Pentz goes over 1,000 yard mark in 36-7 Bucktail win

PublisherOctober 7, 2023Last Updated: October 7, 2023

3 minutes read

By Bees O’Brien

ST MARYS, PA- Sometimes rematches in high school sports can often times be referred to as a “trap game,” especially when the first meeting was a lopsided affair. That was the potential case in St. Marys Friday night when Bucktail met Elk County Catholic in a rematch from the Bucks’ 42-16 win over the Crusaders earlier this season.

Bucktail started off sketchy but would regroup and roll over ECC 36-7 in the rematch and now focus on the ultimate rematch against Otto-Eldred in Farwell this coming Friday.

Bucktail allowed a pair of first quarter turnovers to stall long drives, as Bucktail’s defense would do the same to the Crusaders on a wet and foggy Dutch Country Stadium field.

Bucktail quarterback Brody Pentz became the program’s twelfth player to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a single season on a 10-yard run. Pentz would then fall below the 1,000-yard mark on his next carry. A 22-yard run on the next play put the Bucktail junior over the mark for good.

Bucktail’s powerful rushing attack was in full swing, but the Crusaders managed to keep the visitors from scoring until late in the second quarter.

The speedy Braylon Fantaski would find some footing on the slick turf and scamper into the end zone from 32 yards out and a Pentz run had Bucktail sitting good, up 8-0.

A 50-yard punt return by Fantaski would set up an 8-yard Pentz score to extend Bucktail’s lead to 14-0.

As the half was coming to a close ECC would get burnt on their own trick play. Quarterback Charlie Gecci would find Frankie Smith open in the flat. Smith would try a hook and ladder to running back Noah Cherry. Cherry would fumble the ball and Bucktail recovered.

Pentz proved that he can do more than run when he connected with Gavin Yachymiak on a 60-yard pickup. Pentz would then find Yachymiak on a 10-yard score. Another Pentz conversion and Bucktail would take a commanding 22-0 lead into the locker room at the break.

With 7:32 left in the third quarter, it would be Pentz again reaching the end zone. His 3-yard score followed by a Brett Mason conversion extended the lead to 30-0 for the Bucks.

Elk County would finally find the end zone late in the third quarter when Gecci would find Matthew Gilmore open on a 43-yard score. Wil Wortman’s extra point put the score at 30-7.

Bucktail’s Mason would cap off the scoring midway through the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run to set the final at 36-7 in favor of Bucktail.

The win put Bucktail at 5-2 on the season and will finish with a .500 or better record for the first time since 2011. This is a team that went winless in 2021 and now is more than likely heading to the PIAA District 4 1A playoffs.

Pentz finished the night with 133 yards rushing and 1,095 yards rushing on the season, placing him currently seventh on single season totals at Bucktail. Tanner Pettingill also had a big night racking up 116 of Bucktail’s 411 team rushing yards.

Pentz also saw success through the air tossing for 125 yards, 92 of those yards and a score to Yachymiak.

The Bucks will now host Otto-Eldred for Homecoming on Friday. This is a rematch of the wild 57-48 win by Otto-Eldred. The Terrors fell to Coudersport 49-28.

Bucktail 0 22 8 6 = 36

ECC 0 0 7 0 = 7

B- Fantaski 32 run (Pentz run)

B-Pentz 8 run (pass failed)

B- Pentz 10 pass to Yachymiak (Pentz run)

B-Pentz 3 run (Mason run)

E- Gecci 43 pass to Gilmore (Wortman kick)

B-Mason 2 run (pass failed)

Rushing

BUCKTAIL- Pentz 16-133 2TD, Pettingill 16-116, Fantaski 9-65 TD, Mason 8-54 TD, Pick 2-28, Dwyer 1-9, Intallura 2-6 TOTALS- 54-4114TD

ECC- Gecci 10-65, Cherry 11-116, Smith 5-46, McDonald 1-2 TOTALS-27-229

Passing