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Curwensville upends Smethport, 42-13, in AML clash
Saturday, September 15, 2012
By Chris Wechtenhiser For The Progress
CURWENSVILLE - Turnovers and penalties slowed down the Curwensville football team at times Friday night against Smethport, but once the Golden Tide got rolling in the fourth quarter they scored three times to finish off a lopsided 42-13 win at Riverside Stadium.
Curwensville scored on its first two possessions to grab a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter, but then penalties and three turnovers in the next 18-plus minutes of action slowed down the Tide.
That allowed Smethport to get within a score late in the second quarter at 14-7, but a 1-yard plunge by Brad Coudriet with two ticks left on the clock sent Curwensville into the locker room ahead 20-7.
The Tide seemed to carry that momentum into the third quarter, taking the second half kickoff and chewing up most of the quarter. Curwensville drove from its own 10 down to the Hubbers 2 before fumbling. The 18-play, 88-yard drive ate up 9:21 off the game clock but the Tide came up empty.
That wasn't the case in the fourth quarter as it appeared Curwensville finally wore down the Hubbers, getting touchdowns from three different players in the final 10:42 of the game to come away with the 29-point victory.
Smethport's lone score in the second half, also in the fourth quarter, came on a short field after an interception.
Curwensville's ground attack churned out 379 yards in the game.
Josh Greslick led the way with 23 carries for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Zach Tibbens added 135 yards on 22 carries, marking the third straight game the pair each went over the century mark. Alex Olson and Brad Coudriet added 47 and 36 yards respectively, with both finding the end zone.
"It certainly wasn't pretty, but the main thing is we played well enough to win," said Golden Tide head coach Andy Evanko. "We have to clean up those turnovers and the penalties.
"We just shot ourselves in the foot over and over and over again. We gave them their first touchdown because of the penalties. So, we have some things to work on there.
"In same token, the kids came up big when they had to defensively. That offense (option) is so difficult to defend, and you have to be so disciplined. For the most part, defense played well and really stymied what they had. I give our kids credit for that, but you also have to give Smethport credit because they hung in there.
"Offensively, our running backs came up big, and we're blessed to have the situation we have back there with two really good tailbacks (Greslick and Tibbens) and two really good fullbacks (Coudriet and Olson). And the guys up front got it done. We knew they were overloading to Brad's (Stubbs) side, but they still got it done even though there was an extra guy to block."
Curwensville forced Smethport into a punt on its first possession, thanks in large part to two tackles for a loss by Stubbs, the second of which came on a fourth-and-3 play to stuff the Hubbers at the Tide 38. Stubbs had a handful of tackles for a loss in the game.
Tide quarterback Hunter McCracken jump-started the ensuing drive with a 20-yard pass to Jordan Russell. Curwensville then kept the drive alive with a seven-yard grab by Russell and a three-yard run by Tibbens on fourth-and-2 at the Hubbers 34.
Coudriet followed with a 12-yard rumble, and the Tide scored four plays later on a six-yard run by Greslick, who added the 2-point run to make it 8-0 with 3:59 left in the opening quarter.
The Tide defense forced a Smethport punt on the next possession and started from their own 31 after a 40-yard boot by Dario Caminite. Curwensville promptly marched 69 yards on 14 plays, eating up 7:35 on the clock.
Greslick did the bulk of the damage, carrying the ball seven times for 54 yards. The senior got things rolling with a 21-yard run before powering for seven yards on a key fourth-and-2 play after a Smethport penalty. Greslick eventually punctuated the drive with a three-yard score with 6:50 left in the half.
Curwensville then used a little trickery and did an onside kick, which the Tide's Travis Lansberry recovered.
Lansberry also had a key recovery on a muffed kickoff by the Tide to open the second half and added a second recovery on a short kickoff in the final minute of the game.
The Tide couldn't capitalize on Lansberry's initial play as Hubber Clay Schuler picked off Hunter McCracken at his own 10-yard line. Smethport then put together its best drive of the game, marching 90 yards on 12 plays.
Smethport, which was aided by two personal foul penalties on Curwensville, got runs of 17 and 14 yards from Schuler, who capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Causer.
Curwensville was flagged 10 times for 88 yards in the game, while the Hubbers were hit eight times for 55 yards.
Caminite's PAT made it 14-7 with 1:18 left in the half.
That didn't end the scoring, however, as Tibbens ripped off a 51-yard kickoff return, and a personal foul penalty on Smethport on the play gave the Tide the ball at the Hubbers' 24.
Curwensville went back to Greslick, who caught a nine-yard pass before running four times for 19 yards around a false start penalty to get down to the 1. Coudriet punched it in from there to make it 20-7 at the half.
The Golden Tide's monster opening drive in the second half nearly didn't happen as Tibbens couldn't coral the kickoff. Luckily, Lansberry was on the spot to pounce on the loose ball at the Tide 10.
Curwensville's ground game did the rest for most of the drive, with Russell having a key 13-yard grab on a third-and-10 play. The Tide nearly overcame two holding penalties to score, but Olson fumbled at the Hubbers 2, ending the drive.
Russell had four grabs for 43 yards.
Tibbens set up the Tide's next possession with a nice punt return down to the Hubbers 21, and McCracken scored from a yard out four plays later to make it 26-7 just 1:18 into the fourth quarter.
Smethport made it 26-13 midway through the quarter when Schuler scored from seven yards out after a Ryan Stratton interception gave the Hubbers the ball at the Tide 7.
Curwensville got the points right back on a 55-yard scoring romp by Greslick. Tibbens scored on the 2-point conversion.
The Golden Tide finished off the scoring with a quick 6-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the final four minutes of the game. Tibbens toted the ball the first five plays for 61 yards, while Olson capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run with 47 seconds left. Olson's 2-point run set the final.
Curwensville (3-0) travels to Johnsonburg (1-2) Friday. The Rams knocked off Coudersport 22-14 Friday in Coudersport. Curwensville 42
Smethport 13 Score By Quarters
Smethport 0 7 0 6-13
Curwensville 8 12 0 22-42 First Quarter
C-Greslick 6 run, (Greslick run), 3:59.
Second Quarter
C-Greslick 3 run, (pass failed), 6:50.
S-Causer 20 pass from Schuler, (Caminite kick), 1:18.
C-B. Coudriet 1 run, (kick failed), :02.
Fourth Quarter
C-McCracken 1 run, (pass failed), 10:42.
S-Schuler 7 run, (run failed), 5:58.
C-Greslick 55 run, (Tibbens run), 5:39.
C-Olson 19 run, (Olson run), :47. TEAM STATISTICS
S C
Total First Downs 11 22
Rushes-Yards 31-140 57-379
Comp-Att-Int 3-13-0 6-9-2
Passing Yards 47 52
Total Plays-Yards 44-187 66-431
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1
Punts-Avg 3-40.7 0-0
Penalties-Yards 8-55 10-88 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Smethport-Schuler 12-63, Lightner 15-53, Stratton 4-20, Henry 0-4.
Curwensville-Greslick 23-162, Tibbens 22-135, Olson 4-47, B. Coudriet 5-36, McCracken 1-1, Team 2-(-2).
Passing
Smethport-Schuler 3-of-13, 47 yds., TD.
Curwensville-McCracken 6-of-9, 52 yds., 2 Int.
Receiving
Smethport-Corbett 2-27, Causer 1-20.
Curwensville-Russell 4-43, Greslick 1-9, B. Coudriet 1-0.
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