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Paving The Way

Randolph’s Line Dominates, Hind Runs For 340 Yards In 35-18 Victory

Randolph’s Xander Hind attempts to run out of a tackle while receiving blocks from teammates Talon Rowland (17) and Ryan Carpenter (65) during Friday’s Class D game against Clymer/Sherman/Panama in Randolph. P-J photo by Tim Frank

RANDOLPH — Randolph’s offensive line is proving it is going to cause problems for opponents this fall.

With fullback Payton Slade leading the way for senior running back Xander Hind, the Cardinals are nearly unstoppable.

Hind ran 39 times for 340 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a 16-yard score as Randolph opened Class D play with a 35-18 victory over Clymer/Sherman/Panama on Friday night.

“(Xander) wants to carry the load,” Randolph head coach Brent Brown said. “So we let him carry the load.”

Running behind the surge of Jacob Dexter, Sterling Skye, Elial Bryan, Dillon Schrader and Ryan Carpenter up front, Hind was able to gain several yards before contact each time he carried the ball.

Wolfpack’s Alex Barmore runs away from Hind with one of his three receptions. P-J photo by Tim Frank

“We were telling them this game was on their backs because we are a ground-and-pound team,” Hind said of his teammates. “The linemen ate up today. It was on the linemen’s shoulders and the tight ends and fullbacks. … They were insane.”

Once the Wolfpack made contact, Hind did the rest of the work, breaking several tackles on his way to another Week 2 highlight performance. Last season, in a 36-26 Week 2 victory over Franklinville/Ellicottville, Hind ran 44 times for 330 yards and four touchdowns as the Cardinals jump-started their Section VI championship campaign.

“I kept trying to put somebody in,” Brown said, “but he just kept wanting to stay in there.”

C/S/P was a stiff test for Randolph on Friday and would have been in the game late if not for a pair of drives that reached the 1-yard line before the Wolfpack was only able to come away with 3 points.

“We got down inside the red zone a couple of times and didn’t score,” Wolfpack head coach Ty Harper said. ” … That’s pretty frustrating.”

Randolph’s Ryan Carpenter (65) looks for somebody to block during Friday’s Class D game against Clymer/Sherman/Panama in Randolph. P-J photo by Tim Frank

Sophomores Tate Catanese and Bryce Hinsdale had record-breaking performances for C/S/P in defeat. Catanese completed 23 of a record-setting 40 attempts for 346 yards with Hinsdale breaking the record for receptions with 13 en route to 148 yards.

“At the beginning of the game he might have been a little bit overwhelmed … but he got better as the game went on. He definitely got his legs under him and showed a lot of leadership out there,” Harper said of Catanese, adding, “Bryce Hinsdale was obviously phenomenal.”

Slade scored the first points of the game on a 15-yard touchdown run after an 80-yard drive that was keyed by a 22-yard run by Hind. Maverick Adams added the 2-point conversion run and the Cardinals led 8-0 after the first quarter.

The Wolfpack converted a pair of fourth downs on their next drive and had a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line before a third-down sack forced them to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Hinsdale.

Hind had runs of 24 and 28 yards on Randolph’s next drive before quarterback Carson Conley scored on an 8-yard run that made it 14-3 with 5:49 left in the second quarter.

“He’s an incredible player. I’ve been doing this for a while now and he’s as good a back that I’ve coached against. He runs hard,” Harper said of Hind. “It’s very difficult to bring him down with the first tackler. We probably didn’t do a good enough job of gang tackling tonight.”

C/S/P struck quickly on the ensuing drive as Catanese hit Hinsdale for 24 yards and Dylan Michael for 15 yards before a 42-yard touchdown pass to Alex Barmore on second-and-20 made it 14-10 after a Hinsdale PAT.

“I think Alex is going to be a really special player. You are seeing flashes of it every week,” Harper said. “As soon as he puts it all together and starts realizing the type of player that he is, I think you are going to see him take off.”

The Cardinals regained their two-score lead shortly after halftime as Conley followed up a 33-yard run by Hind with a 1-yard keeper that made it 21-10 after the first of three Griffin Nelson point-after kicks.

The Wolfpack’s ensuing drive again ended at the 1-yard line on an incomplete pass and they drove as far as the Randolph 21-yard line on their next drive, but another fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

“You have to give them credit, that kid threw the ball well. We had some pressure coming untouched and he got rid of the ball before we got there,” Brown said of the Wolfpack. ” … They played to the bitter end and made a game out of this.”

Hind’s touchdown catch made it 28-10; C/S/P’s Trent Burchanowski scored on a 1-yard run on fourth down to make it 28-18; and Hind closed out the game with a 4-yard touchdown with 1:41 remaining.

“I thought our guys battled tonight,” Harper said. “There were definitely things we could’ve done better on both sides of the ball.”

First place in Class D will again be on the line next week as Randolph travels to Franklinville to take on the Titans, who beat Wilson 36-16 on Friday.

“Every game is big,” Hind said, “but these two games with the rivals are huge.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama 0 10 0 8 — 18

Randolph 8 6 7 14 — 35

Ran–Slade 15 run (Adams run)

C/S/P–Hinsdale 24 field goal

Ran–Conley 8 run (pass failed)

C/S/P–Barmore 42 pass from Catanese (Hinsdale kick)

Ran–Conley 1 run (Nelson kick)

Ran–Hind 16 pass from Conley (Nelson kick)

C/S/P–Burchanowski 1 run (Hinsdale pass from Catanese)

Ran–Hind 4 run (Nelson kick)

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