Tornadoes Pull Away for 54-28 Win Over Wildcats

AdminSeptember 20, 2014Last Updated: September 20, 2014

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MOUNT CARMEL – Pennsylvania’s all-time football win leader was going for number 823 Friday night and the Red Tornadoes of Mount Carmel, favored going in, had to battle for a while to come away with a 54-28 win over Central Mountain.

The visiting Wildcats played some of their best ball of a 1-3 season by matching the home team touchdown-for-touchdown into the second period at the Tornadoes’ Silver Bowl. In fact Central Mountain owned a 21-14 lead early in the second. But then Wildcat mistakes and a diversified Mount Carmel offense led to 40 unanswered points from the victors, en route to the final of 54-28 and win number 824 over more than a century of football was posted.

The loss took away from a phenomenal performance from Wildcat sophomore Justin Neff. He scored all four Central Mountain touchdowns: a 37-yard rushing score and an 85-yard kickoff return in period number one, a 32-yard t-d reception from Bryce Bitner in period two and a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bitner in the final quarter.

Neff also was 1-for-2 passing, a 51-yard strike to fellow sophomore J.J. Harris, just missing with a second bomb to Harris.

Otherwise Central Mountain struggled, outgained by Mount Carmel by a 497 to 284 margin. Hunter Weaver again led the Wildcat ground attack, 28 carries for 116 yards, Neff just behind him with 57 yards on five carries. Neff also caught a total of three Bitner passes for 45 yards.

The Wildcats had no answer for Tornado running back Blake Panko, the junior carrying 19 times for 216 yards.

Central Mountain returns home for a first-ever meeting with Lewisburg next Friday night. The Green Dragons moved to 2-2 on the year with a 42-13 lacing of Milton (1-3) this Friday.