Loyalsock wins high-scoring game against Mifflinburg
Trending
Only three seconds remained when Tyler Gee took the second quarter snap and rolled left. The end zone was 30 yards away and Jaylen Andrews was double covered.
Turns out that was more than enough time to score and far few defenders to stop Andrews. The junior wide receiver outjumped and outfought those defenders, catching the Hail Mary while giving Loyalsock a 14-point halftime lead.
And that was just the start of a football game which Loyalsock turned into a track meet.
Behind a surging offensive line, Andrews, running back Davion Hill and Tyler Gee put up video game numbers and Loyalsock was unstoppable over the game's final 26 minutes as it routed Mifflinburg, 69-42 in a wildly entertaining District 4 Class AAA semifinal Saturday at Kenneth Robbins Stadium.
"I just turned around and saw the ball in the air so my first instinct was to go up and get it," Andrews said of the Hail Mary which made it 28-14. "Tyler had the trust in me to throw into double coverage and that says a lot. We have a lot of trust in each other."
Those in attendance saw that trust come out in remarkable fashion as Loyalsock earned a spot in next Friday's championship at Danville. Andrews broke the area record for touchdowns in a season (20) and tied the single-game record catching seven passes for 244 yards and five scores. Gee threw for 341 yards and six touchdowns, reaching career-highs in both categories. Andrews also returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, giving him six scores.
Oh yeah, Davion Hill had quite a day, too. The senior running back ran for 261 yards and four touchdowns while breaking free for a 65-yard touchdown off Gee's screen pass. Put it all together and Loyalsock looked like the 1999 St. Louis Rams on a sugar rush, producing 635 yards, nine touchdowns and 21 first downs.
"In the first quarter we were really stubbing our toe and not executing appropriately in certain situations and turning the ball over. We felt we would be able to move the ball well once we cut down on the mistakes and defensively I thought we'd be able to stop them a lot better but it turned into what I call a horse race," Loyalsock coach Justin Van Fleet said. "There's really not much resistance for a horse to run. There's no barriers; you just run."
These teams just kept running and running and running…
Loyalsock (11-1) and Mifflinburg (9-3) each entered the game featuring two of the district's top-ranked defenses, but after the first quarter this became a fireworks display which could rival any July 4th celebration. The Lancers led 7-0 after the first quarter and actually held Mifflinburg to zero yards on its first four series. But once both teams settled in they both found an extra gear. It just happened Loyalsock's was a turbo gear which destroyed Mifflinburg's defense in every way imaginable.
The Lancers produced eight offensive touchdowns with all but one covering at least 20 yards. Gee had four first first-half touchdown passes, Hill topped 100 total yards by halftime and Andrews was at 132 yards by the break. Starting in the second quarter, Loyalsock scored on seven straight possessions and likely would have made it eight after moving inside the 10 late in the game before emptying the bench.
Mifflinburg moved the ball at will throughout the final three quarters, too, but it needed a high-powered Porsche to keep up with Loyalsock on Saturday. It all started up front, too, with linemen Ian Hornberger, Carter Secora, Malachi Coleman, Ethan French and Jeremiah Johnson opening big holes and giving Gee time to scan the field. That unit helped Loyalsock average 10.4 yards per play against a defense which had produced three shutouts this season.
"A big shout out to our o-line," Andrews said. "A lot of it wouldn't be possible without them putting in hard work all offseason and at practice."
"Our line has really improved this year," Gee said. "It's almost like a safety blanket. We can get 4-5 yards when we need it and it balances the offense."
Ultimately, that ability to run the ball at will as well as throw it all over was the big difference. Loyalsock played the run well but Troy Dressler threw for 433 of the team's 473 aerial yards. Conversely, Loyalsock ran for 294 yards to go along with Gee's 341 passing yards, providing the balance Mifflinburg lacked.
Hill ran for three second-half touchdowns, all coming in a crazy third quarter which saw both teams score 44 points. Hill opened the scoring with a 20-yard run before Mifflinburg pulled within 13. Andrews then scooped up a squid kick, burst through the wedge and ran untouched for this third kick return touchdowns this year. Mifflinburg needed just 48 seconds to respond, but Loyalsock answered 61 seconds later on Hill's 31-yard touchdown--after Andrews returned the kickoff 43 yards.
In just 5 minutes, 8 seconds Loyalsock and Mifflinburg scored five touchdowns. But while Mifflinburg slowed a bit, Loyalsock never did and Hill's 1-yard score capped a 28 third-quarter eruption and put Loyalsock up 56-30 entering the fourth quarter.
"It feels amazing with our team being able to accomplish what it has without being at full strength," Andrews said. "The trust in the offense we have and share week in and week out is great to see."
