Veteran Indian team tops Wildcat gridders, 47-28
COAL TOWNSHIP, PA – The Central Mountain football team put up a season-high 28 points Friday night at Kemp Stadium in Coal Township. But that wasn’t enough as home-standing Shamokin, bolstered by the return of standout quarterback Brett Nye, put up scores in every quarter for a 47-28 win.
The loss dropped the Wildcats to 0-5 at the midway point of the 2022 season and sets up next Friday night’s Homecoming contest with a struggling (1-4) Williamsport team. The Millionaires fell Friday night by a 51-13 score at Crestwood. Shamokin ended a three-game losing streak and moves to 2-3 with its win.
Shamokin welcomed back their veteran quarterback in Nye (6-2, 212), but it was the play of the Artis-Jones boys, Knowledge and Wisdom, that caused the most problem for the Wildcats; the two senior speedsters accounted for five Indian touchdowns.
Central Mountain did have some big touchdown plays as they tried to match Shamokin’s scores. The Indians led 7-0 after one but the Wildcats pulled into a 7-7 tie early in period two, off a 1-yard Rocco Serafini touchdown run and a Peyton Jones extra point. That 61-yard drive was set up by a long Brady Myers to Serafini screen pass.
Shamokin answered back with a Nye to Chase Pensyl 12-yard scoring pass to make it 14-7. The Indians added another seven off an 8-yard touchdown run from Knowledge Artis-Johns, the score 21-7 for the home team as halftime approached. The Wildcats answered back in a hurry: Connor Foltz took the ball on a reverse from Serafini on the ensuing kickoff and went 80 yards to paydirt. Jones’ extra point cut the Shamokin lead to 21-14.
The game turned on the second half kickoff, the Indian kick bouncing off a Wildcat deep man. Shamokin took over on the Wildcat 26 and Artis-Jones immediately scored to make it 28-14. A short while later Nye connected with Artis-Jones on a 22-yard scoring strike, pushing the score to 34-14.
Central Mountain put up a third quarter touchdown when backup quarterback Tom Sprague hit Dominic Longworth for a perfectly executed 57-yard touchdown strike; the extra point was good, the score 34-21.
Early in the final period, Artis-Jones went 61 yards for the score; the extra point was good, the score 41-21. Later Artis-Jones would intercept a Wildcat pass and shortly thereafter scoring the final points for the Indians, the score 47-21 with 8:38 remaining.
Central Mountain did mount one final scoring drive, Serafini in from two yards out, Jones’ EP setting the final at 47-28.
The Wildcats struggled to find success running the ball, but Serafini caught two passes for 104 and finished with two touchdowns. Longworth caught one pass for 57 yards and a score.
CM 0 14 7 7 = 28
S 7 14 13 13 = 47
