Ironmen break free from Braves
SUNBURY — Danville has so far been up to the task against every opponent that's come its way this season, remaining undefeated after the regular season's penultimate game.
But for the Ironmen to truly make a deep run in the playoffs, their biggest opponent may not be staring at them from across the field. It could be themselves and it might get them in trouble if they don't clean things up quickly.
Facing a Shikellamy team that entered Friday night's contest with one win and an upset victory on its mind, Danville was in a tightly contested game before pulling away with a 34-12 victory.
Running away with the game late came because the Ironmen cleaned up its penalty-laden game and allowed Bo Sheptock and Cameron Kiersch to burst out of the backfield for two huge touchdowns, and put to rest any thought the Braves had of a comeback.
The Ironmen, called for 12 penalties for 120 yards, had explosive plays axed because of flags, including a 55-yard touchdown run by Sheptock in the second. He could only be contained for so long, though. Late in the third quarter, and with Danville's defense having just stuffed the Braves on four straight plays inside the Ironmen 5-yard line, Sheptock ran down the right sideline for an 84-yard touchdown.
Sheptock finished with 136 yards on 14 carries. He got 107 of those yards after halftime.
"There are a lot of threats on the field where we can score quick, but we can't win playing this style of football," Danville coach Carl Majer said. "We'll fix it because the kids take it hard and they'll practice hard to fix it."
Then, in the fourth, if Madden Patrick's interception with a three-score lead signed and sealed the win, Kiersch delivered it with a 53-yard run up the gut. Kiersch got some great blocking downfield from receiver Kole Harvey on the play.
Despite having the two touchdown runs create the needed separation, Majer knows what happened Friday is more likely a recipe for disaster than for success come time for the playoffs.
"No matter what you do, you can't have this many penalties and beat anybody, but we somehow figure out a way to do it," Majer said. "We have to get our act cleaned up, but that's high school football. We have to play hard and with our pads, not our mouths. We have to clean up the stupid penalties."
If there is one thing that does bode well for the Ironmen, it's that their defense was again up to the task. After being carved up by Brody Rebuck on the game's first drive, giving up 58 passing yards — including the 22-yard touchdown score to Thomas Pollack — Danville settled in nicely. The Ironmen nearly got another stop within their own 5-yard line, but Rebuck found Derek Tuber-Ortiz for a 4-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. They opted to go for two with a passing play instead of the point after to keep it a two-possession game, working wonders in Danville's favor.
Rebuck finished 23-for-34 for 218 yards and an interception. He was also hit in the backfield all night and he and the Braves couldn't sustain a running game all night, finishing with just 19 yards on 28 attempts.
With Halloween right around the corner, opposing offenses should be scared of what the Ironmen can do, but to think they're not completely healthy either.
That showed a little on offense, but they made it work. While the running game took time to gel, Patrick was buying his time and extending plays all night for 176 yards passing on 13 completions. He connected with five different receivers. Carter Raup came away with a team-high five catches, but Landon Kehoe hauled in 37-yard and 19-yard touchdown passes, both wide-open.
"His birthday is this weekend, and he played well," Majer said. "His timing is still a little off, but it's not his fault he's playing a whole different group of guys out there. ... Thank God we have enough talent and keep winning, but it will bite us in the butt if we don't get healthy despite this being the best our offensive line has looked in a long time."
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