Andrews has been pretty great to see this season, too.
A player who had never scored a varsity touchdown before this season continued putting on a show in the fourth quarter, helping Loyalsock land the knockout blow. Despite being covered well, Andrews caught fourth quarter touchdown passes of 55 and 48 yards, putting Loyalsock ahead 69-36 with 7:22 remaining. Two weeks after breaking the single-game area record for yards (284), Andrews became the first area player to ever catch 20 touchdowns and he averaged 34.9 yards per catch while scoring six touchdowns on nine touches.
"With 1 on 1 (coverage), we like our chances. I thought they'd change it up a bit and put a high safety there," Gee said. "With Jaylen, it's almost disrespectful to leave him out there by himself, just like with (Rian) Glunk over the years."
While Mifflinburg scored 42 points over the final three quarters, the Loyalsock defense did have its moments. Hornberger was tough to run on up front and also nearly returned an interception for a touchdown. Malachi Coleman shined up front as well and linebacker Gavin Rice was all over, making 11 tackles.
Obviously, though, this game was all about offense. It felt like one needed a math professor to tabulate stats by game's end. Loyalsock and Mifflinburg combined for 16 touchdowns, 40 first downs and 1,220 yards. This felt more like a Big 12 college game than a high school playoff contest and for those who love offense it was paradise.
For the coaches and players? That's a different story.
"We didn't execute defensively in terms of coverage concepts. The run defense was good, but it was an odd game," Van Fleet said. "I haven't been part of games like that in the past and I'm necessarily looking forward to being in a game like that in the future either. It was just back and forth and it felt like nobody could stop anyone."
"We played a good game today but it wasn't good enough. Something like this can't happen at Danville," Andrews said. "We need a lot of hard work, a lot of film study and have to come out next week ready."
Loyalsock 69, Mifflinburg 42
Mifflinburg 0 14 16 12--42
Jersey Shore 7 21 28 13--69
First Quarter
L--Jaylen Andrews 45 pass from Tyler Gee (Chris Cooley kick), 6:08
Second Quarter
M--Andrew Diehl 15 pass from Troy Dressler (kick blocked), 10:54
L--Davion Hill 65 pass from Gee (Cooley kick), 10:38
M--Dressler 1 run (Dressler pass to Diehl), 6:07
L--Andrews 50 pass from Gee (Cooley kick), 2:02
L--Andrews 30 pass from Gee (Cooley kick), 0:00
Third Quarter
L--Hill 20 run (Cooley kick), 10:02
M--Chad Martin 13 pass from Dressler (Dressler pass to Martin), 6:55
L--Andrews 81-yard kick return (Cooley kick), 6:43
M--Zach Wertman 64 pass from Dressler (Dressler run), 5:55
L--Hill 31 run (Cooley kick), 4:54
L--Hill 1 run (Cooley kick), 1:37
Fourth Quarter
L--Andrews 55 pass from Gee (Cooley kick), 10:48
M--Dressler 1 run (pass failed), 8:57
L--Andrews 48 pass from Gee (pass failed), 7:22
M--Landon Murray 44 pass from Dressler (pass failed), 7:02
TEAM STATISTICS M L
First Downs 19 21
Rushes-yards 33-112 40-294
Passing yards 473 341
Comp-Att-Int 19-34-1 12-21-0
Total yards 585 635
Fumbles-lost 3-3 3-2
Penalties-yards 8-63 10-80
INDIVIDUALS
RUSHING: Mifflinburg, Carter Breed 10-39; Andrew Diehl 11-34; Chad Martin 4-24; Troy Dressler 6-12, 2 TDs; Jonathan Melendez 1-3; Jarrett Miller 1-0. Loyalsock, Davion Hill 28-261, 4 TDs; Tyler Gee 9-45; Gavin Rice 1-4; Kayden Keefer 1-(-3); Team 1-(-13).
PASSING: Mifflinburg, Dressler 18-33-1, 433 yards, 4 TDs; Martin 1-1-0, 40 yards. Loyalsock, Gee 12-19-0, 341 yards, 5 TDs; Keefer 0-2-0.
RECEIVING: Mifflinburg, Zach Wertman 4-116, TD; Breed 4-49; Martin 3-103, TD; Landon Murray 2-84, TD; Diehl 2-27; Jackson Griffith 1-63; Arnold Troup 1-16; Kyler Troup 1-10; Sean Grodotzke 1-5. Loyalsock, Jaylen Andrews 7-244, 5 TDs; Hill 2-73, TD; Rice 1-18; Gage Patterson 1-4; Cy Cavanaugh 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS: Loyalsock, Ian Hornberger.
RECORDS: Loyalsock 11-1. Mifflinburg 9-3.