High School Final – Pottsville 48, Charleston 7
POTTSVILLE – If it could go wrong during a football game, chances are it happened to Charleston on Friday night at Pottsville. The Tigers struggled to move the ball offensively all night, and defensively had no answer to the physicality and power run that Pottsville presented.
Charleston (0-2) took the opening kickoff, but was forced to punt after a 3-and-out at the 10:56 mark in the first quarter. Pottsville (2-0) followed with a long, grinding drive, capped off by an 11 yard Colt Johnson QB keeper for a touchdown.
Then the wheels fell off the bus.
Charleston’s ensuing possession started with a botched snap over the head of Charleston QB Lukas Burleson. There was also a holding call that pushed the sticks back further. Charleston was eventually faced with a 3rd and 30, and Burleson was unable to find an open receiver, and was forced into a fumble that the Apaches recovered at the Tigers 6 yard line. Pottsville scored on their next play on a 6 yard run by Kai Mahan to make the score 14-0.
On their third drive, Charleston was finally able to convert a first down on a Lukas Burleson 15 yard screen pass completion to Finn Schmalz. But that would be the only positive in the first quarter. The tigers were unable to secure another first down after 2 incomplete passes and a rush for no gain, and were forced to punt. Unfortunately, the punt came off the side of Burleson’s foot and only went for 14 yards. The next play, Pottsville running back Penn Helton ran a 52-yard touchdown to push the score to 21-0 with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter.
But it didn’t stop there. On the next possession, Charleston was able to get their second first down on a 12-yard Burleson QB keeper, but were forced into a fumble on the very next play. On Pottsville’s next play, quarterback Colt Johnson connected with Elijah Morris for a 37 yard touchdown completion, on his only pass attempt of the first quarter. This put Pottsville up 28-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter wasn’t any kinder to the Tigers. After a 3-and-out, Burleson’s punt attempt was blocked. Pottsville’s ensuing drive stalled, but Jhostin Molina kicked a 28 yard field goal to put the score at 31-0.
On their second drive of the second quarter, Charleston was finally able to parlay a couple first downs, and eventually made it into Pottsville territory. But they stalled again from there, eventually faced with a 4th and 4 that they failed to convert. On the next play, Helton ran for a 54 yard touchdown, his second of the night, to go up 38-0.
The first half was capped off by another Jhostin Molina field goal, this time from 38 yards, to make the halftime score 41-0 Pottsville.
During a mercy rule shortened second half, each team exchanged one touchdown, with Charleston finally going up on the board with 11:00 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Kaden Smothers one yard carry.
When asked what kind of problems that Pottsville presented tonight, Charleston Head Coach Ricky May said “They had a big physical team that presented us some problems. But we did it to ourselves. You can’t do what we did and beat a good football team.”
Lukas Burleson was held to 2-of-10 passing in the first half for 17 yards. Finn Schmalz was limited to 10 yards on 5 carries in the first half. Burleson added 39 yards rushing on 7 attempts.
When asked what his focus will be on this week to prepare for Ozark, Coach May said, “At this point, we have to worry about us more than Ozark. We get us fixed, we can compete with anyone. Ozark has a great team so we’re going to have to play lights out.”
Ozark is one of the hottest teams in the state right now after a 36-14 opening night win at Maumelle, followed by a 60-0 thrashing of Huntsville last night. This years Franklin County Feud will be played at Charleston on Friday, 9/11.
All photo credits to Ronni Tate Young of RNN. To see more of her photos from the game, visit the Team Press Pass Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TeamPressPass/
