4 MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019
Red Raiders reach playoffs in 2018
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MEYERSDALE, Pa. — The Red Raiders made head coach Ryan Donaldson’s debut season a successful one, going 5-6 with a playoff appearance where they surrendered a 13-7 lead to Everett in an eventual 20-13 loss.
Week 1 Meyersdale 24, Ferndale 7 MEYERSDALE, Pa. — The Ferndale Yellow Jackets couldn’t find a way to get their offense going, falling to the Meyersdale Red Raiders in Week 1 of the 2018 high school season. New Meyersdale coach Ryan Donaldson said he was pleased with his team’s performance. “I think what this game showed here tonight is that these guys won this game in the offseason months. We had a very good offseason. We had too many mistakes tonight, but these guys worked their tail off in the offseason, and I think it showed tonight,” he said. Junior Devin Kretchman ran for 14 yards on four carries on the opening drive, including a 1-yard touchdown carry on second and goal. The extrapoint try was no good, leaving Meyersdale with a 6-0 lead with 7:05 to play in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Mahlon Reese swung a pass outside to Kretchman, who caught it and sprinted to the end zone to extend the Meyersdale advantage. The two-point conversion pass was wide, and Meyersdale led 12-0 with 8:51 left in the half. In the fourth quarter, junior Gavin Hetz picked off a tipped pass and ran it back 36 yards for the pick-six to make it 18-7 Meyersdale. After the Meyersdale defense pinned the Jackets deep in their own territory with less than three minutes left in the game, junior linebacker Riley Whitfield collected a bad snap in the end zone to give the Red Raiders their fourth touchdown of the night. The two-point conversion throw sailed wide, setting the final margin.
Week 2 Meyersdale Blacklick Valley
30 26
NANTY GLO, Pa. — After a 50-minute lightning delay and premature halftime show, Blacklick Valley possessed plenty of momentum as the Vikings went ahead by 12 points at halftime. Led by a surgical passing attack, the hosts had Meyersdale on the ropes.
It was certainly gut-check time for Meyersdale, which came up with interceptions to end each of Blacklick Valley’s final three drives to stem the tide. The Red Raiders scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to pull out a come-from-behind victory to improve to 2-0. “The break definitely threw us off a little bit, but I think it actually helped us in the end,” Meyersdale first-year coach Ryan Donaldson said. “Honestly, whenever they scored there, our guys answered. We changed things up a little bit defensively, which I think was key in the second half.” Kretchman was the workhorse, as he carried the ball 26 times for 116 yards and all four of his team’s touchdowns. Meyersdale finished 3-for-3 on 2-point conversions, which also aided the Raiders’ cause.
Week 3 Shade 48, Meyersdale 20 MEYERSDALE, Pa. — The Shade Panthers stayed undefeated as they romped past the Meyersdale Red Raiders on a rainy night. Brady Fyfe accounted for 464 yards of total offense while also playing a part in six Shade touchdowns. The Red Raiders scored when Senior Kirk Eberly escaped a maul of Panthers as he returned a Shade kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. “Playing them, it’s tough to decide what you want to do defensively, whether you want to stop the run or try to stop the pass,” said Meyersdale coach Ryan Donaldson. “Offensively in the first half, we had them right where we wanted them, but after that it was just mental mistakes. It’s still really early. We got Week 4 coming up. We just have to fix our mistakes as a team.
Week 4 Conemaugh Township Meyersdale
42 0
DAVIDSVILLE – When Conemaugh Township quarterback Jordan Poznanski took a knee to run off the final 19 seconds of the first half, it marked the first time all night that the Indians didn’t end a drive with a score. Conemaugh Township scored on each of its first four drives, propelling the Indians (4-0) to a victory over visit-
SEE 2018 — 8
MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 5
Meyersdale Red Raiders eyed as the top team in a jumbled WestPAC Donaldson: ‘These guys are going to talk and they know the expectations’ “We have three freshmen that are coming into our program that I think can play on Friday nights,” Paul said about receiver Ryan Blubaugh, lineman Cory Jose and running back Holby McClucas. “Any given Friday night, anybody can beat anybody else in our conference,” he said. “It’s an exciting time of the year and we’re ready to get going.”
