Falcons await football foe

Coudersport is reeling from the one-two punch of the Allegheny Mountain Football League's twin titans, but the Falcons (7-2) are still alive as they set out to defend their back-to-back PIAA District 9 championships.

They'll open the playoffs next weekend at CARP Field. With a win, they'll move into the D9 semifinals. A loss means elimination.

Coudersport's mission between now and next weekend is to shake off the nightmarish second half that allowed undefeated Kane to crack a 7-7 tie at the intermission and bury the Falcons, 39-7.

The Wolves (9-0) took advantage of five consecutive Coudersport turnovers after halftime to turn what was an intriguing game into a rout.

Kane launched an 86-yard drive that ended on Mike Punk's four-yard touchdown run on a pitch to the right. Quarterback Zach Anderson, who completed four passes and scrambled 22 yards to set up Punk's run, booted the extra point to make it 7-0 in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

Coudersport bounced back on a pretty 62-yard option pass from Justen Kinder to Ty Carts, but the drive sputtered inches from the Kane goal line, as John Bizzak tackled quarterback Brian Wetzel on a fourth-down keeper.

On their next possession, the Falcons netted the score 7-7. Wetzel hit Brett Whitman on a 14-yard pass to the Wolves' 30, then tossed a screen pass to Kyle Gee for a 15-yard gainer to the 13.

Two plays later, Whitman took the handoff on a reverse, pulled up and hit Kinder on a 13-yard touchdown strike. Cooper Bonczar drilled the extra point.

After the intermission, the Falcons drove to the Kane 35 before Smith recovered a fumbled snap.

A 36-yard run by Colton Corey to the hosts' 44 was wasted when the Falcons coughed up the ball on the next play. This time, Kane capitalized, as Punk took the handoff on a misdirection play and cruised 33 yards for the TD, giving the Wolves a 14-7 advantage.

Coudersport answered with yet another advance into Wolf country. Wetzel completed passes to Kinder and Whitman to reach the 29 before Matt Mix intercepted his next aerial.

The Falcon defense held again, only to return to the field moments later when the offense lost another fumble. Dustin Moran promptly ran through a gaping hole and covered 17 yards for another touchdown, making it 20-7.

A high snap on the visitors' next possession was recovered by Kane's Mark Ross. Anderson followed with a 22- yard TD pass to Bizzak and kicked the extra point to put the Wolves on top 27-7.

Kane later drove 63 yards for another touchdown and Anderson's 11-yard pass to Punk. The hosts converted Falcon fumble on the ensuing kickoff to six more points on Moran's 33-yard TD run.