HUNTINGDON, Pa.- Visiting Gettysburg scored a touchdown with 19 seconds left to play as it defeated Juniata 30-25 on Saturday afternoon at Knox Stadium. The Bullets were held scoreless for most of the second half as the Eagles defense held firm.
Juniata trailed 24-22 after Kevin Bonalle (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) connected on a 22-yard field goal with 9:36 left in the third quarter. The score remained that way until Bonalle nailed a 39-yard attempt with just over a minute left to put the Eagles up 25-24.
Quarterback Hank Coyne (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford Sr. HS) and wide receiver Kirby Breault (Elizabethtown, Pa/Elizabethtown) both had career days for JC. Coyne was 26-of-45 for 404 yards and threw three TD passes. Breault caught 13 of those passes for 246 yards and scored three times.
Gettysburg looked to run away with the game as it led 17-0 late in the second quarter. The Bullets were driving with just under nine minutes to go in the quarter as they had the ball at the JC 9. The Eagle defense came up big as Demetrius Floyd (Corapolis, Pa./West Allegheny HS) stepped in front of a Sam McDermott pass and raced 31 yards to the Juniata 33.
Juniata would take advantage of the turnover. The Eagles moved down into Gettysburg territory to the Bullet 15. On first down, Coyne connected with Breault for the score. Bonalle's extra point attempt failed and the Bullet lead stood at 17-6.
JC got the stop it needed on defense as it forced a three and out. After the punt, the Blue and Gold started at its own 21. Deonte Alston (Bel-Air, Md./Patterson Mill) rushed for four yards to the 25. Gettysburg called a timeout before Coyne hit Breault down the middle at the Gettysburg 40 yard line and Breault outran the defender 40 yards to the right corner of the end zone and with Bonalle's extra point, the Eagles got to within four points, 17-13.
The Bullets answered right back with a long strike of their own as McDermott found Jordan Kelso for 71 yards and Gettysburg went up 24-13 with 1:40 remaining in the half. With 1:32 left in the quarter, Juniata started its drive on its own 30. Coyne completed to Alston for six yards and followed that with a big 52-yard completion to Breault to bring the ball all the way to the Bullet 12. Alston's seven yard runb made it second and three at the five yard line. From there, Coyne and Breault again would hook up for the score. The Eagles failed on the two-point conversion and Gettysburg led 24-19.
The Eagles ended the Bullets' next drive as Ryan Bologa (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) intercepted McDermott at the Juniata 47 with just nine seconds left. Juniata could not take advantage as Coyne was sacked and the half ended.
Juniata began the third quarter with the ball. Breault caught two passes for 19 yards to put JC at its own 41. On second and 10, a personal foul on Gettysburg moved Juniata into Bullet territory. A holding penalty on third and nine backed the Eagles to their own 46. On third and 20, Coyne launched a pass that was tipped by Bullet defender Noah Skirtich and into the arms of DaVon Mitchell (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) for a 44-yard gain and to the GC 10. Alston rushed to the four but the drive stalled and Bonalle's field goal made it 25-22.
Juniata ended Gettysburg's next possession as Donovan Cobb (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) forced a fumble that was recovered by Andrew Paterno (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro Area HS). The Eagles moved into GC territory to the 26 but failed to convert on 4th and 2 and turned the ball over on downs with 3:51 left in the third period.
The teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the third frame. The fourth quarter saw the Bullets' drive end on downs, the Eagles punt, Gettysburg punt, a Coyne interception, and another Gettysburg punt. The Eagles took over with 6:39 remaining and needing a score to get ahead. What seemed like a third and eight at their own 42 turned into a first down as the Bullets were called for a roughing the passer penalty. Another personal foul on GC gave Juniata a first and 10 at the Bullet 38. The Eagles got down to the GC 32 and the Bullets called a timeout with 1:02 left to play. Bonalle connected on his 39 yarder to give Juniata its first lead of the day, 25-24.
Following the ensuing kickoff, Gettysburg started at its own 29. McDermott rushed for 14 yards to the GC 43. A completion to Brandon Sparks for 18 yards got the Bullets to the JC 39. Two straight incompletions made it third and 10. McDermott then passed to Tyler Frazee for 39 yards to the end zone for the score as the Bullets wrestled back the lead.
Juniata had one more shot to win the game. An unsportsmanlike penalty after the Gettysburg touchdown moved the kickoff the 25-yard line. David Vidovic (Hohenfels, Germany/Hohenfels) received the kick and ran 32 yards to set up the Eagles at midfield. Coyne's first attempt fell incomplete and his second pass would be intercepted to end the game as the Bullets hung on for the win.
Juniata totaled 510 yards offense with Gettysburg piling up 533. Time of possession went in the Eagles favor 32:48 to 23:57. JC scored on all three of its three red zone chances. Both sides were penalized nine times.
On the ground, Alston ran 19 times for 58 yards. Matt Lehr (Dover, Pa./York Catholic) added 39 yards on nine attempts and Vidovic ran three times for 31 yards.
10 different receivers caught passes for Juniata. After Breault, Hunter Phillips (Funkstown, Md./South Hagerstown HS) grabbed three balls for 22 yards. Aaron O'Brien (York, Pa./York Catholic) caught two passes for 35 yards. Jake Notestine (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) snagged two catches for 31 yards. Mitchell, Alston, AJ Brocato (Abingdon, Md./Patterson Mills), Lehr, Maurice Slinger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), and Luke Everett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine Richland) all had one catch.
Jake Diviney (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area HS) led the defense with eight stops. Cobb totaled seven tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Jonah Plymire (York, Pa./Central York) picked up six tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. On the defense, head coach Tim Launtz said they played well but added, "To win this game, it takes a whole team and we didn't make those five or six plays you need to make in a football game."
Juniata goes on the road to Lancaster to take on Franklin and Marshall next Saturday. Game time from Sponaugle-Williamson Field will be at 1 p.m.
"We expended a lot of energy but we will be back to work tomorrow afternoon and on Tuesday," said Launtz. "These are Juniata men, they will respond."