Bucktail grinds out nearly 400 yard rushing in Homecoming loss to Terrors

PublisherOctober 15, 2022Last Updated: October 15, 2022

4 minutes read

By Bees O’Brien

FARWELL, PA- If you were one of the many in attendance at Dwyer Memorial Field on Friday night for the Heritage Homecoming game, you would have thought that Bucktail was routing visiting Otto-Eldred based on time of possession and the way the Bucks pounded the ball with their running game.

Bucktail once again dominated their seventh straight opponent on the stat sheet, but would come away empty handed following a 42-36 come from behind win by the visiting Terrors.

Bucktail would attempt an unbelievable 61 rushing attempts for a season-high 398 yards and 5 rushing scores.

Junior Tanner Pettingill was the workhorse and bruised and battered the Terror defense all night, finishing with 203 yards and 4 of those 5 touchdown runs.

Otto-Eldred would counter with their own star, in quarterback Andrew Schenfield. Schenfield was on target all night and would blister the Bucks for 346 yards and a trio of touchdowns to three different receivers.

The game began with the Bucktail offensive line bullying the Terrors’ defensive front and moved them at will on the opening series for Bucktail. A 12-yard run from Braylon Fantaski and a 20 yard scamper from quarterback Brody Pentz would set up the game’s first score. Pettingill would explode behind a powerful Bucktail front and race 22 yards for the score. Bucktail’s 2-point try failed, but the home town team led 6-0.

Otto-Eldred would respond. A 10-yard bubble screen from Andrew Schenfield to David Schenfield and long completions to Manning Splain and Ray’Shene Thomas would set up a 4 yard score from Hunter App to tie things up at 6-6.

Bucktail would continue to follow Pettingill’s lead in the second quarter following his 3-yard score with 10:54 remaining in the half. Pentz would score on a two-point try to build Bucktail’s lead to 14-6.

Schenfield would strike again on Otto’s next series with a 69-yard bullet to Manning Splain. A Hunter App 2-point run would knot the score at 14-14.

Braylon Fantaski would get in on the scoring fun in the second quarter with a 50-yard cut back touchdown run. Pentz would find Gavin Yachymiak in the end zone for a successful try for two and Bucktail once again led 22-14.

Schenfield would call his own number late in the first half from 3 yards out, but the Terrors’ try for two failed and Bucktail led 22-20 at the break.

Otto-Eldred would take their first lead of the game with 4:28 left in the third quarter on a Thomas 30 yard score from Schenfield.

With the Terrors up 26-22, the Bucks rushing attack kept on pounding Pettingill. He would bust open a run from 18 yards out to give Bucktail 28-26 lead and his two-point conversion put Bucktail in the lead 30-26.

Otto-Eldred was on the move late in the third quarter when Johnny Green would step up big with a huge sack on Schenfield, Green also would later recover a fumble for Bucktail that would put the Bucks in contention of putting this game out of reach.

It looked as though that they had done so following a 5-yard Pettingill run to bring the score to 36-26 and the game seemed even more out of reach for Otto-Eldred following a Bucktail onside kick recovery.

A terrible inadvertent whistle call following a fumble may have been the deciding factor. Bucktail fumbled the snap, but a premature whistle blew the play dead just as Fantaski had scooped up the ball and was possibly on his way to the end zone. The play was ruled dead and on the very next play disaster would strike the Bucks.

Bucktail would attempt a pass play, but the ball would be jarred loose and Braxton Caldwell would race 65 yards for a Terror touchdown.

The Bucks would be forced to turn the ball over on downs to Otto-Eldred that would result in another touchdown strike from Schenfield. His 53 yard scoring strike to Max Splain would seal Bucktail’s fate and give the Terrors the 42-36 victory.

The two teams combined for 846 yards of total offense. Brody Pentz had a big night on the ground for Bucktail. Pentz would rush for 110 yards to go with Pettingill’s 203 yards. Braylon Fantaski racked up 85 yards and a score on just 11 tries.

Manning Splain was Schenfield’s favorite target. He grabbed 7 passes for 194 yards.

The Bucks now are 2-5 and will hit the road for their final District 9 League Region 3 contest of the year at Coudersport on Friday night. Otto-Eldred, now 6-2 will hit the road and battle the red hot Cameron County Red Raiders, who knocked off Elk County Catholic in commanding fashion Friday night.

Otto-Eldred 6 14 6 16 42

Bucktail 6 16 8 6 36

B- Pettingill 22 run (run failed)

OE- App 4 run (run failed)

B-Pettingill 3 run (Pentz run)

OE- Schenfield 69 pass to Manning Splain (App run)

B-Fantaski 50 run (Pentz pass to Yachymiak)

OE- Schenfield 3 run (run failed)

OE- Schenfield 30 pass to Thomas (run failed)

B-Pettingill 18 run (Pettingill run)

B-Pettingill 5 run (run failed)

OE- Braxton 65 fumble return (Schenfield pass to Thomas)