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Wolfpack Beats Randolph After Crazy Week

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Keith Gormley attempts to get by Randolph’s Owen Nelson during their nonleague football game Friday evening in Randolph. P-J photo by Tim Frank

RANDOLPH — Due to a rash of scheduling changes, Friday night’s football game between Class C South Clymer/Sherman/Panama and Class D Randolph almost didn’t happen.

Both teams scrambled to organize the contest late in the week and the Wolfpack prevailed 25-6 over the Cardinals in a meeting that had both programs happy to be on the field.

“It was great, you can’t ask for a better team to play,” Randolph (1-1) head coach Brent Brown said. “We needed that. We had been off and only played one game. They are a good bunch, a great team.”

Brown said that he was prepared to face three different opponents this week before getting the final word that Clymer/Sherman/Panama (3-0) could make the trip to Randolph after their game against the Southwestern Trojans was called off due to COVID-19 protocols.

“I think at the end of the day it is all about the kids this spring,” Wolfpack head coach Ty Harper said. “Especially the seniors that are getting their last shot at football. Just to be able to play a game is a blessing, and I’m happy for those kids. It was a good night despite the fact that we didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for it. Neither did they. I think you saw two good football teams play tonight.”

Randolph’s Luke Pagett runs with the ball while Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Zach Chase (54) pursues the play during Friday’s nonleague football game in Randolph. P-J photo by Tim Frank

Through the first few series of the evening, the hosts gave the Wolfpack all they could handle.

Harper’s offense, which exploded for five touchdowns in the first quarter of last week’s win over Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, was stymied on its opening drive after Keith Gormley failed to convert on a fourth down with a 2-yard catch from Bishop Kopta that was just short of the sticks.

Luckily, the Wolfpack defense has been nigh unstoppable thus far, and John Swabik got his night started out with a tackle for a loss of 4 yards after Randolph began its first series of the night at its own 44-yard line.

The Cardinals would stall on their first drive, but Isaac Hind would draw contact on the punt to earn a fresh set of downs. Randolph’s opening offensive series would end with a fumble that was scooped up by the Wolfpack to start a 10-play, 74-yard scoring drive for the visitors.

Swabik would pick up 23 yards on a screen pass from Kopta, before Jordan Svetz hauled in a 26-yard pass down the right sideline from the senior quarterback for the opening score of the game.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama would get the ball right back after that score as Randolph suffered another fumble, with Kopta finishing off that drive with a 9-yard pass to Gormley.

“They come at you. They are super on defense, they attack,” Brown said. “The kids have got heart, and we execute fairly well. I think we started getting tired, started cramping up, and that is probably because we are out of shape. We were just on pause for however many days. It is what it is right now. That is the problem with the whole COVID thing, but we are happy just to play.”

Xander Hind would give Randolph a much-needed boost after Gormley’s touchdown, hauling in the ensuing kickoff at his own 15-yard line. Drawing contact near his wedge of blockers, the sophomore made a cut upfield and broke into open ground near the 50-yard line, taking that return 85 yards to paydirt as he held off charging defenders in the final 30 yards.

“He’s fast. He runs away from you,” Brown said. “We needed that. I thought we would get back in the game there and we did. Then we came out in the second half and had a reverse that was wide open and we fumbled the ball. We did turn it over three or four times so we kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”

After putting his arm on display in the first half, Kopta would make his defensive talents known in the second. With the clock showing 10:09 left to play in the third, the senior jumped a route and picked off a throw over the middle from Ashton Bushey that was returned 30 yards to the end zone.

“We obviously didn’t have as much success offensively as we did in the first couple of games, but that is a tribute to them and Coach Brown and Coach (Nate) Armella,” Harper said. “Our defense is just playing lights-out right now, they are incredible. They haven’t given up a touchdown in three games. So the defense really picked us up tonight.”

Watching the growth of his quarterback through three games, Harper has been overwhelmed.

“Bishop has been phenomenal the past two games. From where he was at the beginning of the season to where he is right now, I just think it is night and day,” he said. “In the second half he threw a snake route to John Swabik, and he kind of improvised on the play. He had John kind of change his route and I think you could kind of see the growth, just on that play alone he directed John what he wanted him to run and he had the poise and the wherewithal to make a great throw up Randolph’s sideline to set us up for another score.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama would earn its final score of the night on a 4-yard run by Connor Cooper.

NOTES: Kopta would finish his night 13 of 18 with 150 yards and two touchdowns in addition to his pick-6, two tackles and a fumble recovery on defense. … Swabik’s night included seven catches for 105 yards, three carries for 12 yards and six tackles. … Cooper led the Wolfpack on the ground with 86 yards on 16 carries, adding four tackles and a forced fumble. … Isaac Hind led Randolph on the ground with 23 yards on nine carries, while Luke Pagett added 23 yards on seven carries.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama 0 13 12 0 — 25

Randolph 0 6 0 0 — 6

C/S/P–Svetz 26 pass from Kopta (Svetz kick)

C/S/P–Gormley 9 pass from Kopta (kick failed)

Ran–XHind 86 kickoff return (run failed)

C/S/P–Kopta 30 interception return (pass failed)

C/S/P–Cooper 4 run (kick failed)

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