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Mount Union falls short

LOYSBURG — Despite being down two touchdowns to Northern Bedford in the second half, Mount Union battled back and still had a chance to win at the end.

The Trojans took over with 1:06 left in the game, but their hopes of tying the game and eventually winning were gone with one pass as quarterback Devon Kuhstos was intercepted for the second time on the night by fellow signal caller Isaac Drenning in a 29-21 Inter-County Conference loss at Panther Community Stadium.

“I was very proud of how we didn’t quit,” Mount Union coach David Smith said. “(We were) down by two touchdowns — 15 points. That can get some people but our kids kept fighting. I was glad to see that.”

Mount Union thought they had the Black Panthers stopped and would get the ball back with plenty of time left, but when Northern Bedford coach Garry Black elected to go for it on a fourth-and-1 from midfield with just over two minutes left, the Trojan defense desperately needed a stop.

Instead, Northern Bedford’s Andy Zeth plowed his way for two yards to allow his team to keep possession — running more precious time off the clock.

“I just have confidence in these guys. They’ve worked hard for months on end to prepare themselves for situations like this,” Garry Black said.

The Trojans were hurt by fourth down conversions at key moments all night long as the defense couldn’t get off the field.

“That’s a heck of a coach over there and a heck of a team,” Smith said. “He trusts them, and they believe in him.”

Twice Mount Union had the home squad stuck, but twice the Black Panthers not only earned the first down mark but also found the end zone.

The first time came in the third quarter when Northern Bedford was faced with a fourth-and-3 from the Trojan 13. Drenning rolled out and hit Jacob Dasher for a 13-yard touchdown with 2:36 showing to give his team a 22-7 lead.

The Trojans’ Daunte Martin, who finished the night with 144 rushing yards, took the first play of the ensuing possession and found paydirt from 51 yards away to close the gap to 22-14.

The Black Panthers began the final stanza with another big conversion for points on fourth down as Drenning tossed another touchdown pass to Dasher, this time on a fourth-and-8 from the Mount Union 35.

The 29-14 lead with 8:22 to play in the game didn’t deter Mount Union, which marched 60 yards in 11 plays capped off by Martin’s third touchdown of the night — an 11-yard run with 4:25 to go to set the final.

“We love him (Martin). We got bell cow,” Smith said. “We know we can rely on him to get the tough yards and make special plays for us. … He knows his O-line will do the job in front of him.”

Martin got his team on the board first as he crossed the goal line on a two-yard plunge in the first quarter.

Drenning found plenty of running room down the left sideline on a 43-yard jolt on the Panthers’ next chance to knot the score.

Drenning found Josh Dasher from two yards out with just 19 seconds before halftime after his first interception to give the Black Panthers a 15-7 edge heading into the locker room.

Mount Union’s Douglas Gearhart missed two field goals in the opening half; the first on the game’s opening drive from 28 yards was blocked and the second from 34 yards in the the second quarter was wide right.

The Trojans (5-4) host Claysburg-Kimmel Oct. 28.

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