Pottsville's Shay Stencosky (14) in motion as the Crimson Tide prepare to run an play on offense against Wilson (Photo by Eli Doyle).
WILSON — It was just what the doctor ordered for Pottsville.
The Crimson Tide closed out their final game at historic Smith Field in style Friday afternoon, rolling past Wilson for a 35-0 non-league victory in a dominant all-around performance that blended explosive plays, stingy defense, and some long-overdue momentum.
“This feels really good,” Pottsville coach Mike Brennan said. “It wasn’t easy again. We had some guys get dinged up in the first half. Brody Herndon couldn’t finish and we were afraid Max (Clews) wasn’t going to finish, but we fought through. We’ve had the next man up mentality throughout and it’s been difficult. Pretty much everything that’s gone against us all year, so to get this today is a step in the right direction and it feels really good for our kids.”
Pottsville (3-5) overcame a sluggish first half that saw a pair of would-be touchdowns — a Max Clews scoring run and a Shay Strencosky pick-six — called back by penalties. But once they settled in, the Tide controlled the rest of the game, scoring 35 unanswered points and shutting out the Warriors (0-8).
After a scoreless opening quarter, Pottsville broke through midway through the second. Quarterback Andrew Allen found Nick Huda on a 20-yard touchdown strike down the right side, where Christian Alvarez delivered a key block to spring Huda into the end zone to break the Tide’s 10-quarter scoreless streak. Minutes later, Allen connected deep with Strencosky for a 60-yard touchdown that gave the Tide a 14-0 halftime lead.
Clews, who was contained early due to penalties and defensive adjustments, broke loose in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to extend the lead to 21-0. He later added a 12-yard touchdown reception from Allen and ripped off several explosive runs as Pottsville’s offense found its rhythm.
The Tide tacked on one final score in the fourth quarter when Brady Eroh powered into the end zone from 12 yards out to cap the victory.
Clews finished with 113 rushing yards and two total touchdowns on 11 carries, while Eroh added 37 yards and a score. Allen went 10-of-23 through the air for 155 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball to five different receivers. Strencosky led the way with 75 receiving yards on two catches, including the long touchdown, and added an interception on defense. He also took a reverse for a large gain that set up Eroh’s 12-yard touchdown plunge.
Pottsville’s defense stifled Wilson all afternoon, holding the Warriors to 68 rushing yards and just 151 total yards of offense. Strencosky’s interception highlighted a secondary that consistently pressured quarterback Nick Tadayesky, while the Tide’s front seven controlled the line of scrimmage and eliminated any chance of a comeback.
Nickenson Louis Jeune paced Wilson with six catches for 46 yards, but the Warriors couldn’t sustain drives against Pottsville’s physical defensive front.
Friday’s victory marked a fitting sendoff for Smith Field, which will undergo a $40 million reconstruction project beginning this fall.
Game Summary
Pottsville 35, Wilson 0
Potts (3-5) 0 14 14 7 — 35
Wil (0-8) 0 0 0 0 — 0
P — Huda 20 pass from Allen (Alvarez kick)
P — Strencosky 60 pass from Allen (Alvarez kick)
P — Clews 1 run (Alvarez kick)
P — Clews 12 pass from Allen (Alvarez kick)
P — Eroh 12 run (Alvarez kick)
Team Statistics
P-Wil
First Downs — 12 11
Rushes-Yards — 20-122 21-68
Passes — 10-23-0 12-25-1
Passing Yards — 155 83
Total Yards — 277 151
Fumbles/Lost — 1-1 1-0
Penalties — 6-55 6-50
