BRADFORD, Pa. – Aiden Bliss ran, ran, and ran some more, over 30 times for more than 280 yards and four touchdowns to lead Port Allegany to a 29-10 win over Brockway in their District 9 Class 1A semifinal.
Also see: Central Clarion Wins D9 2A Title • Redbank Valley rolls in D9 1A semifinals
Rewatch the game:
Bliss carried 34 times for 288 yards and four touchdowns. None bigger than the 70-yard TD run he ripped off with less than six minutes to play that turned a 5-point Gators lead into a 12-point advantage.
Facing a third-and-eight from the Gators’ 30, Bliss took the snap, picked his way through a hole on the right side of the line, and was off to the races.
“I saw one guy, I thought if I can put a move on him I can get us into good field position,” Bliss said during his Cole Orthodontic Associates player interview. “That worked out for us.”
See Bliss’ full Cole Orthodontic Associates player interview:
Bliss put the Gators on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
Brockway answered on its next possession with a Caleb Daugherty 32-yard field goal to cut the Port Allegany lead to 7-3.
The Gators took a 2-score lead into the locker room thanks to a 1-yard run, and a 2-point conversion by Bliss with just over four minutes to play in the first half.
Brockway made it a 5-point game thanks to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Patton to Blake Pisarcik.
Bliss put the Gators in prime position to extend the lead with a 73-yard return on the ensuing kickoff that gave Port Allegany a first down at the Rovers’ 16. Peyton Stiles thought he had a 12-yard touchdown run, but a penalty negated the play.
Two plays later, Andrew Brubaker picked off Nick Wilfong to give the ball back to the Rovers.
Brockway marched down the field and into Port Allegany territory, but on a third-and-one at the Gators’ 37, Pisarcik was upended running through the hole and fumbled.
Port Allegany didn’t have the ball for long as Matthew Brubaker intercepted a Wilfong pass to get the ball back.
Neither team could do much until Bliss’ long touchdown run.
Bliss added another touchdown with just over two minutes to play to cap the scoring.
Patton, who played the entire second half for Brockway, was 7-18 passing for 114 yards and a touchdown. Brayden Fox, who did not play in the second half, was 6-17 passing for 65 yards in the first half.
Daugherty had six catches for 96 yards, while Pisarcik had four grabs for 59 yards and a score.
Jendy Cuello had 11 carries for 42 yards.
Stiles finished with 13 carries for 45 yards. Wilfong was 1-5 passing for three yards and two interceptions.
Port Allegany will face Redbank Valley, a 46-13 winner over Coudersport, for the District 9 Class 1A title next week at a time and location to be announced.
