HS Football: Salisbury knocks off Panther Valley

Brody Breiner, Panther Valley. (Photo by First Class School Photography)

LANSFORD — Panther Valley had momentum.

And was hoping to drive for what would have been a possible tying score.

But in football, a turnover can entirely change the complexion of a game.

Friday night against visiting Salisbury, a costly interception led to a score right before halftime. The Falcons also received the kickoff to start the second half and tallied again to take a commanding lead.

Those “sandwich scores” proved to be the difference as the Panthers fell by a 28-6 score in their season opener.

“The turnover hurt us,” Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine said. “We’re trying to punch that in and had momentum going at that time. That end of the half and the beginning of the second half killed us. Going down two scores makes it tough, and then they got the ball to start the second half.

“But our defense didn’t really play well all night. That’s something we have to look at. Our defense didn’t get stops, and I don’t think we tackled well. There were a lot of yards after contact, so we have to figure some stuff out.”

After Salisbury’s Keaton Frye reached the end zone on a 19-yard touchdown run with 1:54 to play until halftime to extend a one-point lead to 14-6, the Panthers looked like they might respond.

Following the ensuing kickoff, PV’s Brody Breiner connected with Ben Baneravage for an 11-yard gain. A pass interference then moved the ball 15 more yards.

But the Falcons’ A.J. Moren picked off a pass and scampered down to the Panther Valley 31-yard line. Three plays later, Frye tossed an 18-yard scoring strike to Jamanni Cruz to quickly up the margin to 21-6 with 21.7 seconds until the break.

To make matters worse for the home team, Salisbury gained possession to begin the third quarter and put together a six-play, 61-yard drive that resulted in another tally and a three-score advantage. Frye did the honors, breaking free down the left side for a 39-yard TD run.

“Their quarterback killed us with his running and scrambling to keep plays alive,” Lavine said. “He’s a heck of an athlete.”

Falcon mentor Kevin DiZenzo couldn’t have agreed more.

“I’m really proud of my quarterback Keaton Frye,” DiZenzo said. “That was his first start at quarterback. He was our starting tight end last year. To see him put the work that he’s put in during the offseason. … He’s just a great all-around kid, and to see him come out and compete on his first outing, that’s probably the most exciting piece of tonight for me.”

Frye ended with 117 rushing yards and three scores on just nine carries, while also throwing the touchdown pass.

While the final outcome wasn’t the one Lavine and his team were hoping, the Panthers’ fourth-year coach did see some positives.

“I liked our passing game,” Lavine said. “I thought offensively after the first couple of series we moved the ball decently, but it kind of comes back to some of the stuff from past years where we couldn’t put the ball in (the end zone). We have to score. We have to finish drives.

“I like our receivers, and I think as the season goes on they’re going to be a big factor. I thought Brody was pretty accurate, but when we have opportunities we have to take advantage.”

The Panthers also received some praise from the opposition.

“Panther Valley had some great drives,” DiZenzo said. “I was really excited to see some challenges on both sides of the ball. Kudos to them. I think they’re a good team and I think they’ll put things together for the rest of the season.

“It was a good job by Panther Valley in some phases of the game, they really got us out of our game at times.”

OPENING SCORES … After a scoreless first quarter, both teams had impressive drives to record their first touchdowns of the season. Salisbury went 64 yards, ending with a Frye 4-yard tally, while PV drove 81 yards in nine plays — its most impressive possession of the game — for its only score. The touchdown came on a 13-yard pass from Breiner to Gavin Yuricheck.

WHERE YOU START … The Panthers had some solid drives, but field position wasn’t their friend. The average starting spot for PV’s first six drives was its own 19. Conversely, the Falcons first five started on average at midfield.

STATS … Breiner completed 9-of-15 passes for 79 yards, with Yuricheck and Baneravage each having four receptions. Salisbury had 293 yards of offense compared to the Panthers’ 204.

Salisbury 28, Panther Valley 6

Salisbury   0   21   7   0  –  28

Panther Vy.   0   6   0   0  –    6

Sal – Frye 4 run (Fitzgerald kick)

PV – Yuricheck 13 pass from Breiner (kick failed)

Sal – Frye 19 run (Fitzgerald kick)

Sal – Cruz 18 pass from Frye (Fitzgerald kick)

Sal – Frye 39 run (Fitzgerald kick)