BROCKWAY, Pa. – Redbank Valley took a left-handed hook from Brockway but answered back with a right-handed uppercut on its way to a 52-28 win over the Rovers at Varischetti Filed in Brockway Thursday night.
The boxing reference isn’t by accident, as the two teams went toe-to-toe like a pair of prize fighters fighting for a world championship.
In the end, though, Redbank Valley’s explosive offense was just too much for Brockway to handle, as the Bulldogs (9-0 overall, 7-0 D9 R2) outscored the Rovers (6-3, 4-3) 31-7 over the game’s final 24:21 to finish region play unbeaten.
Rewatch the game
Redbank Valley, which entered the contest averaging 54.9 ppg, looked like it was going to run away early taking a 21-0 lead 15:23 into the contest.
But Brockway jabbed right back scoring the game’s next 21 points to tie the score at 21 with two minutes left in the first half.
However, the final drive of the first half and the first drive of the s second half proved to be the difference in the game.
Redbank Valley went up 28-21 at halftime on a 20-yard Braylon Wagner to Mason Clouse touchdown pass with just under 21 seconds left in the half.
The score came on a fourth-down play. The drive was aided by a couple of Brockway penalties, part of a 25-penalty game that resulted in 252 total yards on penalties (15-137 on Redbank Valley; 10-115 on Brockway).
Redbank Valley then got the ball to start the second half, and it looked like the Brockway defense had made a stop at the Brockway 48-yard line. But the Bulldogs ran a fake punt with Jaxon Huffman picking up the first down.
That led to a 33-yard Wagner to Ashton Kahle touchdown pass.
It was the third time in the game the duo hooked up for touchdowns with the other two (69 yards and 2 yards) coming on flip passes.
Kahle had a monster game with nine catches for 174 yards and was named the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game.
Kahle talked about his performance on the Cole Orthonedtic Associates postgame interview
Kahle’s first two touchdowns came in the first quarter and gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead at the end of 12 minutes.
Ashton George then hauled down a 14-yard pass from Wagner, who was 21 of 34 for 310 yards and five touchdowns, at the 8:37 mark of the second quarter to put Redbank Valley ahead, 21-0.
But just when the game looked to be a blowout, Brockway came storming back.
A 77-yard Brayden Fox to Caleb Daugherty – Daughterty did most of the work after Fox found him on a short pass after a scramble – cut the lead to 14, 21-7, with 7:15 left in the half.
The Rovers tried an onside kick, but Redbank Valley returned it inside the Brockway 25-yard line. The Rover defense stiffened and forced a 32-yard field goal attempt by Owen Clouse that was wide left.
That led to a 17-yard Fox to Daugherty touchdown pass that made it 21-13 with 3:05 to play.
The Rovers then recovered an onside kick and promptly tied the game on a 1-yard Blake Pisarcik touchdown run followed by an Aiden Patton 2-point conversion run with two minutes left.
But that was the last time Brockway was in that position.
After the two Redbank Valley touchdowns sandwiched between halftime made it 35-21, Wagner, who added 36 yards rushing on nine carries, scored on a 14-yard run to make it 42-21.
Owen Clouse then kicked a 32-yard field on the first play of the fourth quarter to make 45-21.
Brockway got a score back on a 60-yard Fox to Pisarcik touchdown pass to make it 45-28 before a Drew Byers 1-yard run finished off the scoring.
Fox was 16 of 39 for 285 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception with both Pisacick (6 catches, 122 yards) and Daughterty (5 catches, 117 yards) going over 100 yards receiving.
The Rovers, though, couldn’t run the ball being limited to 34 yards on 19 carries.
Both teams return to action Oct. 27 when Redbank Valley hosts Central Clarion and Brockway travels to Cameron County.
