MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore quarterback Nolan Pauling runs the ball on a keeper in the second quarter.

On Friday night at Thompson Street stadium, Jersey Shore quarterback Nolen Pauling’s first start at the helm began as many debuts often do. With the weight of the elevated role, true stakes and a full crowd watching his every move, three of his first four throws fell off the mark, one being an overthrow on an assured touchdown to receiver Carter Rhinehart.

First-game jitters affect everybody, especially early in the game. When it comes to overcoming those nerves, the best two factors you can have on your side are considerable preparation and a short memory. And sometimes, one play is all it takes to get rid of them completely.

All three came into play in the case of Pauling.

When faced with third-and-long near the end of the first quarter against Dallas, with the Bulldogs deep in their own territory sporting an unsafe, one-score lead, the sophomore looked off the literal and mental pressure, finding Rhinehart open on an out route and putting the ball on the money for a first down and 14-yard gain.

From that point on, the gears clicked fully into place. Pauling went on to have his best quarter of the night in the second, completing five straight passes for 87 yards, accounting for two touchdowns and most notably, playing a crucial role in the team getting out to a 20-0 lead by halftime.

“It really gets your momentum going, throwing the ball, running the ball, everything. It gets you excited,” said Pauling when asked about that third-down conversion. “The nerves, they were there. But after the first play, they usually go away.”

On his first throw of the second quarter, Pauling showed off his deep-ball accuracy, hitting senior receiver Carson Watkins 20 yards down the field for an eventual 33-yard gain – the first of multiple large connections between the pair. He’d pick up another first down with his legs one play later before punching it in on a quarterback sneak the following play.

He’d go on to connect with Watkins on another deep ball the very next drive, this time for 40 yards. And while that drive wouldn’t result in points, the next would, as Pauling completed that five-pass span of completions with a ten-yard touchdown to Watkins.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, with the Bulldog throwing an interception late in the quarter and the offense stalling through the early goings of the third quarter. But when push turned to shove late as Dallas threatened to steal the momentum, that composure remained.

On the team’s final touchdown drive deep in the third, that connection with Watkins shined again.

The pairing picked up a hefty chunk on a ten-yard pass aided by a 15-yard penalty from the Mountaineers. Then, two plays later on third-and-medium, Watkins broke away from his defender on a post route for a seamless, 29-yard touchdown pass, re-upping Jersey Shore’s lead to 27-7 in the waning moments of the third.

On the day, Pauling and Watkins combined for five connections, 126 yards and two touchdowns, a great sign for what the Bulldogs could have going for them offensively in the coming weeks. When asked about the connection, Watkins detailed how prepared Pauling was for the moment.

“We’ve been going to 7-on-7s over the summer, balling out. He’s getting reps, the reps he needs to fully get the timing down, step-and-throw, where to put it,” said Watkins.

“All those 7-on-7s, it really helps with the timing and stuff because you’re going against inner-city teams from Pittsburgh that are really tough. Makes you a good quarterback, playing against that good of competition.”

While Pauling had proven himself as a runner through garbage-time stints as the backup in 2024, not much was known about his arm from the outside looking in. There were hints through his time as a pitcher and optimism from head coach Tom Gravish, but it’s hard to predict how will actually translate onto the field.

From a leadership standout, despite his youth, Pauling was a driving force in the team starting off a challenging schedule on the winning end, not just as a composed passer but as a runner willing to pick up the extra yard or two. He may have stressed out his coaching staff a few times, but the result was 59 rushing yards – despite two sacks – and two additional touchdowns.

Overall, it was a promising debut for what was one of Jersey Shore’s biggest question marks heading into the season. Whether or not it carries forward remains to be seen, but so far, so good.

“We’re really pleased with his start, throwing and running the ball,” said Gravish on Pauling’s debut. “Some of those kids will only get better every day.”

“We’ve just got to go one-by one,” said Pauling. “Every week, it’s a new opponent. So, we’ve just got to keep rolling.”

A PROPER SMOTHERING

Jersey Shore’s 27-7 win over Dallas on Friday was by no means a one-man victory, with tremendous preparation being displayed from the offensive line, to skill positions, to maybe most notably, the defense as a whole.

While the unit surrendered 133 through the first half, what ended up mattering was what it did in the biggest plays. On nine third downs, the Bulldogs only gave up a first down once, shutting down eight straight drives – three in Shore territory, forcing a turnover on downs and securing two interceptions, one which set the team up for its go-ahead touchdown in the first.

Standouts include sophomore Kash Herritt and seniors Bo Sechrist, Talyn Lope and Luke Thompson, with Herritt compiling a team-leading, career-high 13 tackles, Sechrist and Lope attributing ten and Thompson eight. Sechrist and Thompson made up the team’s two picks, and Thompson, Herritt and Lope each posted a tackle for loss as well.

Anytime a defense allows single-digit points, it’s a great day. And for Shore, it was a huge contributing factor in helping the team stay multiple steps ahead through much of the outing.

Henry Huber is the sports editor at The Express. He can be reached at hhuber@lockhaven.com.