Special teams lead CV
- 22 September 2006
Conestoga Valley ventured into uncharted territory Friday night in Ephrata, as the Buckskins used a balance attack on offense, defense and special teams to shut out the Mountaineers, 35-0 (boxscore )."You have to realize these seniors have only won three games in their high school career and this is the first time they have won two in a row," said Buckskin coach Gerad Novak after the Section Two opener for both teams.
Special teams got CV (2-2 overall) going and defense kept them there.
Ephrata (0-4) received the opening kickoff, but after only three plays, the Mounts were forced to punt from their 31.
CV's Ty Bynum took the kick at his 37 and started up the middle, but cut to the outside, broke free and raced for a 63-yard score only two minutes into the game.
The Mounts' next drive stalled when they attempted to pick up the final two yards at their 25 and were stopped by the stingy Buckskin defense.
On its ensuing drive CV was whistled twice for holding. Both penalties cost the Buckskins big gains and they eventually punted from their 40.
The snap sailed well over the head of punter Adam Glick, but Glick made a fantastic recovery and got off a great punt, forcing the Mountaineers to start deep in their on territory at their 17.
Again Ephrata's drive fizzled out after seven plays, and again the Mounts were forced to punt, this time from their 13.
Ephrata didn't learn after the first punt and allowed Bynum to receive the ball again. And again, Bynum raced up the right side for another touchdown, this time from 44 yards out.
After only one offensive series and only a mere 18 offensive yards, Conestoga Valley was up 13-0.
"Man, it was special. I couldn't ask for anything better," said Bynum. "The blocking was great, I couldn't have done it without them."
Bynum finished the game with the two touchdowns, while his running mate, Kevin Kelly finished with 116 yards and a TD on just 12 carries.
CV quarterback Matt Zigment finished with 113 yards passing by completing 13 of 21 attempts. He threw for one touchdown and had one pass intercepted.
For the Mounts, do-it-all quarterback Blake Crowther led his team on the ground with 87 yards on 18 carries and passed for 98 yards by going 14 for 25.
With only 1:08 left in the first half, CV scored again. This time it was Zigment hooking up with Tyler Beiler on a 18-yard strike to make the halftime score 21-0.
Early in the second half, Ephrata faced fourth-and-two from its own 48, but again the CV defense was up to the task and stopped Derrick Shenk, giving the ball back to the Buckskins.
This time it wasn't the special teams, but the legs of Kelly who covered the last 38 yards all by himself to make the score 27-0 after three quarters.
In their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Mounts mounted a drive that began on their 17, and on their 11th play Joel Yoder lost a handoff from Crowther and Jedd Dellman recovered at the Ephrata 42.
Seven plays later Zigment covered the last yard himself for the final score of the game.
"We've been harping all year that special teams had to put points on the board somewhere, somehow, and tonight they did," said Novak. "They're the quiet points and they make a big difference."
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