Nativity cruises past Mahanoy Area in Blue Division
Nativity's defense gang-tackles Mahanoy Area's Kyler Quick (32) during Friday night's game. (Photo by Justin Reed / Skook News)
MAHANOY CITY — Eleven negative plays. Two fumble recoveries. Two interceptions.
Nativity’s defense dominated the line of scrimmage and its offense made a slew of big plays to power the Green Wave to a 50-8 win over Mahanoy Area in a Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division game Friday night at William “Coach Faz’’ Fazio Field at Alumni Stadium.
“There’s no secret to football. You’ve got to win the turnover battle. … We’ve been creating turnovers all year,’’ Nativity coach Pat Mason said. “Our defense right now is dialed in. Our defensive staff is top-notch.
“They had the kids prepared, ready to go,’’ Mason added. “That’s not an easy offense to defend. I think our guys were playing great assignment football.’’
Mahanoy Area (2-5, 2-4 Blue) moved the ball effectively in the first quarter, but each time the Golden Bears gained some momentum, Nativity (6-1, 5-1 Blue) came up with a takeaway or a couple of tackles for loss.
Mahanoy Area had an 18-7 edge in offensive plays in the first quarter, but the Green Wave led 22-0 after 12 minutes of play.
“It was a really tough night,’’ Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said. “I thought we shot ourselves in the foot numerous times, fumbles. In our offensive system, if you make a bad read in our option game, sometimes it’s going to get you negative yards. … It just felt like we’d take two steps forward and then 10 steps back.
“When we ran what we wanted to run, we were able to move the ball pretty well,’’ Holman added, “but it just seemed like couldn’t gain any ground because we continuously made errors.’’
When they created a break, the Green Wave capitalized.
Sam Walborn scored four touchdowns on runs of 32, 2, 26 and 1 yards.
Quarterback Ben Kreitzer completed 7-of-8 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns. A 58-yarder to Mike Stank and Stank’s conversion run late in the first quarter put Nativity up by three touchdowns.
Noah Dolbin did Noah Dolbin things, catching five passes for 85 yards and two TDs. He caught an 8-yarder in the second quarter and a 36-yarder in the third quarter that put the mercy rule’s running clock into effect.
“It’s always somebody different,’’ Mason said.
Mahanoy Area put together its best drive of the game at the end of the second quarter, marching 62 yards in nine plays. The Golden Bears scored on the final play of the first half when Levi Terry found Aidan Bowman in the back of the end zone for a 22-yard TD pass. Kyler Quick, who finished with 82 yards on 14 carries, made the conversion run to cut Mahanoy Area’s deficit to 36-8 at intermission.
Nativity kept coming up with big plays in the third quarter. Walborn opened the half with a 56-yard kickoff return to set up his 1-yard plunge; Stank picked off a pass; and Kreitzer threw his third TD pass, the second to Dolbin to give the Green Wave a 50-point night.
“This is the closest group I’ve had here at Nativity,’’ Mason said. “People always say, ‘You’re a private school. You get kids from (everywhere).’ All 16 seniors have been with us since Day 1. … They’re a really close group.
“They’re not selfish,’’ Mason added. “I always tell these guys a quote I learned a long time ago: ‘How you play when the ball’s not in your hands tells you how much you love your teammates.’ That’s what they do. … They play for each other, and that’s definitely the difference, 100 percent, than any team I’ve had since I’ve been here.’’
NOTES: Before the game, the Bears inducted their third class into the Mahanoy Area Athletic Hall of Fame. Steve Trautwein, Dr. Stephen John Debuski, Thomas J. Scheeler, William “Buck’’ Jones and Sam Quick received honors … Nativity goes on the road again next week, visiting rival Minersville. Mahanoy Area will host Tri-Valley. Both games are Friday night.
