Bulldogs Move to PIAA Finals; Win 39-35 Thriller in Semis

LAMPETER, PA – The Jersey Shore Bulldogs are heading to Hershey for the PIAA Class 4A title game next weekend. It wasn’t easy; it was back-and-forth, but the Bulldogs came from behind at Lampeter-Strasburg Friday night, pulling out a 39-35 win over the host Pioneers.

The victory vaults ‘Shore into the school’s first-ever state championship game against Thomas Jefferson. The WPIAL champion Jaguars advanced to the title game with a 62-0 win over Oil City on Friday.

The Bullogs and the Pioneers both featured high-powered offenses going into their Friday night game, but it was the ‘Shore defense that stepped up late in the fourth quarter when the home team was driving for a go-ahead score. L-S faced a fourth-and-10 at Jersey Shore’s 15 yard-line with under five minutes remaining when Bulldog defender Cayden Hess intercepted a Sean McTaggart pass. Lampeter-Strasburg would not get the ball back. Jersey Shore chewed up the game’s final 4:23, advancing into Pioneer territory and killing the clock.

Before that defensive stop, it was back and forth, Jersey Shore’s diversified offense against McTaggart’s passing. The Pioneer quarterback finished with more than 400 yards passing. But he was intercepted twice, Hess late in the game and Dalton Dugan with a clutch “pick six,” good for a 6-pointer in the third period putting ‘Shore back on top at the time at 33-28.

McTaggart answered back with a 2-yard run later in the period for a 35-33 lead for Lampeter-Strasburg. The Bulldogs resonded with what proved to the game-winning drive, the score on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Branden Wheary to Hess. That made the score 39-35 for ‘Shore and five minutes later the Bulldogs came up with the game-winning stop, killed the clock and packed up for the long ride home to Jersey Shore.

Wheary had two touchdown passes on the night to Hess; Cam Allison pitched in with touchdown runs of 9 and 25 yards and Owen Anderson contributed a long touchdown catch.

Jersey Shore (11-0) will meet Thomas Jefferson (9-1) Saturday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. at Hershey Stadium. For the Jaguars it will be a second consecutive appearance. A year ago the Pittsburgh area team downed Lampeter-Strasburg, 44-2. Jersey Shore will be attempting to avenge that loss next Saturday.