COUDERSPORT, Pa. – Trailing by 22 midway through the fourth quarter, Coudersport staged a comeback for the ages that included a pair of defensive touchdowns to stun visiting Otto-Eldred, 30-28.
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Ayers returned a Gavin Jimerson fumble 33 yards for a touchdown and Logan Ruter ran in the two-point conversion with just over three minutes left to complete a comeback from down 28-6 by the Falcons.
Dylan Hajzus forced the fumble that Ayers scooped and scored on.
It was the second consecutive defensive touchdown for Coudersport (2-2 D9 League Small School North, 3-3 overall) in the final five minutes of the contest, as Xander Brown returned an interception for a score with just over four-and-a-half minutes left and then ran in the two-point conversion to get the Falcons within six, 28-22.
The comeback started when Logan Ruter tossed a 55-yard halfback option touchdown pass to James Culvey with under seven minutes left.
Otto-Eldred (1-3, 1-6) had taken the 28-6 lead on a 16-yard Jimerson run with just over seven minutes to play.
The Terrors led 8-6 at halftime thanks to a 25-yard Ryan Love touchdown run in the first quarter before scoring the first three touchdowns of the second half.
Jimerson tossed a 28-yard scoring pass to Chance Palmer to make it 14-6 in the third quarter before Palmer scored on a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter to make it 22-6.
Ethan Ott’s 18-yard scoring run in the second quarter got Coudersport on the board.
Ott led the Falcons with 71 yards rushing on 10 carries with Brown adding 34 yards on nine totes and Ayers 32 on 18. Ayers was also 5 of 13 passing for 82 yards and an interception. Culvey had three catches for 98 yards and the touchdown and also made nine tackles on defense.
Hajzus backed up his key fumble caused with nine tackles and a sack.
Love paced Otto-Eldred rushing 17 times for 88 yards and the touchdown. Palmer carried the ball eight times for 35 yards and the score and caught two passes for 43 yards and the touchdown.
Jimerson was 5 of 14 passing for 78 yards and the touchdown, while Hunter App threw the interception.
Max Splain had the interception for Otto-Eldred.