CORY ISENBERG JOHNSTOWN TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT
MEYERSDALE, Pa. — Parity is once again the word being tossed about by the WestPAC coaches especially among the top three teams in the league. Meyersdale earned the top spot in the coaches poll with Portage right behind, but in this poll, neither team is given the exclusive spot at the top. The thinking is that the Red Raiders have to play at Portage and Mustangs have to play at Berlin Brothersvalley, a location that has been difficult for the Mustangs prevail. The Red Raiders ended last year with a 5-6 record, falling to Everett in the first round of the District 5-AA playoffs. Meyersdale lost just two seniors to graduation and there are nine players each from the offense and the defense returning for the 2019 campaign. “We have everybody back on the offensive line and they are bigger and stronger and are healthy and that’s going to be a strength for us,” second-year coach Ryan Donaldson said. “Our running back Devin Kretchman (1,114 yards and 16 touchdowns) is back. Our quarterback (Mahlon Reese) is back and our receivers John Harvey, Drake Gindlesperger and Daniel Ludwick are all back too.” Also returning for Meyersdale is lineman Riley Whitfield, who was the team leader in tackles with 97. “The kids know that they were the big dogs in junior high and now it’s four years later,” Donaldson said. “These guys are going to talk and they know the expectations. The biggest job for me will be to keep them focused week to week.” The Mustangs galloped out of the gate with a strong start last year, but met with some tough matchups and finished the year 7-4, falling in the first round of the District 6-A playoffs to United. “You know that you have to be on your toes every game or you will get knocked off,” Portage coach Gary Gouse said. “That happened to us last year and we were very disappointed with that, so we learned from that.” Lost to graduation were running backs Cole Sossong and Blake Oravecz along with lineman Albert Koenigsberg. Returning for the team are five starters each on the offense and the defense. Among the returning starters is three-year quarterback Connor Price, who rushed for a team-best 1,294 yards and passed for another 479.
Windber The Ramblers finished last season with a 5-6 record, losing to eventual champion Shade in the semifinals of the District 5-A playoffs. Quarterback Tommy Hanik and leading rusher Jeremy Layton are gone, but Windber has seven returning starters on both offense and defense. Sophomore Aiden Gray will take over at quarterback while senior Evan Custer is the top returning receiver with 359 yards. A strength for the squad is that there are a number of experienced young players and a solid roster number of 39. The biggest concerns are depth and health. “We have some depth in some positions. I believe if we can stay healthy, we have a chance to be successful.” said Windber coach Matt Grohal.
Blacklick Valley
Todd Berkey/The Tribune-Democrat
Meyersdale running back Devin Kretchman breaks into the clear for a Meyersdale touchdown on Aug. 31, 2018, during the Red Raiders’ victory at Blacklick Valley. Seth Georg will return to the backfield along with Scott Berardinelli and Gabe Forst. The return of the players on offense is listed as one of the strengths for the team while staying healthy and finding backups for the line positions are the concerns. “We have to tackle better and shore up our defense and we finally have a kicker (Dylan Tubbs),” Gouse said. “Everything is hopefully coming together and we will be set to go.”
Berlin Brothersvalley A youthful Mountaineers squad struggled to a 4-7 record last year, falling to Chestnut Ridge in the District 5-AA championship. Those underclassmen, however, gained plenty of quality playing time, and expect to be contenders this year.
There are 22 returning lettermen with seven starters back on offense and nine on defense. “This might be the most experienced team that I’ve ever had,” Berlin Brothersvalley coach Doug Paul said. “I’m excited (about) where we are this year, but with the number of seniors we have on the roster, I’m also a little worried.” Leading receiver Isaiah Paul is gone along with Peyton Harding and Gideon Snyder. Included among the returnees is junior quarterback Will Spochart and senior receiver Cole Blubaugh. Spochart threw for 794 yards, going 51 of 99. Blubaugh rushed for 1,267 yards on 136 carries. Depth and experience will be strengths for the Mountaineers while the concerns are about injuries and lack of seniors (four).
