KANE, Pa. (D9Sports.com) — The pads were popping Friday night at Paul R. Miller Stadium in Kane as the host Wolves outslugged the Brockway Rovers, 14-3, to win the Allegheny Mountain League South Division and clinch the top seed in the District 9 Class AA playoffs.
(Photo of Kane’s Davis Gardner, who had three interceptions and a TD catch as the Wolves won the AML South title. Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
The weather was a major component in the game as wind and rain made it difficult for both teams to hold on to the ball.
Kane fumbled four times, losing all four. Brockway fumbled four times and lost it twice.
Rovers quarterback Hunter Miller was his team’s best offensive player, and he still struggled while throwing four interceptions.
With the Rovers run game faltering, Miller was called on to throw it 40 times and he completed 14 for 182 yards. Miller entered Friday’s contest with five interceptions in eight games. Miller also led his team with 46 yards on 13 carries.
Kane’s Davis Gardner was Miller’s main protagonist as he intercepted the Rover three times. Gardner also had five catches for 64 yards, including a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback Reed Williams to make it 14-3.
Brockway’s Andrew Trunzo was Miller’s top target with six catches for 85 yards. Jake Gorham added 36 yards on three catches.
Brockway (8-1) finished with just 23 yards rushing on 25 carries. Leader Mark Latuska never found much room to run and finished with one yard on seven carries.
The Rovers lost to Kane (9-0) for the sixth straight time.
Brockway entered the game averaging 52.6 points per game, fourth in the state.
Meanwhile, the Wolves won their 25th straight game against District 9 teams.
The Rovers scored first as they capitalized on a Wolves fumble by Isaac Walters on a punt. Cameron Baka recovered the ball and the Rovers took over on the Kane 8.
But two runs by Miller and a short pass to Baka netted just four yards before Jarrett Esposito kicked a 25-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 3:16 left in the first quarter.
The Rovers quickly got another chance to add to the lead when a fumbled exchange was recovered by Hunter Antonuccio at the Kane 27.
But the Wolves stood tall and held on downs as Miller missed a fourth-down pass.
Frank Truden ran the ball the first two times for Kane, gaining 2 and losing 2, giving the Wolves a third-down-and-10 from their 20 as the game moved to the second quarter.
After switching ends, Kane struck big as Williams found Truden running alone behind the Rovers secondary. He hit him in stride and Truden took it in for a 80-yard TD. Joe Johnson’s kick made it 7-3.
Neither team did much before halftime and things seemed headed in the same direction as the third quarter began.
Brockway turned the ball over on downs at Kane’s 26, then the Wolves had to punt on the initial possession of the third.
Truden’s boot pinned the Rovers on their own 15 and disaster soon struck for Brockway.
After a missed pass, Gardner picked off Miller at the 30 and the Wolves were in very good field position.
The Rovers defense did for Kane into a fourth-and-10 situation, but Gardner made the catch of the game, holding on to the ball and keeping his feet down just inside the sideline.
Two plays later, Williams threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Gardner in the front corner of the end zone. Johnson’s kick made it 14-3 with 4:23 left in the third.
The Rovers had the ball five more times after that and three times Miller was intercepted. Brockway turned the ball over on downs on another occasion and the last time was when the game ended.
Walters had the other interception for Kane after Gardner’s pick set up the second TD. Junior Gunnar Fryziewicz put heavy pressure on Miller on the play.
Williams finished 8 of 16 for 158 yards with two TDs and no interceptions.
Erik DeLong was held in check by the Rovers defense, running 15 times for 32 yards. Austin Labesky led Kane with 38 yards on 10 carries.
Kane will play next week, either Friday or Saturday, at Otto-Eldred for the AML title. The Terrors locked up the North crown Friday with a 39-0 win over Smethport.
The Rovers are off until the weekend of Nov. 4-5 in the district playoffs.
KANE 14, BROCKWAY 3
Score by Quarters
Brockway 3 0 0 0 – 3
Kane 0 7 7 0 – 14
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
B – Jarrett Esposito 25 field goal, 3:16.
Second Quarter
K – Frank Truden 80 pass from Reed Williams (Joe Johnson kick), 11:51.
Third Quarter
K – Davis Gardner 15 pass from Williams (Johnson kick), 4:23.
TEAM STATISTICS
BW K
First Downs 9 10
Rushes-Yards 25-23 37-74
Comp-Att-Int14-40-48-16-0
Passing Yards 182 159
Total Plays-Yards65-20553-231
Penalties-Yards 3-15 7-55
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 4-4
Punts-Avg. 3-30 5-35.2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Brockway: Mark Latuska 7-1, Hunter Miller 13-46, Brian Elias 1-0, Team 1-(20), Peter Downer 1-(-1), Dylan LeCates 1-(-5), Cameron Baka 1-2. Kane: Erik DeLong 15-32, Frank Truden 7-11, Austin Labesky 10-38, Ange Costanzo 2-3, Reed Williams 1(-3), Team 2-(-7).
Passing – Brockway: Hunter Miller 14 of 40, 182 yards, 4 Int. Kane: Reed Williams 8 of 16, 159 yards, 2 TD.
Receiving – Brockway: Andrew Trunzo 6-85, Dylan LeCates 1-36, Cameron Baka 3-13, Jake Gorham 3-36, Peter Downer 1-12. Kane: Davis Gardner 5-64, Ray Maze 1-7, Erik DeLong 1-8, Frank Truden 1-80.
Interceptions – Kane: Davis Gardner 3, Isaac Walters.
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