Heartbreak at CARP

Three strong quarters and a 21 to 7 point lead was wiped away with about 8 minutes to go in the game Friday night. The Falcons drop a heart breaker 26-21 after giving up 19 points in the final 8 minutes.

After Elk County took the opening drive 85 yards that ended on a Ricky Pearsal 10 yard touchdown run, the Falcons answered with a 70 yard drive of our own when Tim McCusker slipped through a gaping hole for a 16 yard touchdown.

In the second quarter the Falcons continued to move the ball and Mitch Freeman was able to find daylight around left end and barrel his way in for a 10 yard touchdown. The PAT failed but, the Falcons took a 13-7 halftime lead and didn't punt the whole first half.

In the opening drive of the third quarter, we picked up where we left off, driving 60 yards in 9 plays where Freeman again found the endzone from a yard out. Caden Whitman was able to haul in a Tim McCusker pass for the two point conversion and we had a 14 point lead with 8:07 left in the third quarter.

The score remained that way until the 8:51 mark of the final stanza when the Crusaders drove 67 yards in 10 plays that ended in a Pearsal score from a yard out. That was the first of his 3 fourth quarter touchdowns.

From that point on, we were unable to muster much offense for the rest of the game. On a critical 4th and 3 from the ECC 35 yard line, McCusker tried to sprint out to the right but was tripped up by a blitzing linebacker that ended our threat and gave the crusaders the ball at their own 41 yard line. It only took 5 plays from there for Pearsal to plunge into the endzone from 8 yards out. That gave them a 5 point lead as the 2 point conversion failed.

A late interception of a McCusker pass sealed the deal as the Falcons drop our first game of the season in a heart breaker.

We now have to travel to Brockway and the high flying Rovers next Friday. Time to bounce back and put forth a complete 4 quarters and steal a win we're not supposed to get.

See you next week!