Hollidaysburg at Abington Heights

Recap

ABINGTON HEIGHTS 42, HOLLIDAYSBURG  35

Jayden Anglin continued to churn out yards on the ground while Rodman Azar and Race Moraski contributed the big plays that helped Abington Heights produce one of the biggest wins in school history with a 42-35 victory over visiting Hollidaysburg Friday night in the District 2-6-9 Class 5A Subregional championship game.

The victory represented the first time in school history that the Comets defeated a team from another district in a subregional or state playoff game.

Anglin, coming off a 327-yard effort in the district championship game, carried 31 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Abington Heights played to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

Azar scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to help build the lead to 42-14 before the Comets had to withstand a spirited comeback by the Golden Tigers.
Vincent Albarano hit J.J. Stultz for 36-, 38- and 33-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

Hollidaysburg had another pass go off the hands of a receiver on a play that could have tied the game.

Moraski, whose blocked punt produced one of the scores in a 20-0 first quarter, intercepted a deep pass on the next-to-last play to seal the victory.
Anglin reached his season milestone and surpassed 100 yards in the first quarter.

The senior tailback carried on six of the first seven Abington Heights offensive plays and scored off left tackle from the 12.

Anthony Hanyon picked up Moraski’s blocked punt and returned it 16 yards for the score. Nathaniel Kayal then caught a two-point conversion pass from Gavin Shay after a bad snap on the extra point, giving the Comets a 15-0 lead with 6:40 still left in the first quarter.

Anglin made it three Abington Heights touchdowns in a span of 3:05 when he broke a 72-yard run on a pitch to the left on the next Abington Heights offensive play.
Albarano got Hollidaysburg on the board on a 1-yard run early in the second, but Anglin scored from the 21 with 17.9 seconds left for a 28-7 halftime lead.

Albarano again ran for a touchdown, this time from 10 yards, in the third quarter.

The Comets struck quickly again.

On the next play, Noah Kayal faked a pitch and hit Azar deep for a 69-yard touchdown.

Abington Heights pinned Hollidaysburg, forced a punt, took over at the 28 and scored in four plays.

After three Anglin runs, Azar went 13 yards on a reverse for the 42-14 lead late in the third quarter.

Albarano passed for 159 yards in the fourth quarter to finish 21-for-38 for 298 yards. Stultz and Ethan Coke each had more than 100 receiving yards.
District 6 champion Hollidaysburg finishes 8-3.

Azar also had an interception for Abington Heights, which has won six straight to improve to 8-4. The Comets advance to face defending state champion Southern Lehigh from District 11.

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER

AH – Jayden Anglin 12-yd run (Jack Hartshorn kick) – Abington Heights 7-0

AH – Anthony Hanyon 16-yd blocked punt return (Nathaniel Kayal pass from Gaving Shay) – Abington Heights 15-0

AH – Anglin 72-yd run (Hartshorn kick) – Abington Heights 22-0

2ND QUARTER

HOL – Vincent Albarano 1-yd run (Cullen Jones kick) – Abington Heights 22-7

AH – Anglin 21-yd run (Pass failed) – Abington Heights 28-7

3RD QUARTER

HOL – Albarano 10-yd run (Jones kick) – Abington Heights 28-14

AH – Rodman Azar 69-yd pass from Noah Kayal (Hartshorn kick) – Abington Heights 35-14

AH – Azar 13-yd run (Hartshorn kick) – Abington Heights 42-14

4TH QUARTER

HOL – J.J. Stultz 36-yd pass from Albarano (Jones kick) – Abington Heights 42-21

HOL – Stultz 38-yd pass from Albarano (Jones kick) – Abington Heights 42-28

HOL – Stultz 33-yd pass from Albarano (Jones kick) – Abington Heights 42-35