Evan Culver had only 18 carries for a whopping 346 yards in a heroic effort against Scranton Prep
What started as a beautiful night for late November football turned even more delightful with the Saucon Valley Panthers running over, through, around and past a very good Scranton Prep Cavalier football team last night. Evan Culver followed the Hogs leading the way to a Saucon Valley 42-20 victory. The Panthers stayed alive to advance to the PIAA state quarterfinal in a showdown against the Selinsgrove Seals at Northern Lehigh High School on Friday.
Saucon Valley got off to a great start playing “bend but don’t break defense” and jumping on top of the Cavaliers 14-0. Saucon’s first score came courtesy of a three play drive that saw Zach Thatcher keep the ball on option and scamper 26 yards to pay dirt. Their second touchdown resulted from a Cavalier fumble caused by Mike Kane and recovered by Ryan Meyers. The very next play following the Prep turnover, Evan Culver burst through the Cavalier defense for a 55-yard touchdown run.
Scranton Prep answered with a pair of touchdowns of their own from Cavalier quarterback Kevin Holmes. The first was a 3-yard touchdown pass that capped a methodical 63-yard drive. The second, a 30-yard play-action bootleg pass that found Wes Simons behind the Panther defense.
Saucon Valley regained possession with 3:20 seconds remaining in the half and would reclaim the lead. The drive was highlighted by a 20-yard Zach Thatcher Quarterback draw and a pair of passes to Mike Kane. The first pass was a 35-yard completion over the middle down to the Cavalier 17 yard line. The second was an acrobatic grab in the back of the Cavalier end zone for a 12-yard touchdown reception. Josh Snead made his third extra point to put the Panthers up 21-14 at the half.
The Panthers received the second half kickoff and wasted no time getting back to business. On the very first offensive play Evan Culver took “Toss Right” 62-yards for another Panther touchdown. Snead again did his thing to extend the Saucon lead 28-14.
The Panther defense forced a three and out which was bad news for Prep because Culver would take the very next Panther offensive play 60-yards for another amazing touchdown run. Culver’s highlight reel run and Snead’s point after made the score 35-14 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.
On the next series the Saucon defense forced a Cavalier punt and the Panthers were forging a nice drive. Scranton Prep, however, would take advantage of a Saucon Valley fumble and convert it to points with a 65-yard “wheel route” for a touchdown. Prep’s David Horvath raced out of the backfield and up the sideline to shag a deep throw by Holmes and finish for six. The Cavaliers missed the extra point keeping the score at 35-20 with just under a minute remaining in the third quarter.
Any last hopes for a Prep comeback were snuffed out when Evan Culver intercepted Holmes in the end zone with about three minutes remaining. The Panthers would move the ball and “eat” the clock. For good measure however, Zach Thatcher scored on a broken play. All the Panthers went right but Thatcher wisely (or luckily!) went left for a 22-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds remaining in the game. Josh Snead would connect for his sixth extra point of the night to close out a magnificent 42-20 Panther victory.
Evan Culver was again the headline Panther with 18 heroic carries for a stunning 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. Culver averaged 19 yards per carry and now has 42 touchdowns for the 2015 season.
Zach Thatcher was also impressive on the stat sheet rushing for 148 yards on 12 carries and completing two big passes to Mike Kane for a total of 78 yards. Thatcher now has 1,038 rushing yards to go along with his 1,092 passing yards. Certainly, those are impressive dual-threat numbers.
The Panthers improve to 13-0 and keep their season alive. They advance to the PIAA State quarter finals against District IV champion Selinsgrove at Northern Lehigh on Friday night. The 13-1 Selinsgrove Seals defeated Greater Johnstown 49-28 to earn the right to advance and face the Panthers.
It is going to be another fantastic week to be part of the Saucon Valley community. These Panthers have worked hard and are only two wins away from a chance to play for a PIAA State title in Hershey. But, first things first. The Saucon Valley Panthers will stick to their routine and make all the necessary preparations just like they have for the past 13 weeks. Come Friday though, it is going to be time to once again “Unleash the Saucon Valley Beast!”
Good Luck Panthers! The Source is with you.