LANSFORD — With one win between them and a wet field, the Panther Valley-Tamaqua game could have gone either way Friday night.
When the Panthers scored first after a Tamaqua fumble deep in Blue Raiders territory, the momentum pendulum was swinging their way.
But it didn’t last. Tamaqua running back Bud Moyer turned into a one-man wrecking crew as he ran for 123 yards and scored three of the Raiders’ four touchdowns as Tamaqua won 27-12 at Panther Valley Stadium.
Tamaqua won the toss and elected to receive, but fumbled the wet ball on the kickoff. The Panthers recovered at the Raider 38-yard line. But the Panthers got pushed back by a penalty and two negative running plays.
On the third play from scrimmage, the Panthers fumbled, but ended up recovering with positive yardage to the Tamaqua 28. A personal foul penalty against the Raiders gave the Panthers the ball at the Tamaqua 15.
Six plays later, Anthony Vavra ran in from 1 yard out with 6:38 left in the first quarter. The conversion attempt failed, but the Panthers took the early lead, 6-0.
The Raiders scored on their first possession. Moyer ended an 11-play, 56-yard drive with a 10-yard scoring romp with 42.5 seconds left in the first quarter. Thorn Devlin kicked the extra point to put the Raiders up, 7-6.
Tamaqua scored on its next possession. Quarterback Thad Zuber ran in from 6 yards out, capping a 15-play, 81-yard drive with 1:53 left in the half. Devlin’s kick was good to make the halftime score 14-6.
The next tally came from the Raiders late in the third quarter. Tamaqua had punted the ball away, but the Panthers fumbled the punt and the Raiders recovered at the Panther 26. Four plays later, Moyer ran in from five yards out with 1:32 left in the third quarter. Devlin’s kick was no good, making the score 20-6.
In the fourth quarter, Zuber was intercepted by the Panthers’ Nate Miller at the Panther 46, and he ran it back to the Tamaqua 33. The five-play drive was validated when Panther QB Hunter Kennedy hooked up with wideout Danny Gilberry on a 26-yard pass play to the Tamaqua 4. Two plays later, Vavra reached paydirt from two yards out with 8:07 left in the game, but the conversion failed to make the score 20-12.
The Raiders went on to score once more when the Panthers gave up the ball on downs at their own 32. Three plays later, Moyer got loose in the Panther secondary and scampered in from 23 yards out with 57 seconds left in the contest, and Devlin’s kick was good to make the final 27-12.
Tamaqua will take its 2-3 record to Minersville next Friday. The Panthers will look for their first win on the season against Jim Thorpe, also Friday night, in Lansford.
Game Summary
Tam (2-3, 1-3) 7 7 6 7 — 27
PV (0-5, 0-5) 6 0 0 6 — 12
PV — Vavra 1 run (run failed)
Tam — Moyer 10 run (Devlin kick)
Tam — Zuber 6 run (Devlin kick)
Tam — Moyer 5 run (kick failed)
PV — Vavra 2 run (run failed)
Tam — Moyer 25 run (Devlin kick)
Tam PV
First Downs 14 4
Rushes-Yards 43-201 24-17
Passes 1-6-1 4-10-1
Passing Yards 11 61
Total Yards 211 68
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-2
Penalties 6-35 2-30
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Tamaqua — Moyer 28-123, Zuber 4-32, Breiner 8-30, Dannenfelser 1-9, Barron 2-7. Panther Valley — Capobianco 14-14, Kennedy 4-6, Vavra 3-5, Figueroa 3-(-8).
PASSING: Tamaqua — Zuber 1-6-1, 11. Panther Valley — Kennedy 3-9-1, 35; Capobianco 1-1-0, 26.
RECEIVING: Tamaqua — Moyer 1-11. Panther Valley — Gilberry 2-31, Blasko 2-30.
INTERCEPTIONS: Tamaqua — Dannenfelser. Panther Valley — Nate Miller.