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Jersey Shore defeats North Schuylkill 49-34 at Thompson Street Stadium

By GARRETT CARR 5 min read

It looked like things were slipping away from Jersey Shore late in the second quarter of the Bulldogs' season-opener against a good North Schuylkill team. Yet another Brock Holmes touchdown run had put Jersey Shore in a 13-point deficit with just under 90 seconds left in the half.

And, with the Spartans slated to get the ball to start the second half and the Shore defense struggling to get stops, things were perilous.

That's when the Bulldogs' top two playmakers, Carter Rhinehart and Nolen Pauling stepped up in a big way. Rhinehart's kick return into Spartan territory set up a stellar Pauling scramble for a touchdown less than a minute later to get Shore back in the game.

The Bulldog offense never looked back, scoring 41 points in a 19-minute span at one point to win, 49-34, at Thompson Street Stadium in Jersey Shore on Friday night.

"We always believe if we play four quarters, right to the last play, we'll have a great chance to win the game. our kids, I think, were a little disappointed at halftime, maybe even somewhat surprised. But we told them, North Schuylkill's one heck of a program. We have a lot of respect for them. Our guys just persevered, kept battling, and everyone contributed to this victory tonight," Jersey Shore coach Tom Gravish said.

Jersey Shore improved in every facet as the game went on and showed off considerable depth and conditioning on a night that saw North Schuylkill clearly wear down as the game went on. That being said, it sure helped the Bulldogs that two players they're counting on in Rhinehart and Pauling played arguably their best scholastic games.

Pauling's 390 total yards (266 passing, 124 rushing, six total touchdowns) were somehow even more impressive than the totals suggest. Frequently the diminutive junior quarterback looked to be dead-to-rights, only to escape the pass rush and either pick up huge chunks on the ground or make a play with his arm down the field.

Pauling did his best Johnny Manziel impression on his 32-yard touchdown run before the half. He dropped back to pass, made both defensive ends miss in the backfield with a nice juke, cut upfield, made another man miss in the open field and raced to the left pylon for a score set up by Rhinehart's 60-yard kick return that set Jersey Shore up at the North Schuylkill 37.

"It was a passing play, and I saw the D-end come in, so I juked him a little bit. Then I went to the linebacker, cut left, and it was green grass from there," Pauling said.

It was the second Pauling touchdown run of the half after a first-quarter touchdown run put the Bulldogs up, 7-6. But, Jersey Shore could not stop the North Schuylkill rushing attack in the first half, especially quarterback Brock Holmes in the red zone. Holmes scored three of his five rushing touchdowns in the first half.

The third quarter would belong to Pauling and Carter Rhinehart. The pair hooked up for three touchdowns through the air in the third quarter, including an improbable touchdown on 4th and 24 on a jump ball down the right sideline when Jersey Shore was stuck in no-man's land at the North Schuylkill 31. That put Jersey Shore up 35-27, the first time that it felt like the Bulldogs were in control of the game.

"I was telling Coach Gravish that whole time, (a jump ball), that's gonna work the whole time. Then, Nolen threw it up, and he trusted me and I went up and got it" Rhinehart said.

Rhinehart was unguardable on Friday. Whether it was catching a quick hitch underneath and cutting it upfield for a big chunk of yards, or a double-move route to get behind the defense, the Spartan secondary simply had no answers.

"I trust him with my heart. He's one of the best receivers in the district, if not the best. Any jump ball he's gonna go get it," Pauling said.

Meanwhile, the Jersey Shore defense had made crucial adjustments and was playing more aggressively in the second half. Zane Sechrist, who missed all of last season with an injury, made a huge impact with 11 tackles, and added a touchdown run with just over six minutes remaining in the game to put Jersey Shore back up by two scores after North Schuylkill cut into the lead.

"Our defensive coordinator did a good job noticing what our defensive ends and linebackers needed to do to contain that GT counter. I think that helped us a lot," Sechrist said.

Khani McCray, a player that the Bulldogs are very excited about, scored a touchdown in his first varsity game in the fourth quarter on a deep pass that saw the defensive back in coverage fall down with a cramp while the ball was in the air. That play was a microcosm of the significant conditioning advantage that Jersey Shore showed as the game went on as the lightning-fast pace the Bulldogs play with on offense took its toll on the Spartans.

"We pride ourselves on hard work and conditioning, and I think it was a difference in the game," Gravish said.

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