NTL FOOTBALL: GREEN LEADS SAYRE TO FIRST WIN OF SEASON; 'SKINS TOP NORTHWEST AREA, 21-12 (24 PHOTOS) (2024-09-27)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportSAYRE — Junior QB Karter Green gave Sayre the lead for good with a long TD run in the third quarter, then blocked the potential game-tying field goal in the final minutes to lead the Redskins to a 21-12 win over Northwest Area here Friday night in NTL Small School Division football action at the Lockhart Street Bowl.
“Our mindset all week with these guys has been ‘finish the fight,’” said Sayre coach Ricky Lindblad.
“We played one full half with CV, and then a good second half against Muncy’s second team,” he noted. “We felt if we could compete in all three phases of the game, we could compete.
“We have spent time challenging our guys and they responded well,” said Lindblad. “We knew Northwest was going to come in a be a tough team that we would have to play tough clean football against. The guys did a great job of guys stepping up and playing a complete game.
“I’m so proud of the hard work and grit of these guys,” added Lindblad. “They have had so many people doubting them and they have faced a lot of adversity the past couple years — they earned this win and deserve it.”
Sayre opened the game with the ball, but punted the ball away after three plays.
The Redskins caught a break when Northwest Area muffed the punt, and sophomore Hudson Malanoski pounced on the loose ball at the Northwest 35.
Sayre picked up a first down on a Green scramble for 5 yards on fourth-and-four, but turned the ball over on downs at the Rangers’ 21 four plays later.
Northwest fumbled the ball three plays later, and Sayre senior Ryan Ressler recovered it at the Ranger 25.
Sayre moved inside the Northwest 10, but fumbled it away at the 9.
Northwest drove the length of the field, and scored on a 29-yard run by QB Jace McCoy with 8:13 returning in the first half to give the Rangers a 6-0 lead.
The Redskins answered immediately.
One play after Jamier Kole returned the ensuing kickoff to the Sayre 37, Green connected with senior Nick Pellicano on a 27-yard pass to the Northwest 25.
On third and 17, a scrambling Green connected with Malanoski on a 16-yard pickup to the Northwest 16.
On fourth-and-one, Green bulled ahead for a 3-yard gain on a QB keeper to give Sayre first down at the 13.
Kole ripped off a 9-yard run on second-and-13, but two plays later the Redskins forced a fourth-and-2 at the 5. Green again bulled ahead for 4 yards and the first down, then scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game with 2:37 remaining in the half.
Junior Carter Bleiler’s PAT kick made it 7-6.
After Sayre forced Northwest to punt on its first possession of the second half, the Rangers came up with an interception and set up camp at the Sayre 36.
Two plays later, Sayre was hit with two dead-ball unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that moved the ball to the Redskin 6.
McCoy immediately made Sayre pay with a 6-yard TD run to give the Rangers a 12-7 lead with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter. Northwest’s pass for a conversion failed to extend the lead.
Again, the Redskins had an answer.
Two plays after sophomore Jordan Brown returned the ensuing kickoff to the Sayre 35, Green was flushed out of the pocket, headed to the home sidelines, picked up blocks down field from Pellicano and sophomore Declan Barry, and raced 65 yards untouched to paydirt with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter.
Green also added the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 15-12.
Northwest took the ensuing kickoff and marched deep into Sayre territory with McCoy’s 15-yard pass on fourth-and-14 moving the ball to the Redskin 5. However, the Rangers were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and faced first-and-goal at the Sayre 20.
On second-and-goal at the 19, Ressler and junior Logan Zingeser were hauling McCoy down for a big loss when the Northwest QB tossed the ball out-of-bounds and was flagged for intentional grounding, which resulted in third-and-goal at the Sayre 40.
On the next play, McCoy, once again under duress, threw a ball into coverage and was picked off by Pellicano, who returned it to the Sayre 45.
On fourth-and-5, Green was able to draw Northwest offside, and Sayre had a first down at the Ranger 45.
Sayre picked up another first down on a 21-yard pass to Pellicano to the Northwest 29, but a holding call on third-and-1 resulted in Sayre turning the ball over on downs at the Northwest 25 two plays later.
Behind McCoy’s arm and the running of Shane Hempel, Northwest moved the ball to the Sayre 10 with 2:20 remaining in the game.
On the next play, McCoy failed to cleanly handle a shotgun snap, and by the time he retrieved the ball, which shot high into the air off his hands, Malanoski was in the backfield to record a QB sack for a 6-yard loss.
After an incompletion forced 3rd-and-goal at the 16, Hempel picked up 8 yards to the Sayre 8.
Northwest attempted the game-tying field goal on fourth down, but Green was able to penetrate and get a hand on the ball, which rolled toward the visitor’s sideline, where senior Edwin Rivera scooped it up and raced 80 yards for a game-clinching TD with 1:20 remaining in the game.
Green led Sayre with 130 yards and two TDs on 15 carries, while Kole added 37 yards on 15 carries.
Green completed 5 of 16 passes for 86 yards and one interception, with Pellicano accounting for three receptions for 60 yards, and Malanoski recording two grabs for 26 yards.
McCoy completed 14 of 21 passes for 178 yards and one interception, and also ran the ball 14 times for 38 yards, and two TDs.
Dominic Cavuto led Northwest with 101 rushing yards on 10 carries.
The Redskins, now 1-5, return to action next Friday at South Williamsport.
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IN PHOTO 1: Sayre’s Karter Green. IN TOP PHOTO: Sayre’s Jamier Kole. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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