The Vikings ended 2018 with a 3-7 mark but with eight returning starters on both offense and defense, things are looking up. “The kids really committed to the weight room this year,” second-year coach Rich Price said. “We had between 20 and 25 kids four days a week all through the summer led by our seniors. We have a real strong senior class. “We had a lot of injuries last year. We lost five kids for more than two games, two were out for the season and that gave the young kids a lot of playing time and I think that will benefit us this year.” Senior Dom Dipaolo has experience playing quarterback and could step in there, but is also the top returning rusher from last season. Dipaolo, seniors Isaac Thomas, Noah McEvoy along with sophomore Kyle Szymusiak are the top returning receivers. Thomas is the top returning tackler from 2018. Price said that he has a team that is strong, quick and as fast as they’ve ever been and lists that as one of the
SEE MEYERSDALE — 8
6 MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019
Head coach Ryan Donaldson A 2008 Meyersdale alum, Ryan Donaldson, 29, begins his second season as the Red Raiders head coach after leading the team to a 5-6 record in 2018 and an appearance in the playoffs where No. 2 seeded Everett rallied for a 20-13 victory. He played football and baseball for the Red Raiders before graduating from Frostburg State University. He is in his fourth year as health, physical education, and driver’s education teacher at Meyersdale. He was an assistant coach with the Red Raiders before taking over for Mike Swank last season. Donaldson and his wife, Candace, have a one-year-old son, Caden.
MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 7
Heritage/WestPAC preseason predictions
Ligonier Valley, Meyersdale tabbed favorites at media day CORY ISENBERG JOHNSTOWN TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT
ARMAGH, Pa. — At the combined Heritage/WestPAC Football Media Day on Friday at United High School, coaches from both conferences selected who they thought would be the top dogs in their respective leagues and who they thought would be competing in the fourth annual Appalachian Bowl at the season’s end. The Heritage coaches had a clear-cut favorite in three-time overall champion Ligonier Valley, while in the WestPAC, coaches were much more divided, with Portage, Meyersdale and Berlin Brothersvalley all earning first-place votes. Rams coach Roger Beitel, whose team went 12-1 last season, falling in the District 6 Class AA title game, said that his Rams have high expectations again. “It’s our standard and we have a high level of accountability with our kids,” Beitel said. “With myself and our coaching staff, and when you see the type of work that these kids have put in over the years and you see the fruits of their labors paying off, (we) definitely (have) high expectations.” With nine of 10 coaches submitting votes, Purchase Line was ranked second, followed by Northern Cambria,
Todd Berkey/tberkey@tribdem.com
Portage’s quarterback Connor Price rolls to his right looking for an open receiver on Sept. 14, 2018. West Shamokin and Marion Center. Sixth place was Homer-Center, followed by Saltsburg and Penns Manor in a tie for seventh. Rounding out the top 10 were United and Blairsville. Ligonier Valley senior Christian Jablonski, one of three Rams’ linemen who has received a Division I offer, said
that his team loves earning the respect of the rest of the league as the top team overall. “We love this because it just encourages us to do better,” he said. “We know that we have a target on our chest and everyone wants to take us down because we have this incredible (conference) win streak (28 games). “Every team in the conference wants to be the team to end that win streak and beat Ligonier.” In the WestPAC, just seven coaches returned ballots with Portage and Meyersdale both earning three firstplace votes, but the Red Raiders took the overall top spot. The Mountaineers were third followed by Windber and Blacklick Valley. Conemaugh Township was sixth, and defending champion Shade was seventh, with Ferndale, North Star and Conemaugh Valley rounding out the top 10. “We are expecting to be in this, along with Portage and Berlin,” Red Raiders second-year coach Ryan Donaldson said. “I think Portage is going to be tough and Berlin has their entire backfield back, but with us, we have nine guys returning on both sides of the ball.” Gouse says that his team feels that the Mustangs should be competing for
the WestPAC title and also be a force in District 6. “The kids that we have back, Connor Price is a three-year starter and rushed for over 1,200 yards last year,” Gouse said. “We have some big guys back on the line and some great skill kids returning, with a lot of experience from last year.” The Mountaineers took their lumps in 2018 and return this season with plenty of resolve. “We have 22 letterwinners coming back, nine returning on defense and seven back on offense,” Berlin Brothersvalley coach Doug Paul said. “Nine of our 11 games last year, we were leading at halftime. We just couldn’t finish games last year.” The Mustangs have 11 returning lettermen with five on both offense and defense. “We have a really big line that is very good and I rely on them a lot,” Price said. “We also have a lot of skill kids and a pretty big roster in general.” Meyersdale is depending on its strong core of 15 seniors to lead the way. “The group that we have right now has been playing the game of football for a long time together,” said senior lineman Riley Whitfield. “We are hoping that this year we all click and can get the job done.”
