Late first-half swing sends Red Land past Mifflin County
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LEWISTOWN — Mifflin County football had Red Land where it wanted them for much of the first half Friday night, taking the first lead and keeping the Patriots off the scoreboard through the opening quarter. Then a short stretch late in the second quarter changed the direction of the game.
The Patriots erased a seven-point deficit with two touchdowns in the final 3:49 of the half, then used two more scores in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 28-16 victory. The loss dropped the Huskies to 1-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play, while Red Land improved to 2-2 and 1-2 in the Mid-Penn Keystone.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, although Mifflin County moved the football well enough to threaten. Noah Wolfkiel completed 24-yard passes to Jaxon Strohecker and Lucas Hartung on one possession, but the Patriots answered with back-to-back sacks on third and fourth down to stop the drive.
The Huskies broke through early in the second quarter. Wolfkiel found Landon Bowen in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown with 11:06 remaining, and Danny Quinn added the extra point to give Mifflin County a 7-0 lead.
For most of the quarter, that advantage held. Red Land finally answered behind Tyson Kirchner and Anthony Plever, with Kirchner connecting with Plever for a 34-yard gain on a halfback pass before finishing the drive himself on a 3-yard touchdown run. The extra point tied the game at 7 with 3:49 left before halftime.
The next Huskies possession proved costly. Brayden Shaffer intercepted a pass and gave the Patriots the ball at the Mifflin County 35, handing Red Land a short field with enough time to take its first lead.
The Patriots wasted little of it. Tucker Baker connected with Plever for a 30-yard touchdown with 1:47 remaining, and Red Land went to halftime ahead 14-7 after scoring twice in barely two minutes.
Mifflin County had chances to regain control after halftime, but penalties made the job harder. A holding call wiped out a first down on one third-quarter possession, then a false start left the Huskies facing third-and-20.
The Mifflin County defense kept the Patriots scoreless in the third quarter, allowing the Huskies to stay within one possession. Quinn kicked a field goal with 37 seconds left in the quarter, trimming Red Land's lead to 14-10 heading into the final 12 minutes.
The Patriots quickly restored some breathing room. Kirchner broke a 27-yard run before scoring from 7 yards out with 11:42 remaining, and the extra point pushed Red Land's advantage to 21-10.
The Huskies responded with their sharpest offensive stretch of the second half. Wolfkiel hit Hartung for gains of 41 and 12 yards, then found Asher Pearce for a 7-yard touchdown. Mifflin County failed on the conversion attempt, but the Huskies had pulled within 21-16 with 7:21 left.
That gave Mifflin County one more chance to stay within striking distance, but the Patriots eventually found the play that ended it. Baker connected with Kirchner for a 33-yard touchdown with 36 seconds remaining, giving Red Land the final 28-16 margin.
Kirchner accounted for three Patriots touchdowns, scoring twice on the ground and once through the air. Plever also created problems for the Huskies defense, catching passes for gains of 16, 34 and 13 yards in addition to his 30-yard touchdown reception.
Wolfkiel generated most of Mifflin County's biggest offensive plays. Along with touchdown passes to Bowen and Pearce, he found Hartung for several important gains and connected with Zyhair Hill for 14 yards on another possession.
The Huskies moved the ball often enough to give themselves opportunities, but too many possessions ended with something working against them. The early sacks stopped one promising drive, the second-quarter interception handed the Patriots a short field, and third-quarter penalties helped stall another chance.
Red Land made those mistakes matter. All 28 of the Patriots' points came in the second and fourth quarters, with the late first-half burst putting the Huskies in a chase they never quite finished.
Mifflin County hosts Hershey next Friday.