Bulldogs Overpower Wildcats, 55-7

JERSEY SHORE, PA – The Jersey Shore Bulldogs left no doubt who the better team was Friday night, scoring early and often on the way to a 55-7 home field thrashing of Central Mountain.

Both teams came into the game at 2-0 and Wildcat fans were anxious to see if CM could stay with a Bulldog program that went to the PIAA semifinals a year ago. It turns out they could not. ‘Shore used its quick-strike, no huddle offense to score on three of its first four possessions; the Bulldog defense even got into the scoring act, junior defensive back Cayden Hess returning a pass 45 yards for a touchdown.

Hess had a career first period. He put up ‘Shore’s first two scores on passes from quarterback Brandon Wheary. Shortly thereafter he pick-sixed Wildcat quarterback Brett Gerlach, reading a pass perfectly and taking it in full stride for his 45-yard interception return. Hess finished the first 12 minutes with 18 of the Bulldogs’ 20 points.

Central Mountain would get on the scoreboard with a 58-yard scoring drive in period two. Gerlach scrambled for 15 yards to the JS 10 yard line and was able to get a pass to Micah Walizer for a 13-yard touchdown; Tyler Weaver’s extra-point made it 26-7, but the Wildcats would get no closer.

Jersey Shore’s defense pressured Gerlach all night, sacking him seven times for 52 yards in losses. Walizer led the Wildcat running game with 48 yards on eight carries. Jersey Shore meanwhile got more than a hundred yards each from starting running back Cam Allison and sophomore reserve Brady Jordan who had two touchdowns in the final period, one of them a 70-yard jaunt.

Coach Tom Gravish’s team (3-0) has now outscored three opponents by a cumulative score of 149 to 14. The Bulldogs are ranked second in the state in pennlive.com’s Class 4 A rankings
.
Central Mountain, now 2-1, will try to bounce back next Friday, Oct. 2, a home game with Milton. The Black Panthers lost Friday night, 14-0, to Shikellamy, a team the Wildcats beat, 33-6, on Sept. 11. Jersey Shore next Friday travels to Selinsgrove (2-1). The Bulldogs and Seals will meet one time in the regular season this year, while Central Mountain has return engagements listed with both teams later in the season’s second half.