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Tallman, Sones help Loyalsock beat Warrior Run on the road in a thriller 35-27

By Chris Masse 8 min read

TURBOTVILLE--Connor Tallman understands well what fellow senior Cayden Sones experienced last season. Tallman tore his ACL before coming back strong as a junior and he let Sones know something special was coming his way this season after Sones missed the final eight games a year ago with a fractured fibula.

Tallman sure was right. And Friday, he helped lead the way as the senior leaders transformed Friday’s game at Warrior Run.

Tallman delivered two text-book blocks; Sones exploded through gaping holes and scored on consecutive 29-yard, fourth quarter touchdown runs. Those scores were part of a 21-point, 92-second explosion which turned a tie into a 21-point advantage as Loyalsock took control before holding off a furious Defender rally and winning a thriller, 35-27.

Sones ran for a career-high 157 yards and three touchdowns; quarterback Dyson Dupont totaled 168 yards with two scores and Carter Brown’s late onside kick recovery sealed victory. It was the third straight year the road team won this battle which has produced three fabulous contests decided by 14 combined points.

"I told Cayden he’s going to have a breakout year because I had a breakout year my junior year after my ACL," Tallman said. "I told him to just go out there and run the ball and have fun."

Sones is having the time of his life these days.

A week ago, he ran for a career-best 118 yards and returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Sones continued elevating his play Friday, helping Loyalsock (4-3) snap a two-game losing streak and avenge last year’s five-point loss against the Defenders (3-4).

His junior year ended early, so Sones is maximizing every opportunity which comes his way as a senior. Doing so is helping a team hit hard by injuries continue moving forward.

"Being able to come back, I was just excited to be out there with my brothers senior year," Sones said. "Just getting the win and making sure we have a good senior year (is what matters). I don’t care if I put up three touchdowns or put up no touchdowns. As long as we get the W, we’re going."

That selfless attitude permeates the roster and Sones helped put the wheels in motion early and late. He set up his 2-yard first quarter touchdown run with a 40-yard burst as Loyalsock quickly went ahead, 14-0. After the Defenders rallied and their defense stiffened, Sones and the line took the game over, pointing the way to victory.

Loyalsock was pinned at its own 14 with 10 minutes, 57 seconds remaining following a Defender punt. Sones immediately lit the fuse which would become a 92-second inferno, breaking outside and gaining 22 yards. Dupont (91 yards rushing, 77 passing) then ripped off 24 and 15 yard runs, capping the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The next two sequences were both nearly identical and game-changing.

First, Loyalsock stopped Warrior Run on a 4th-and-1 from its own 29-yard line. On the next Lancer play, Tallman cleared the way and Sones tore through the hole, going 29 yards nearly untouched and making it, 28-14. Later, rinse, repeat.

Dupont made a super hit to prevent a first down catch on fourth down on the ensuing Warrior Run series and Loyalsock again took over the 29. Again, Tallman and the line opened a gaping hole; Sones turned on the jets and went nearly untouched for the touchdown on the next play. Just like that, Loyalsock had turned a tie into a 35-14 lead in a span of seven total plays.

"I love Connor. That’s my dog. He just takes the mike backer and I just do the rest," Sones said. "As soon as I saw green, I just took off. Nothing was stopping me as soon as I saw that hole."

"The backer went low where I wanted him to. Tristan (Van Fleet), the right guard, turned his hips and, boom, touchdown," Tallman said. "I turn around and he’s gone. I feel great when he does that."

Loyalsock experienced those exhilarating vibes after Warrior Run had frustrated it the two previous quarters. After the Lancers scored on their first two possessions, Warrior Run bottled up the run and allowed just three first downs on the next five possessions. When Loyalsock put together a good drive in the third quarter, the defense delivered again, stopping Sones at the 5-yard line, a yard short of a first down on a 4th-and-7 screen pass from Dupont.

Instead of growing discouraged, Loyalsock grew more determined. A team which has overcome a lot of adversity already this season embraced the opportunity it had and took command. Tallman, Van Fleet, Jordan Walker, Wyatt Emerick and Maison Dowling did the blocking; Sones and Dupont the running and everything came together at the perfect time.

