MINERSVILLE — Two running backs gained 100 yards rushing for Schuylkill Haven on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Neither was Preston Gehring, who got his yardage in a different way.
Scoring three touchdowns, Gehring amassed 185 yards in returns in the first half as Schuylkill Haven dominated Minersville 61-21 in an Anthracite Football League game.
“We call him Dash, in ‘The Incredibles’,” Schuylkill Haven head coach Mike Farr said about the junior. “He’s, what, 5-(foot-)4 and 140 pounds. He’s quick. He and Danny Lozada are energy on the team.”
Combined with 101 yards rushing by Nick Kerschner and 100 by Jacob Luckenbill, Gehring’s effort helped to overwhelm the winless Battlin’ Miners (0-8, 0-8 AFL).
“Obviously, we’re not playing real well, and you throw on top of that turnovers, different things like that, it’s tough,” Minersville head coach Pat Mason said.
Schuylkill Haven took a 14-0 lead, featuring two touchdowns by Kerschner, into the second period, but the Hurricanes (5-3, 4-3) then scored 34 points for an eventual 48-13 halftime lead.
Gehring’s 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which immediately followed a 4-yard touchdown run by Minersville quarterback Jon McBreen, launched the big period for Schuylkill Haven.
The mistakes then came in varied fashion for Minersville.
A 6-yard punt and a 25-yard loss on a high punt snap by Minersville along with a 52-yard interception return by Gehring for a touchdown contributed to the Hurricanes’ scoring spree. Gehring also ran 3 yards for a touchdown in the period.
Also, Lozada found tight end Austin Yoder all alone to complete a 52-yard touchdown catch-and run.
Minersville managed one touchdown amid the mayhem as Aaron Griffiths shedded tacklers in a 44-yard touchdown run in the first half’s final minute.
Despite the running clock because of the large lead, the second half belonged to Luckenbill, who rushed for 87 yards and a 4-yard touchdown carry.
The Miners answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Kei’dre Taylor, but Schuylklill Haven got a 2-yard touchdown plunge by reserve quarterback Josh Kalyan on the next possession to set the final score.
Schuylkill Haven’s Dawson Evitts kicked seven extra points to back an offense that benefited from short fields to cover.
“I hope to think our aggressiveness is giving us these opportunities, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Farr, looking ahead to games against North Schuylkill and Blue Mountain.
“We’re fighting for that fourth spot in the district, so we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Game Summary
SH (5-3, 4-3) 14 34 7 6 — 61
Min (0-8, 0-8) 0 13 0 8 — 21
SH — Kerschner 18 run (Evitts kick)
SH — Kerschner 1 run (Evitts kick)
Min — McBreen 4 run (Halye kick)
SH — Gehring 77 kickoff return (Evitts kick)
SH — Lozada 1 run (kick failed)
SH — Gehring 3 run (Evitts kick)
SH — Yoder 52 pass from Lozada (Evitts kick)
SH — Gehring 52 interception return (Evitts kick)
Min — Griffiths 44 run (run failed)
SH — Luckenbill 4 run (Evitts kick)
Min — Taylor 2 run (McBreen run)
SH — Kalyan 2 run (no attempt)
SH Min
First Downs 17 10
Rushes-Yards 35-240 44-110
Passes 1-2-0 3-11-2
Passing Yards 52 55
Total Yards 292 165
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 6-1
Penalties 6-41 5-46
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Schuylkill Haven — Kerschner 14-101, Luckenbill 9-100, Browne 2-15, Lozada 4-12, Gehring 2-8, Clauser 1-4, Kalyan 2-1, Koch 1-(-1). Minersville — Griffiths 10-69, Taylor 13-36, Miklesavage 7-15, Fekette 6-13, Hoffman 2-9, Fleming 1-1, McBreen 4-(-8), Team 1-(-25).
PASSING: Schuylkill Haven — Lozada 1-2-0, 52. Minersville — McBreen 3-8-2, 55; Taylor 0-3-0, 0.
RECEIVING: Schuylkill Haven — Yoder 1-52. Minersville — Fekette 2-16, Stephen 1-39.
INTERCEPTIONS: Schuylkill Haven — Gehring, Lozada.