Scranton Prep at Jersey Shore

Recap

SCRANTON PREP 27, JERSEY SHORE 19

At Jersey Shore High School, Scranton Prep used a virtuoso performance by senior quarterback, Louis Paris, to overcome the Bulldogs 27-19. Paris rushed for three of the Cavaliers’ four touchdowns and notched three quarterback sacks, including one on 4^th down in Prep territory in the game’s final minute. Prep won their 6^th consecutive game.

Neither team was able to move the ball early in the field on a playing field that was sloppy at best. Both teams had players lose their footing as the middle of the gridiron was muddy and wet. On their second possession, the Bulldogs got the only points of the opening quarter as versatile quarterback, Elijah Jordan bowled into the end zone from 5 yards away. The drive was keyed by a Bo Sechrist 25-yard carry that set up Jersey Shore deep inside the red zone. Paul Hale’s point after made it 7-0 Bulldogs with 4:19 left in the opening period.

The second frame belonged entirely to Scranton Prep, as the Cavaliers established their vaunted running game, alternating carries by Paris and junior tailback, Will McPartland. McPartland got the game’s first big play, sprinting 70 yards inside the Bulldog 10-yard line. McPartland then went off tackle to the left from 2 yards out with 8:52 remaining before the half. Tyler Bianchi’s kick made it 7-7.

On their very next possession, Prep turned to some heroics from Paris. The burly signal caller called his own number and raced 37 yards through the secondary for his first score of the evening. The point after hit the left upright, leaving the Prep advantage at 13-7, a lead that the Cavaliers carried into the locker room.

After stopping the Bulldogs on downs on the first possession of the second half, another run by McPartland moved the ball into the red zone. On the very next play, Paris broke tackles en route to a 19-yard touchdown scamper. Bianchi’s extra point made the score 20-7 Prep with 9:43 left in the third quarter.

At this point, the teams began trading scoring drives. The Bulldogs answered when tailback Bo Sechrist took the ball over from the 3 yard-line. Hale’s extra point was blocked by Prep’s Brady Holmes, maintaining the Prep advantage at 7 points, 20-13.

Prep took over on their own 30-yard line to begin their next drive. After a 12-yard run by Treyvon Dickey, Paris delivered the Cavaliers’ biggest offensive play of the evening, an electrifying 58-yard run that, with Bianchi’s point after, restored the Prep advantage to two scores at 27-13.

Though Prep kept a Bulldog passing attack, one that was averaging over 230 yards per game, in check for the vast majority of the evening, Jordan had a big play left in his arm as he hit Paul Hale on the sideline on a pitch and catch that resulted in a 35-yard touchdown. Hale’s extra point was unsuccessful, keeping the score at 27-19.

After Prep was unable to establish another drive, the Bulldogs drove all the way to the Prep 24 where they faced a 3^rd and 4. An errant snap forced Jordan to fall on the fall at the Prep 30. On the climactic 4^th down play, Jordan could not find an open receiver and was dropped by Paris, sealing the win for the Cavaliers.

With the loss by Western Wayne to Mid-Valley, Scranton Prep (8-1, 5-0) now sit in the drivers’ seat for the number one seed in the District 2 Class 3A playoffs. They will close their season next Friday night at North Pocono.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter

JS – Elijah Jordan 3-yd run (Paul Hale kick) – Jersey Shore 7-0

2nd Quarter

SP – Will McPartland 3-yd run (Tyler Bianchi kick) – Tied 7-7

SP – Louis Paris 23-yd run (Kick failed) – Scranton Prep 13-7

3rd Quarter

SP – Paris 19-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 20-7

JS – Bo Sechrist 3-yd run (Kick failed) – Scranton Prep 20-13

SP – Paris 63-yd run (Bianchi kick) – Scranton Prep 27-13

4th Quarter

JS – Hale 33-yd pass from Jordan (Kick failed) – Scranton Prep 27-19