The Panthers take the field for the 2016 Homecoming game against the Wilson Warriors.
The 2016 Saucon Valley Homecoming game against the Wilson Warriors started with a festive pregame atmosphere, and fittingly, it ended the same way. The Panthers charmed the hometown crowd with a dominating 44-7 mercy-rule win.
Saucon Valley won the coin toss and elected to defer their option to the second half, putting the Panther defense on the field first. The Panthers did their job and forced a three-and-out punt that Alstan Wolfe returned to midfield. Four Zach Petiet carries and Josh Snead’s extra point put Saucon on the scoreboard with a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game.
Following a touchdown saving tackle by kicker Josh Snead on the ensuing kickoff, the Panther defense took the field a second time and delivered the same results. The Wilson Warrior punt rolled into the end zone and the Panthers took possession at their own 20 yard line.
The Wilson Warrior offense had their hands full against the tough Panther defense.
On Saucon’s very first play Zach “Lightning” Petiet took QB Brandon Holub’s handoff up the middle and found a seam toward the Panther sideline. Thirty yards downfield Petiet picked up a block from hustling Hog Trey Polak, which sprang Petiet for another 40 yard yard chunk. Petiet was lassoed down at the Warrior 12 yard line after his 68 yard scamper. The very next play junior Steven Rose blasted in from the right side for the score. Snead did his thing and Saucon Valley led 14-0 with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter.
The Warriors tried to answer and put together an 11-play drive that ended with another punt. The Panthers took over at their own 11 yard line and manufactured a 12-play drive that ended with Holub throwing a strike to Alstan Wolfe on a “curl-out” combo for a touchdown. The Panthers could not convert the point-after but led 20-0 with 10:37 to play until halftime.
The next score was set up when Saucon Valley’s Kory Kemmerer snagged a Wilson punt on the run at his own 27 yard line. Never breaking stride, Kemmerer darted and powered his way down the Panther sideline. At the 28 yard line in front of the Saucon Valley student section, Kemmerer jabbed a nasty stiff-arm on a Wilson tackler before finally being dragged out of bounds at the Warrior 18 yard line. On the very next play Zach Petiet took a toss around the left end for a touchdown. Snead’s extra point try was good, building the Panthers’ lead to 27-0 with 3:11 to go until halftime.
Josh Snead connects from 40 yards out as the first half clock expires.
The Saucon defense held and forced another Warrior punt that rolled dead at the Panther 40 yard line. On four consecutive scrambles with the clock ticking, Holub accounted for 37 yards and moved the ball to the Warrior 23 yard line. With :05 seconds remaining in the half, Josh Snead coolly and calmly connected for a 40 yard field goal as time ran out in the half. At the homecoming halftime break the Panthers led 30-0.
Holub scrambles away from the Wilson Warrior defense.
Saucon Valley received the second half kickoff and wasted very little time snatching more points. In only two plays Zach “Lightning” Petiet would strike for another Panther touchdown. On the first play from his own 35 yard line, some wild Hogs escorted Petiet all the way down to the Warriors’ 28 yard line. The second play was Petiet’s finale. He started left behind fullback Abe Lugo and then cut back to his right while rambling untouched into the end zone for a 28 yard score. Snead’s kick was good and only 37 seconds into the third quarter, the mercy-rule clock began to tick. The Panthers led 37-0.
Zach Petiet finished his night impressively, with 243 yards on only 14 carries. It was a career night for the speedy junior.
Saucon junior Zach Petiet follows his Hogs as quarterback Brandon Holub boots away.
Wilson did not muster much of a second half offensive. The opportunistic Panthers even recovered a fumble at the Wilson 21 yard line and converted the turnover into a Steven Rose 12 yard touchdown run. Rose’s score and Snead’s extra point made it 44-0 with 6 minutes to go in the third quarter. Wilson was able to pick up a late touchdown during mop-up time to close out all scoring. It was a 44-7 final score in favor of the hometown Panthers.
With Notre Dame-Green Pond losing Saturday 35-14 to the Pen Argyl Green Knights, the Panthers have a golden opportunity and control their own destiny to achieve a third consecutive Colonial league title. A win next Friday at Notre Dame (7-1) will put the Panthers (7-1) in sole possession of first place with only one week remaining in Colonial League play. Friday cannot get here fast enough!
Great job Panthers and best wishes! The Source is with you!