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8 MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019
2018: Reese’s TD pass at the buzzer lifts Red Raiders over Conemaugh Valley CONTINUED FROM 4 ing Meyersdale Area in WestPAC play. The Red Raiders (2-2) struggled to move the ball all game, amassing only 137 yards of total offense. Their inability to build or sustain drives spoiled excellent field position; they started their first three drives at their own 41, 49 and 45, respectively, but didn’t score a single point. “It’s hard to explain it,” Donaldson said. “These kids are better than this, but the execution just isn’t there.”
Week 5 Meyersdale Conemaugh Valley
20 14
Mahlon Reese’s 4-yard touchdown pass to John Harvey as time expired provided a heart-stopping exclamation point to a dramatic fourth quarter in Meyersdale’s victory at Conemaugh Valley. The Blue Jays (2-3) fought back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to tie the game on Bryce McCleester’s 1-yard touchdown run with a little over 10 minutes left in regulation time. Both defenses held firm from that point, but the Red Raiders (3-2) got the break they needed with 1:18 remaining when a Conemaugh Valley punt was blocked and recovered at the Blue Jays’ 32. Drake Gindlesperger then caught a 10-yard halfback pass from Devin Kretchman, and three plays later his 12-yard reception from Reese with a facemask penalty added on gave the Red Raiders a first-and-goal at the 4. After two runs netted a loss of a yard,
the Red Raiders called their final time out with 22 seconds left. Kretchman was then stuffed for a short gain on third down, but with the clock ticking down, Meyersdale was able to set up and get a snap off with around five seconds left. Reese rolled to his right and found the 6-foot-2 sophomore Harvey extended in the right corner of the end zone for the game-winner. “When we had 20 seconds left, we wanted to try to punch it in,” Meyersdale coach Ryan Donaldson said. “But we already had the second play, the pass, called and ready to go if they stopped us.” Kretchman rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, with all but 17 of his yards coming in the first half. Reese finished 9 of 22 for 150 yards, with 130 of those yards in the second half.
Week 6 Meyersdale 18, Windber 6 MEYERSDALE, Pa. — On a field that could best be described as a sea of mud, Meyersdale running back Devin Kretchman kept churning, scoring three touchdowns to help lead the Red Raiders to a victory over Windber in a key WestPAC and District 5-A contest. “Quite honestly, this game was ours from the very get-go,” said Meyersdale coach Ryan Donaldson. “I think we dominated. Our line was very good and Devin, it didn’t matter whether the field conditions were great or whether they were what they were tonight. Devin carried the ball. “
The junior racked up 204 yards on 28 carries, and Meyersdale forced three Windber turnovers in the third quarter.
Week 7 Berlin Brothersvalley Meyersdale
49 46
BERLIN, Pa. — Berlin Brothersvalley bested Meyersdale in a contest that continued the tradition of high-scoring, highly aggressive games between the rival schools. Cole Blubaugh racked up two more rushing touchdowns for Berlin in the second quarter, one for 39 yards and the second for 78 yards. Glessner hit both extra points to extend the Mountaineer lead to 28-14. Blubaugh only played for three quarters and racked up 254 rushing yards. The fourth quarter started with Berlin ahead by 10, 42-32. Trailing but not ready to quit, the Red Raiders fought back. Reese launched a 15-yard touchdown pass to Eberly, and Kretchman followed with the two-point conversion to make the score 49-40 Berlin. With 17 seconds left in the game, Eberly evaded defenders to add a 39-yard touchdown run. However, the Red Raiders failed to get the two-point conversion, setting the final.
Week 8 Portage 35, Meyersdale 32 MEYERSDALE, Pa. — Portage made a few less mistakes than Meyersdale, especially in the fourth quarter, to come away with a narrow victory over the Red Raiders in a WestPAC clash.
