HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata College football team lost on a field goal in the final seconds, 20-17, to Moravian Saturday afternoon.
Austin Montgomery (Bedford, Pa./Bedford Area HS) went 25-32 with 208 yards and a touchdown while Matt Lehr (Dover, Pa./York Catholic) ran 19 times for 60 yards and a score. AJ Brocato (Abingdon, Md./Patterson Mills) had a career-high eight catches for 67 yards while fellow wide receiver Justin Helsel (Martinsburg, Pa./Central) had eight receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Anton Morrow (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) had a team high seven tackles, Mitchell Shober (Stevens, Pa./Cocalico Sr. HS) had six while Evan Imgrund (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmell HS) had five tackles with one being a tackle-for-loss. Shaheed Ross (Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware Valley Charter) had big day in the return game for Eagles, returning four kicks for 130 yards, including a 77-yard return.
Juniata started with the ball to open the game and moved quickly down the field from their own thirty to the Moravian 30. Juniata went for it on fourth and nine, but Montgomery's pass to Helsel fell incomplete. The Greyhounds took over from their own thirty and wasted no time, marching 70 yards in four minutes as they scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ross received the booming kick a few steps deep in the end zone. He appeared to think about taking the touchback, but instead came flying out his own end zone. A couple jukes and broken tackles later, and he was getting shoved out of bounds at the Moravian 23. The Greyhound defense made it difficult on the Eagles, but on fourth and goal from the one, Montgomery ran to the left, read that the defender and pitched it to Lehr who ran it in untouched to tie it at 7-7.
The teams exchanged defensive stands, with Juniata defense forcing the Moravian offense to punt twice while the Greyhounds intercepted the Eagles twice. In the dying seconds of the half, Moravian booted a field goal from 18 yards out to head into the half ahead 10-7.
The Eagle defense forced Moravian to punt to open the third, and the Eagles offense took advantage. 14 plays and over six minutes later, Sam Craig (Mullica Hill, N.J./Kingsway Regional) drilled a 20-yard field goal to tie the score at 10. The Eagle defense stood strong again, with Hunter Price (Mill Creek, Pa./Huntingdon Area) sacking the Greyhound quarterback to end the drive.
Montgomery marched the offense down the field, including an absurd 20-yard catch by Daulton Snyder (New Oxford, Pa./New Oxford) where he bobbled the ball while surrounded by three Greyhound defenders before he brought the ball in for a huge first down. The drive culminated with Montgomery hitting Helsel in the back of the end zone to make it 17-10.
After back to back punts, Moravian took over with just under six minutes left. The Greyhounds went 79 yards on five plays, ending the drive with a 18-yard touchdown strike to knot the score at 17-17.
Juniata took the ball from their own 20 into Moravian territory. Facing fourth and six from the Moravian 32, Montgomery hit Snyder but it wasn't enough so Juniata turned it over on downs. With 59 seconds remaining, Moravian drove down to the Juniata 17, mostly via their quarterback's legs. The Moravian kicker shook off the Juniata attempted to ice him and booted a 34-yard field goal that gave Moravian the win.
Juniata travels to Dickinson, Saturday. Kickoff is at 1:00pm.