SELINSGROVE, Pa.- It was a two-touchdown game in the fourth quarter but host Susquehanna scored three straight times to pull away as the River Hawks (6-4, 6-3 CC) upended Juniata (4-6, 3-6) 63-34 on Saturday afternoon in the annual Goalpost Game. The Goalpost trophy stays in Selinsgrove for a second straight season.
The River Hawks scored on their first two possessions of the first quarter. On their first play from scrimmage, Nick Crusco completed a 36-yard pass to Nick Pasquin for the touchdown to put SU up 7-0. JC had a change to get on the scoreboard on its second drive but Kevin Bonalle's (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) 38-yard field goal hit the right upright.
The Eagles defense came up big with 2:38 remaining in the quarter as Ryan Bologa (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) recovered a River Hawk fumble at the JC 42. Juniata drove down the field and the drive culminated with David Vidovic's (Hohenfels, Germany/Hohenfels) three-yard touchdown run. Bonalle's extra point made it 14-7 with 13:30 showing on the clock in the second quarter.
Juniata forced a Susquehanna to punt on its ensuing drive and started at its own 38. Hank Coyne (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) completed two passes for Kirby Breault (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) for 28 yards and on a second and 20 from the SU 28, Coyne hooked up with AJ Brocato (Abingdon, Md./Patterson Mills) for the touchdown. Bonalle's extra point tied the game at 14-14 with 6:31 remaining in the half.
The River Hawks took the lead on a one-yard Crusco touchdown at the 3:45 mark. Juniata's following possession ended on a Coyne interception in Eagles territory. Two plays later, Cameron Ott ran it in from two yards out and SU increased its lead to 28-14 where the score stood at halftime.
Susquehanna took the second half kickoff and moved into Juniata territory. Crusco connected with Ott for a 14-yard touchdown and the River Hawks pushed their lead to 35-14.
The Eagles closed the gap to a two-touchdown deficit as Austin Montgomery (Bedford, Pa/Bedford Area HS) completed his first collegiate pass for a touchdown to Breault to get JC to 35-21. After the River Hawks responded with another score, Montgomery threw another touchdown, this one covering 24 yards, to Breault at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make the score 42-27.
The River Hawks added three more scores in the period to pull away. JC scored its final touchdown just inside of two minutes on a Tim Graham (Clarks Summit, Pa/Abington Heights) to Daulton Snyder (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) 24-yard touchdown.
Breault finished the game with 11 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. His 84 total catches is a new Juniata single season record and bests Matt Eisenberg's 76 that was set in 1999. Breault's 1,325 yards is second most in a season. For his career, his 180 receptions rank third, his 2,946 yards are second, and his 24 touchdown catches rank fourth.
On the afternoon, Coyne completed 19-of-25 attempts for 217 yards and a touchdown throw. Montgomery was 8-of-12 for 101 yards and tossed two scores. Graham was 4-of-5 for 61 yards and and a touchdown pass.
Vidovic led in rushing with 15 carries for 54 yards and a score. Calvin Bembry (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) added 21 yards on four carries while Montgomery ran four times for 20 yards. Brocato ended the day with six grabs for 78 yards and a score. Aaron O'Brien (York, Pa./York Catholic) snagged six balls for 56 yards.
Bologa led the defense with eight tackles and his fumble recovery.
