LANCASTER, Pa.-The Juniata football team lost at Franklin and Marshall, 54-0, Saturday afternoon at Shadek Stadium.
The Diplomats scored on their opening two possessions of the game to quickly build a 13-0 lead, as Hunter Price (Mill Creek, Pa. / Huntingdon Area HS) managed to block the extra point following the second touchdown. The first offensive drive, sandwiched between the two F&M touchdowns, for the Eagles saw Austin Montgomery (Bedford, Pa. / Bedford Area HS) find Nathan Bargo (Reedsville, Pa. / Mifflin County HS) for a 15-yard completion to give JC their first first down of the day, but they couldn't keep the drive alive.
The second Eagle drive was quickly halted when the Diplomats forced a fumble that they recovered at the Eagle 26. The JC defense managed to make the most of a bad situation, holding F&M to a field goal which made it 16-0.
Penalties doomed the next Eagle drive, as they had to punt again, with the Diplomats taking over at their own 33. They wasted little time as 63-yard pass completion got them to the Eagle four and two plays later they ran it in to make it 23-0 with 8:27 to go in the half.
The hosts managed to tack on two more touchdowns while the Eagles couldn't get anything going so Juniata went into the locker room down 37-0.
Juniata went three and out to open the third, and the Diplomats went on a methodical 12 play drive that took over six minutes that ended in a rushing touchdown to make it 44-0.
On the ensuing Juniata drive, Montgomery found Shaheed Ross (Philadelphia, Pa. / Delaware Valley Charter HS) for 27 yards, but Juniata couldn't keep the drive alive as a fourth-down pass to Sean Owens (Schwenksville, Pa. / Perkiomen Valley HS) fell incomplete.
The Diplomats tallied two more touchdowns in the fourth to make it 54-0. Tyler Clark (Mifflintown, Pa. / Juniata HS) entered late in the game and went 3-5 including an 18-yard completion to Zeb Fisher (New Holland, Pa. / Garden Spot H.S.).
Jamel Foster (York, Pa. / Red Lion Area Senior H.S.) finished with a game-high 11 total tackles.
The Eagles will play next Saturday at Ursinus. Kickoff is at 12:00.