Cameron County scores 16 unanswered points to down Bucktail 30-28
By Bees O’Brien
EMPORIUM, PA- Bucktail’s Braylon Fantaski scored on a 3 yard run with 7:36 remaining in Bucktail’s clash with Cameron County on Friday. The touchdown put Bucktail in front by a 28-14 score and it appeared as though the Bucks were about to roll out of the Red Raider Football Complex with their fifth victory of the season.
Maddox Baughman and Malaki Zucal had other plans. The Red Raiders’ duo would stage a comeback on the Bucks to steal a home victory over the Bucks 30-28 and end their 2-game slide.
Long before the hometown heroics, the Emporium crowd were introduced to District IV’s top rusher in quarterback Brody Pentz. It wouldn’t take the Cameron County crowd long to figure out that #2 was the guy to stop.
Pentz began his third 200-plus yard game of the season with a monster 71-yard run to give Bucktail a 6-0 lead. Pentz would then find Gavin Yachymiak for the try for two and Bucktail was up 8-0.
Baughman would then orchestrate a short Cameron County drive and find Lathan Reed on a 24-yard strike, but the pass attempt on the try for two was unsuccessful and the Bucks still led 8-6.
Bucktail’s swarming defense was tough on Friday night. Johnny Green led the charge with several big time stops and Talan Ditty stepped up and made some solid stops too. Plays from Green and Ditty resulted in the Red Raiders forced to punt from their end zone.
Pentz would strike again. This time on a Baughman punt return that he would take to the house from 32 yards out with 7 seconds remaining in the half. The run attempt failed, but Bucktail led 14-6 at the break.
Bucktail would extend their lead to 22-6 in the third quarter, thanks to a 14-yard score from Pentz. Pentz ignited the drive with a 69-yard run earlier in the drive.
Later in the third, Baughman’s 26-yard score to Zucal would shrink the Bucktail lead to 22-14 following a Zucal two-point conversion.
The Bucks’ defense was tough all night, especially in holding Zucal well below his season average. He gained just 35 yards on the ground.
Fantaski’s score at the 7:36 mark gave the Bucks a commanding 28-14 lead, but back came the Red Raiders.
Baughman’s 2-yard scoring strike to Zucal and two-point completion to Jacob Narby would pull Cameron County to within 6 points at 28-22.
The Bucks’ offense would be stop on their next turn and Cameron County would drive down the field. Green would make a huge stop on Baughman in the backfield, but eventually a pass interference call would not go Bucktail’s way. This would lead to a Baughman 1-yard run.
The Red Raiders would break out a halfback option pass to get the victory with 1:17 left. Zucal would take the pitch from Baughman and find Narby open for the two-point conversion to take the 30-28 lead.
Bucktail’s last ditch effort would fall short in controversial fashion when the referee failed to place the ball down following a Bucktail running play. This would not allow the Bucks to get a final play.
Bucktail would fall to 4-2 on the season and 1-2 in D9 Region 3 play. Cameron County upped their mark to 4-2 and 1-1 in league play.
The Bucks will now hit the road Friday night as they travel to St. Mary’s to face Elk County Catholic in a rematch from earlier this season, a game in which Bucktail won.
Pentz finished another huge night with 255 yards rushing on 22 carries and a touchdown. He now is just 38 yards shy of reaching 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
Braylon Fantaski hit a milestone as well. Fantaski has now rushed for over 1,000 career yards and has over 1,000 receiving yards in his career.
Bucktail
Cam. County 6 0 8 16 30
B-Pentz 71 run (Pentz to Yachymiak)
CC- Baughman 24 pass to Reed (pass failed)
B- Pentz 32 punt return (run failed)
B- Pentz 14 run (Pentz to Yachymiak)
CC- Baughman 26 pass to Zucal (Zucal run)
B- Fantaski 3 run (run failed)
CC- Baughman 2 pass to Zucal (Baughman to Narby)
CC- Baughman 1 run (Zucal to Narby)
Rushing
BUCKTAIL- Pentz 22-255 2TD, Fantaski 10-71 TD, Pettingill 15-63, Mason 5-13
TOTALS- 52-402 3TD
CAMERON COUNTY- Baughman 8-55 TD, Zucal 7-35, Reed 2-5
TOTALS- 17-95 TD
Passing
BUCKTAIL- Pentz 6-12 43 yds
CAMERON COUNTY- Baughman 10-16 150 yds 3TD
Receiving
BUCKTAIL- Fantaski 4-24, Yachymiak 2-19
CAMERON COUNTY- Zucal 4-57 2TD, Reed 2-26 TD, Narby 2-46, Shepard 1-12, Earle 1-11
First Downs- Bucktail 22, Cam. County 8
Penalties- Bucktail 6-35, Cam. County 1-5
Turnovers- Bucktail 1, Cam. County 1
