GETTYSBURG, Pa.- The Juniata football team led by as many as 16 but could not hang on as Gettysburg used a big third quarter to come back and defeat the Eagles, 48-42, Saturday afternoon at Musselman Stadium.
The JC defense started things off for the Eagles by getting a stop on third and two at the JC 44 as Logan Peachey (Reedsville, Pa. / Mifflin County H.S. (Kutztown)) harassed the Bullets QB to induce an errant pass for an incompletion. The Eagle offense couldn't get anything going, and following a personal foul, the Gettysburg offense was forced to punt again. Javon Heggs (Jacksonville, Fl. / Sandalwood HS) managed to block the punt, and the Eagles took over at the Bullets 29 with 7:50 to go in the first.
The JC offense once again couldn't find much traction, but Beckett Leary (Fulton, Md. / Reservoir HS) didn't care as he smashed in a field goal from 47 yards out to get the Eagles on the board.
Gettysburg had a response as they drove down the field, highlighted by a 34-yard run, and eventually scored on a 13-yard rush to make it 7-3.
Starting their own 40, the Eagle offense started to find a rhythm as Jason Clark (Philadelphia, Pa. / Kensington CAPA HS) found Isaiah Collison (Chandler, Az. / Chandler HS) for an eight-yard gain, Clay Spencer (Hummelstown, Pa. / Lower Dauphin H.S.) for another eight yards and Heggs for another five to get down to the Gettysburg 39. Hunter Wolfley (McClure, Pa. / Midd-West HS) did the rest as he ran it in from 39 yards out to give the Eagles a 9-7 lead.
On the ensuing Gettysburg drive, on third and seven, William Howell IV (Boalsburg, Pa. / State College HS) intercepted a pass at the JC 31 and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown right as the first quarter ended. Juniata led 16-7 after one.
Nathan Barron's (Somerset, Pa. / Somerset Area Senior H.S.) sack on third down helped end the next Gettysburg drive.
Starting at the Eagle 34, Juniata went 66 yards in six plays to get to the endzone. Clark found Collison for gains of 17-40 before Wolfley ran the ball in again from eight yards out to make it 23-7.
The Bullets took the following kick-off back 68 yards, and four plays later were in the endzone. They went for two and got it to make it 23-15. The Bullets got the ball back two minutes later when they intercepted a Clark pass at the JC 45, and an Eagle unsportsmanlike penalty moved the ball to the 30.
The Bullets got down to the five, but the Juniata defense again stood strong, forcing a field goal. Juniata led 23-18 at the half.
It was a difficult third quarter for the Eagles as the Bullets put 23 points on the board, including on a fumble they scooped and scored. Wolfley scored his third touchdown to close the third to make it 41-29 as the game headed to the final quarter.
The JC defense got a stop to start the fourth, and the Bullets went to punt from their 31. Quintin Stephen (Allentown, Pa. / Salisbury HS) blocked the punt, and Chris Gatlos (West Grove, Pa. / Avon Grove H.S.) recovered at the Gettysburg 21.
Clark hit Spencer for 14 yards, and Wolfley ran it in from five yards out. JC missed the extra point and thus trailed by six, 41-35.
Juniata forced Gettysburg to go three and out on the next drive, with Peachey getting a sack on third down.
The teams traded punts a few times, and with the Bullets holding the ball on third down and two with a little over five minutes to go, J.R. Harrison tackled the GB running back in the backfield to force a punt.
Following a touchback, Juniata took over at their own 20 with 5:18 to go in the game. Juniata got to fourth and 5, but Justin Johnson (Atlanta, Ga. / Pace Academy) was tackled short of a first down. The Bullets ran the ball in on the first play from scrimmage for a 24-yard touchdown to make it 48-35.
The teams traded the ball back and forth over the next three minutes after both failed to convert on fourth downs.
Noah Wright (Lewistown, Pa. / Mifflin County H.S.) found Heggs for a 34-yard gain, Spencer for a 14-yard gain, and Chris Mignanelli (East Northport, N.Y. / Northport HS) for 11 to get down to the Bullets 14. Wright found Spencer for a touchdown to slice the deficit to six, but JC ran out of time as the Gettysburg kneeled the ball twice to end the game.
Wolfley had a big day on the ground for the Eagles, carrying the ball 17 times for 122 yards and four touchdowns. Collison had 10 catches for 146 while Clark went 20-30 for 207 yards. Spencer tallied seven catches for 69 yards and one touchdown. Harrison led the team in total tackles with 11 to go with a sack and a pass breakup.
The Eagles return home to take on Moravian next Saturday at 1:00.