Bucktail’s Pentz, Ditty, Stone Shine in Tough Loss at Smethport, 53-28

By Bees O’Brien

SMETHPORT- Bucktail came to play on Friday night in Smethport. The Bucks scored a season high 28 points and outscored the host Hubbers 28-21 in the game’s final three quarters, but a rough 32-0 first quarter from Smethport made up the difference in a 53-28 D9 League Region 4 loss.

The Hubbers struck often in the first frame despite the Bucktail defense standing tall on Smethport’s first series of the game. A fumble recovery by JJ Ditty halted the home team’s opening drive. The Bucks failed to capitalize and Smethport’s Jonah Ganoe began to go to work.

The Smethport senior began to carve up Bucktail’s defense with a 62-yard touchdown run with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter. Ganoe was far from done. His score from six yards out a third score in the frame from 17 yards out helped build a 22-0 lead.

Ganoe had an outstanding night by gaining 134 yards, scored three touchdowns on just 10 carries.

Smethport’s rushing defense then forced a safety, which eventually led to another touchdown in the first quarter when Hubber quarterback Mason Swanson found Jude Kisko from one yard out for a touchdown. Swanson’s quarterback keeper on the two-point conversion had Smethport up 32-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Bucktail quarterback Corbin Pentz began to go to work. Pentz’s 68-yard strike to fellow freshman Levi Stevenson set up a Pentz seven-yard strike to Teagan Stone to get the Bucks on the board to make it 32-6, in favor of the Hubbers.

Bucktail looked like a completely different team in the second half. Smethport opened the half with a pair of touchdowns, but Pentz began toopen up the offense.

Teagan Stone’s big second half set up other receivers for Pentz to target and it worked. Stone hauled in 6 catches for 111 yards and the second quarter score. Jayden Intallura’s two catches for 65 yards and Stevenson’s three snags for 80 yards all led to Aidan Ditty bringing in three fourth quarter touchdowns, including one as time expired. Ditty also converted a pair of two-point conversions to set the final at 53-28.

All three of Ditty’s catches resulted in scores for a total of 27 yards.

Pentz set a personal best of 283 yards on 13 of 17 passing and four touchdowns.

The Bucks fell to 1-4 and are set to travel to Otto-Eldred on Saturday night in Duke Center. The Terrors fell to 1-4 on the season following their 56-24 loss to Kane Friday night.

Bucktail 0 6 0 22 28

Smethport 32 0 14 7 53

RUSHING

BUCKTAIL- Intallura 7-5, Stevenson 6-minus 2, Stone 3- minus 6, Pentz 7- minus 28 TOTAL- 22- minus 31

SMETHPORT- Ganoe 10-134 3TD, Kisko 6-83 TD, Hungiville 5-52, Rothermel 4-7 TD, Tanner 1-2, Swanson 8- minus 23 TOTAL- 34-255 5TD

PASSING

BUCKTAIL- Pentz 13-17 283 yds 4TD

SMETHPORT- Swanson 6-10 79 yds TD, Hungiville 1-1 15 yds TD

RECEIVING

BUCKTAIL- Stone 6-111 TD, Stevenson 3-80, Intallura 2-65, A. Ditty 3-27 3TD

SMETHPORT- Ganoe 2-25, Fitzsimmon 1-21, Young 1-15 TD, Dickerson 1-12, Kisko 1-1 TD

First Downs Smethport- 8 Bucktail- 11

Penalties Smethport 8-55 Bucktail 7-55

Turnovers Smethport- 2 Bucktail- 3