The Red Raiders (4-4) trailed throughout much of the contest, but were able to keep the Mustangs (6-2) from galloping too far ahead. Meyersdale took its first lead, 26-22, at the 10:23 mark of the fourth quarter on a 4-yard Devin Kretchman dash and Matt Blubaugh extra point. Portage turned the ball over on downs on its next series and momentum appeared to have swung the Red Raiders direction. But on the third play from scrimmage Cole Sossong picked off Meyersdale quarterback Mahlon Reese and rumbled 46 yards for a Portage touchdown and a 28-26 advantage. The Raiders were forced to punt on their next series and the Mustangs proceeded to march 75 yards with Price adding the 6-yard touchdown and a 35-26 Portage lead. Meyersdale responded with a short four-play drive with Reese connecting with Tyler Fisher for the 10-yard touchdown. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Red Raiders’ John Harvey at the Portage 34 with 1:26 to go. But two plays later Seth Georg intercepted Reese and the Mustangs were able to run out the clock.
Week 9 Meyersdale 48, North Star 20 BOSWELL, Pa. — Devin Kretchman scored on runs of 1 and 4 yards while also hauling in a 49-yard touchdown pass to help lead Meyersdale over North Star. Kretchman scored on a 1-yard run
SEE 2018 — 9
Meyersdale: Conemaugh Township’s Sam Zambanini steps down after 22 seasons CONTINUED FROM 5 team strengths. The concerns are about low numbers. “If we stay healthy up front, we will be competitive,” Price said.
Conemaugh Township The Indians changed coaches in the offseason with longtime mentor Sam Zambanini retiring after 22 years and Tony Penna Jr. taking the reins. The squad finished 8-4 last year, making their second appearance in three years in the District 5-A title tilt before falling to Shade. The biggest holes for Conemaugh Township will be at quarterback and running back. Jordan Poznanski finished with 1,832 rushing yards and 864 yards passing along with six interceptions. Cory Myers added 878 rushing yards and led the team in tackles (116). “It’s really tough when you lose guys like Jordan Poznanski and Cory Myers, “ senior lineman Rylan Yingling said. “They really led us offensively and Cory also defensively. They are big shoes to fill and I think that we can fill them, it’s just going to take time and more experience this year.” The Indians have six players return-
ing on both the offense and defense, including a core group of returning letterwinners, which will be one of the team strengths. The biggest concern for the squad is the defensive secondary. Defensively, sacks leader junior Seth Rosey, who had 13, is back along with junior Tommy Shaffer (113 tackles). Offensively, sophomore Jackson Byer will take over at quarterback while Rosey and Shaffer will be two of the numerous contributors in the backfield. “I think the expectations for other people are low for us, but I think that we can come out with a good season if we just keep working hard grinding it out and sticking to the program,” Yingling said. “New program with a new coach.”
Shade The Panthers had the best finish in school history and were unbeaten in the regular season, earning a spot in the Appalachian Bowl, winning their first District 5-A title and making their first foray into the PIAA playoffs before falling to Farrell. Shade accrued an impressive 11-2 record.
The graduation losses for the Panthers include the talented tandem of quarterback Brady Fyfe and receiver Dawson Snyder along with linebacker Austin Mauger and receiver Matt Addleman. “With the success that we had last year, we are actually at a pretty good number with the kids out this year,” said coach Don Fyfe. “But we are talking about kids that never played before, but I think that it will be fun. It will be teaching from the ground up. We’ve always been out to prove people wrong and last year was different. There was a lot of pressure and I have a lot more gray this year than I was going into last year.” The Panthers have three offensive starters back and four on defense with attitude and work ethic listed as the team strengths while lack of playing experience is the biggest concern. Sophomore Braden Adams will take over at quarterback while junior Vince Fyock (46 catches for 795 yards) and senior Tyler Valine (37 for 675) return for Shade. On defense, Fyock is the top returning tackler (122) and the sacks leader (4.5).