"What I enjoy about coaching this team is they are a team," Loyalsock coach Justin Van Fleet said. "They’re a group they pick each other up the entire time, whether it’s a good play or bad play. They’re just going after the next play and bringing their lunch pail and going to work."

"I was getting up on everybody. I said everybody has to wake up; everyone needs to step up," Tallman said. "We were running the same plays; we just needed to execute our plans. We were just waiting for our offense to click. It clicked in the fourth quarter when we needed it to."

Just when it felt like the game might be over, however, the thrills continued. So did the toughness.

Like Loyalsock, Warrior Run has been ravaged by injuries. Neither those; nor the deficit dampened its desire and the Defenders stormed back. After Sones completed his hat trick, sophomore quarterback Jackson Bowers guided 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive, finding Liam Moore for a 21-yard touchdown which cut the deficit to, 35-20 at the 3:16 mark.

Warrior Run then recovered the ensusing onside kick at Loyalsock’s 46-yard line seconds later. From there, Bowers found Emiliano Torres for 16 yards and Moore for 26. Two Torres runs later and Warrior Run was within a score, his 1-yard touchdown plunge, making it, 35-27.

At that point, 1:48 remained and Warrior Run had just one timeout. When Brown fielded a tricky one-hopper on the next onside kick, the game was essentially over. Warrior Run forced a fourth down with 2.2 seconds left, but Dupont took the snap; ran backward and slid to clinch victory.

"Warrior Run is really injured right now; we’re injured and we’re all out there just fighting as hard as we can," Van Fleet said. "Give a lot of credit to those boys (Warrior Run) as well, because there are a lot of teams that would have just folded the tents and said too bad. Their coaching staff and players came together and kept fighting."

Bowers and Torres split time at quarterback and combined for three touchdown passes. Bowers found Moore who made a ridiculous 16-yard, one-handed touchdown catch, cutting it to 14-7 in the second quarter. Torres then made a fabulous throw on the run, finding Zayas Reynolds for a game-tying 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter when Warrior Run faced a 4th-and-1.

Bowers completed 13 of 20 passes for 156 yards and Torres totaled 117 yards with two scores. Moore did his best Jerry Rice impersonation, making some terrific catches and finishing with nine catches, 127 yards and the two touchdowns. Bryson Weigel and Carter Little had some key runs and Tyler Shiposh a sack which helped set up the game-tying third quarter touchdown drive.

"Huge credit to Warrior Run. I have nothing but respect for them," said Van Fleet, who began his coaching career at Warrior Run two decades ago. "This is where my roots are set. I love this place. Any time I come down here is a special occasion. It’s a real wonderful program and their coaches do a great job with them."

Loyalsock did some splendid work on its first two possessions. The Lancers took the game’s opening series 63 yards on 10 plays. Following a Sones 13-yard run, Dupont made a perfect deep throw and Zion Cobb an outstanding catch, the connection resulting touchdown as Cobb perfectly high-pointed the ball over a defender’s outstretched arms.

Dupont has made big plays with his arm throughout the season, but his legs were every bit as critical Friday. The freshman ran for 70 second-half yards and was calm under fire when the game grew tense.

"He’s a man. He’s an early bloomer," Sones said. "We love him. We love him to death. That’s my quarterback."

Warrior Run nearly tied the game right before halftime but Joel Stiger saved a touchdown with a second down breakup and Emerick with a clutch tackle before a fourth down pass was dropped. Emerick played one of his best games and Tommy Pham collected a sack. The defense came up big on a third-and-3 at midfield in the third quarter’s closing seconds, stoning Weigel for no gain and forcing the punt which led to the 21-point explosion starting.

It was a wild ride Friday in what has been a turbulent season. Through it all, Loyalsock steadied the ship and found smoother waters. How it did so made this victory feel especially satisfying.

"We persevere; we adjust and we get it done," Sones said. "We locked in and got it done."

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