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ALMEDIA--Bucktail made sure CMVT earned its yards the hard way Saturday afternoon, but late in the third quarter the Rams broke out and produced a 19-yard gain.
Even then, Bucktail still made a terrific play. Patrick Tarantella chased down the runner, and as he tackled him, ripped the ball away, both forcing and recovering a fumble. That snapshot perfectly represented Bucktail football.
The state’s smallest public school which does not co-op for football, Bucktail often faces long odds but never flinches while doing all it can to defy them. That commitment, preparation and talent blended together at Wen Cerra Memorial Field, helping the Bucks end a comeback season on a big high.
Teagan Stone totaled 162 yards and three touchdowns; Corbin Pentz also totaled three scores, and Aidan Ditty ignited a stifling defense as Bucktail closed its year with an emphatic 42-6 victory. After going winless the past two seasons, Bucktail closed with victories in two of its last three games and takes high hopes into next season since many starters will return.
"It’s been a push. We’ve put in a lot of work," Stone said after catching two Pentz touchdowns and running for a 44-yard score. "We definitely have built a nice foundation. We’re coming back. The spirit is definitely coming back."
Even before the victories came, that shined through all season. Bucktail was competitive in nearly every game and was a few plays from starting the season 2-0. Progress was being made when the record did not show it, but the Bucks continued working and turned those moral victories into real ones, first avenging a previous loss against Coudersport before dominating all aspects Saturday.
Seniors like Ditty and Tarantella will not be around to see where Bucktail goes these next couple years, but dedicated seniors like them are the ones who helped push the program forward. Both also made big plays Saturday, Ditty ending a CMVT scoring threat with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
"We went through a lot but we kept working and it paid off. We got a lot better this season," Ditty said after making eight tackles. "We learned you just have to keep working and keep driving. Everybody put in the time and it feels good to get the team going in the right direction."
Coach Bruce Ransom led Bucktail to one of the best sustained runs in program history during the 21st first century’s first two decades and returned this season after helping the junior high squad go undefeated three years ago. He was able to bring out more players and Bucktail dressed 24 this season, one of its highest numbers in recent memory.
More manpower was one thing, but the Bucks also increased their will power, highlighting it by downing Coudersport two weeks after losing against it, 41-14. The Bucks then put all the progress shown in its first seven games together in their final one, scoring touchdowns on their first six possessions; going up 42-0 in the third quarter and imposing the mercy rule.
"I can’t guarantee the direction we go from here, but right now the direction is positive," Ransom said. "There are a few teams in District 9 that we were competitive with. Where we’ve been the last couple years and where everyone else had been, we’ve closed down that distance dramatically. That’s the way we have to measure success."
That is because Bucktail so frequently is fighting number crunches which are exasperated when injuries occur. Still, the Bucks keep fighting on and that fight shined through again against CMVT. Levi Stevenson capped Bucktail’s opening drive with a two-yard touchdown and Ditty significantly altered the game on CMVT’s ensuing series.
The Rams had a first-and-goal at the 8, but Angelo Tarantella made consecutive good plays and limited them to four yards. Following a third down incompletion, quarterback Jaxson Hartman rolled right on fourth down and Ditty charged off the right edge. He delivered a jarring hit before Hartman could throw, knocking the ball loose before recovering it at the 9. From there, Bucktail mounted a 91-yard touchdown drive capped by Pentz’s eight-yard touchdown and controlled all aspects from there.
"I came off the ball and came in and I knew the quarterback couldn’t see me," Ditty said. "I was able to hit him hard and get the sack and it felt like that was a big play."
Defense fed the offense and vice-versa as Bucktail opened up offensively, while shutting everything down defensively. Stone was the top weapon in a balanced attack and made something electric happen nearly every time he touched the ball.
That included him following Pentz’s touchdown by showcasing all his playmaking skills during a highlight-reel 44-yard touchdown run. Stone took a reverse right, cut back, stiff-armed a defender and broke a series of tackles downfield, giving Bucktail a 22-0 advantage.
