidler (pass failed)
Pot Muhl
First Downs 13 16
Rushes-Yards 41-180 35-138
Passes 9-19-1 10-20-2
Passing Yards 122 139
Total Yards 302 277
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1
Penalties 6-67 6-35
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Pottsville —Jacoby 31-113, Wapinsky 9-54, Alisauckas 1-9, Murhon 2-4. Muhlenberg —Duffault 13-59, Smith 8-44, C. Fidler 9-31, Jenkins 4-9, Team 1-(-5).
PASSING: Pottsville —Wapinsky 9-19-1, 122. Muhlenberg — C. Fidler 10-20-2, 139.
RECEIVING: Pottsville — Kor. Kleckner 3-73, Renninger 3-23, Murhon 2-21, Heckler 1-5. Muhlenberg — Jenkins 4-55, Smith 1-50, B. Fidler 3-31, Duffault 2-3.
INTERCEPTIONS: Pottsville — Witman, Jacoby. Muhlenberg — Jenkins.