Ferndale The Yellow Jackets struggled to a 1-9 record last year, their only win coming in Week 5 in a hard-fought 7-6 victory over North Star. “We just want to be better than we were last year and compete every week,” second-year coach Shawn Furfari said. “Hopefully, good things will happen. Senior leadership is going to be a strength for us. We have a lot of kids back from last season who got a lot of playing time. That should help us out this year.” Ferndale has seven starters back on offense and six on defense with 14 seniors on the roster. The biggest holes to fill are on the offensive and defensive lines, which is listed as a concern for the Yellow Jackets, who are also concerned about lack of size.” Senior Loghan Furfari will be at quarterback for the Jackets (30 of 60 for 383 yards and four touchdowns) while senior Tajahi Thomas (67 carries for 233 yards) will be in the backfield. Senior running back/safety Noah Korenoski also returns for Ferndale. He had 106 tackles, including 58 solo
SEE MEYERSDALE — 10
MEYERSDALE RED RAIDERS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2019 9
2018: Kretchman runs through North Star CONTINUED FROM 8 just 15 seconds into the game. Lyle Moody followed a little over 4 minutes later with a 7-yard scamper. Matt Blubaugh tacked on two of his six point-after kicks as Meyersdale hopped out to a 14-0 lead. Kretchman kept the Red Raiders in full sail when he brought in a 49-yard pass from Mahlon Reese midway through the second, making it 21-0. North Star (0-9) carved into the Meyersdale advantage when Hunter Tremain dashed 68 yards. Kretchman answered with his second touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the first half, pushing the Meyersdale lead to 28-6. The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, with Tremain rushing in from 24 yards out, and adding the 2-point conversion. Meyersdale replied as Daniel Ludwick rushed in from 22 yards away. Reese and Gavin Hetz hooked up on a 4-yard touchdown strike just 4 seconds into the fourth, making it 41-14. Ludwick added his second touchdown with 6:49 left, powering in from 4 yards away. Tremain’s third score – a 5-yard run – capped the scoring with 5:15 to go.
Week 10 West Shamokin Meyersdale MEYERSDALE,
Pa.
28 0 —
West
Shamokin’s bus arrived late to the WestPAC/Heritage crossover game at Meyersdale, pushing the start time back a half-hour under cold and rainy weather conditions. But the delay did not deter the Wolves, who scored on the first play from scrimmage just 22 seconds into the contest, setting the tone for the victory over the Red Raiders in a game with postseason implications for both squads. Brendan Mondi, who led West Shamokin’s multi-pronged rushing attack on the muddy gridiron, took the ball from quarterback Tyler Lightcap and dashed to a 64-yard touchdown then added the conversion run for an 8-0 Wolves lead at the 11:38 mark of the first quarter. Mondi topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season during the game, finishing with 178 yards on 18 carries against the Red Raiders (5-5). Six straight running plays divided among Mondi, Jeremiah Linhart, Haswell and Dan Goldstrohm put the ball at the Meyersdale 30. Lightcap threw a pass to Haswell for the score to increase the West Shamokin lead to 20-0. Devin Kretchman, the Red Raiders leading rusher, had 35 yards on 13 carries in the first half, but left the game early in the second half and didn’t return.
SEE 2018 — 11
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2018: Late rally by Everett spoils Red Raiders’ upset bid CONTINUED FROM 9 Meyersdale held the ball for much of the third quarter. West Shamokin responded with its final score on seven-play drive, capped by a 1-yard Mondi dash and Elijah Linhart conversion run.
Week 11 Everett 20, Meyersdale 13
Meyersdale Area High School LOCATION
— 1349 Shaw Mines Road, Meyersdale, Pa. 15552
BUILT
— 1958
MASCOT
— Red Raider
PRINCIPAL
— John Wiltrout
ENROLLMENT
— 289
EVERETT, Pa. — No. 2 seed Everett relied on a punishing ground game to overcome a 13-7 deficit to No. 3 Meyersdale in the District 5 Class AA semifinals. The Warriors scored 13 unanswered points in the final 2:09 of the fourth quarter to defeat Meyersdale 20-13. Everett (8-3) piled up 329 rushing yards on 51 carries. Macen Akers scored from nine and 12 yards out in the fourth quarter to give Everett the edge. Akers finished with 180 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Meyersdale (5-6) took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter on Devin Kretchman’s 6-yard touchdown run. Matt Blubaugh added the extra point. Everett answered with Akers’ 12-yard scamper to force a 7-all game at halftime. After a scoreless third frame, Meyersdale gained the lead again on Mahlon Reese’s 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth. The extra point failed. With just 2:09 remaining, Akers found paydirt from nine yards out to tie it up at 13. Akers added the winning touchdown with only 28 seconds left. The extra point expanded the lead to 20-13. Kretchman led Meyersdale with 68 rushing yards on 17 carries. Reese completed 7 of 18 passes for 142 yards and three interceptions. Meyerdale’s John Harvey hauled in two passes for 72 yards. Everett outgained Meyersdale 370214. Everett’s Quinton Spade added 86 rushing yards to give the Warriors a balanced attack on the ground.