"I saw my boys heading down the field," Stone said. "I was just cutting and running everyone over. It felt great."
Stone has been Bucktail’s Swiss Army Knife the last three seasons and the junior has topped both 1,000 career receiving yards and 400 rushing yards. He again gave an opponent fits whether taking hand-offs or catching the ball Saturday.
Bucktail brilliantly ran a hurry-up offense late in the second half and Pentz found Stone across the middle for a 38-yard touchdown that made it, 28-0 at halftime. Those two then combined to make sure Bucktail landed the early knockout six plays into the second half.
This time, Pentz sucked in the defense on a screen, throwing left to Stone in the flat. Stone took it from there, displaying his sprinter’s speed and outrunning the defense for a 32-yard touchdown which imposed the mercy rule. Stone gained at least 16 yards on six of his seven touches and was both Bucktail’s leading receiver and rusher.
"If they want me somewhere, that’s where I go," Stone said. "I really like it. I feel comfortable anywhere."
Bucktail’s offensive line made CMVT feel uncomfortable all afternoon. Highlighting the team’s progress and potential moving forward, all five starters are underclassmen. Those five, JJ Ditty, Thomas Tarantella, Joey Heiser, Isaac Graw and Camden Barnes, helped Bucktail move the ball at will before the starters excited following the third quarter.
With the strong and young line paving the way, Bucktail averaged 9.2 yards per carry during those first three quarters. Jaden Intallura made the most of his final game, going untouched behind those blockers for a 42-yard score which capped Bucktail’s scoring and made it, 42-0.
Intallura was the only non-underclassman who did not score Saturday. Him scoring the final touchdown seemed fitting because the seniors never let the younger players grow discouraged. The Bucks kept grinding; kept believing and now the seniors hand the baton to the next group as the excitement builds.
"We definitely have momentum going into next year," Stone said. "We have a lot of young players coming back and a lot who played this season. I’m excited for it. It feels really good."
Bucktail 42, CMVT 6
Bucktail 6 22 14 0--42
CMVT 0 0 0 6--6
First Quarter
B--Levi Stevenson 2 run (run failed), 3:44
Second Quarter
B--Corbin Pentz 8 run (Pentz pass to Teagan Stone), 8:56
B--Stone 44 run (Pentz pass to Stevenson), 3:33
B--Stone 38 pass from Pentz (pass failed, :20
Third Quarter
B--Stone 32 pass from Pentz (Stephen Heiser run), 8:20
B--Jaden Intallura 42 run (run failed), 2:40
Fourth Quarter
C--Wyatt Bodnar 65 pass from Jaxson Hartman (run failed), 8:11
TEAM STATISTICS B C
First Downs 18 5
Rushes-yards 34-264 28-63
Passing yards 88 142
Total yards 352 494
Comp-Att-Int 3-5-0 4-13-2
Fumbles-lost 2-1 4-3
Penalties-yards 14-110 6-42
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Bucktail, Teagan Stone 4-74, TD; Jaden Intallura 3-40, TD; Angelo Tarantella 1-37; Levi Stevenson 8-35, TD ; Corbin Pentz 6-31, TD; Stephen Heiser 3-26; Angelo Tarantella 4-23; Joey Heiser 2-6; Timmy Gentzyel 1-(-2); Aidan Ditty 1-(-2); Quin Dorman 1-(-4). CMVT, Cody Zimmerman 11-29; Liam Patraw 11-28; Hoyt Kelley 3-8; Jacob Fosse 1-2; Blake Sponenberg 1-1; Jaxson Hartman 1-(-5).
PASSING: Bucktail, Pentz 3-5-0, 88 yards, 2 TD. CMVT, Hartman 4-13-2, 142 yards, TD.
RECEIVING: Bucktail, Stone 3-88, 2 TD. CMVT, Bradley Jones 2-25; Wyatt Bodnar 1-65, TD; Sponenberg 1-52.
INTERCEPTIONS: Bucktail, Nick Dennis, Dorman.
SACKS: Ditty.
RECORDS: Bucktail 2-6.