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HERSHEY - Mifflin County running back Deakon Schaeffer took it in from 22 yards out with a minute left in regulation to lift the Huskies to a thrilling 24-20 Mid-Penn Conference Keystone win over Hershey on Friday.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and clinched a District 6, Class 6A playoff berth for Mifflin County.
It almost didn't happen.
The Huskies (5-3, 3-2) blew a 17-7 lead and found themselves staring down a 20-17 deficit with 5:15 remaining in regulation and the ball on their own 20.
Mifflin County shook off the nerves and rose to the occasion, marching on a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped by the Schaeffer winner.
A pass interference call against the Trojans (3-5, 3-2) and six big runs by Schaeffer keyed the game-winning drive.
The excitement was just beginning.
Hershey got the ball with a minute left and advanced to the Huskies' 16. With one-play left on the clock, quarterback Daniel Painter hit Marcus Sweeney, who made it to the two-yard line as time expired.
Mifflin County came out of the gate quickly, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The first touchdown came on a Schaeffer 50-yard jaunt up the gut with 10:44 on the clock. The Husky junior finished with an impressive 198 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns.
The big play antics continued on the third Husky drive of the quarter. QB Landon Eichhorn connected with a wide-open Josiah Sechler for a 72-yard bomb. The PAT by Isaac Parks-Gill made it 14-0 with 14 ticks left in the first,
The Husky defense stymied the Trojans for most of the first half, holding the hosts to 104 yards and stopping Hershey on a goal-line stand from the one.
It was a much different story in the second half.
On the opening kickoff, Sweeney put the Trojans on the board with an 89-yard kickoff return to daylight, making it 14-7. Sweeney led the Hershey offense with 117 yards on the ground, and six catches for 57 yards and a score.
A Parks-Gill 33-yard field goal extended the Mifflin County lead to 17-7 with 8:24 to go in the period.
Hershey took the lead with 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, with both scores coming from Sweeney.
The first came on a 14-yard run to cap a 10-play, 71-yard drive, and the second on a 14-yard pass from Painter with 5:21 to go.
Eichhorn threw for 190 yards and a score, Isaac Wilson hauled in five grabs for 80 yards, and Sechler caught two for 77. Painter had 162-yards passing for the Trojans. The Huskies finished with 390 yards of total offense.
Mifflin County hosts Bishop McDevitt, second in the state in Class 4A, on Friday.
Mifflin County 24, Hershey 20
Mifflin County 14 0 3 7 – 24
Hershey 0 0 7 13 – 20
First Quarter
MC-Schaeffer 50 run (Parks-Gill Kick), 10:44.
MC-Sechler 72 pass from Eichhorn (Parks-Gill kick),:14.
Third Quarter
H-Sweeney 89 kickoff return (Dawson kick), 11:44
MC-Parks-Gill 33 FG, 8:24.
Fourth Quarter
H-Sweeney 14 pass from Painter (kick blocked), 9:11.
H-Sweeney 14 run (Dawson kick), 5:21.
MC-Schaeffer 22 run (Parks-Gill kick), 1:00.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: MC--Schaeffer 32-198 2TD, Eichhorn 7-2. H--Cabrera 5-5, Sweeney 13-117 TD, Painter 4-9, Collins 1-(-3), Guzman 1-1.
PASSING: MC--Eichhorn 9-19-190-0. H--Painter 14-24-162-0
RECEIVING: MC--Wilson 5-80, Schaeffer 1-3, Reed 1-30, Sechler 2-77 TD. H--Sweeney 6-57 TD, Guzman 4-37, Zagaceta 2-22, Damler 2-46.
TEAM STATISTICS H
MC
First downs
12 15
Rushes-yards
24-129 39-200
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 14-24-0 9-19-0
Yards passing
162 190
Total yards
291 390
Fumbles-lost
1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards
6-60 7-56
Punts-avg.
4-32.3 4-44.5