Skip to main content

FOOTBALL: 2 fumble returns for TDs send Dover over Shippensburg, 42-17


DOVER >> Dover senior Derek Breneman made his first game back since October a memorable one.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Breneman scored two second-quarter touchdowns off fumble recoveries 46 seconds apart to spur Dover to a season-opening, 42-17 win over Shippensburg on Friday evening.

"We need to cut down on the (120 yards of) penalties," said first-year Dover coach Wayne Snelbaker. "But we'll fix it and move on."

Breneman's two touchdowns highlighted a 21-point second quarter by the Eagles, who rolled up 35 first-half points.

With 10:27 to go before halftime, Breneman scooped up the first fumble and went in from six yards out.

"We were running a blitz," said Breneman. "The guys in front of me made nice plays to create the fumble, and it just fell into my hands."

He picked up the second one off the turf and galloped 41 yards for the score.

"We got to the quarterback, made some plays and it just ended up in my hands again," Breneman said.

Those two TDs broke a 14-all tie.

"That turned the tide," Snelbaker said.

Shippensburg hung with Dover until that point behind the passing of senior quarterback Tyler Gustafson, who completed 14-of-26 first-half passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. His wide receiver brother, junior Cody Gustafson, had seven of those receptions for 111 yards.

Senior wide receiver Wade Mills had six catches for 97 yards in the first half, but suffered an undisclosed injury and went without a catch in the second half.

With Mills out, Dover made some adjustments and limited Shippensburg to 62 yards passing in the final two quarters.

"They went to a cover-2 shell against us in the second half," Shippensburg coach Eric Foust said. "With Mills not being able to go in the second half, they were able to double and roll away from us and everything else."

Dover did most of its damage on the ground on offense.

Senior Durran Ledbetter ran for 102 yards, and senior Brett Mohn added 73 yards for the Eagles. Each ran for one score.

Senior quarterback Tyler Blazosky added 136 yards passing and scored a touchdown apiece on the ground and through the air.

"Dover is a nice football team," Foust said. "They have a lot of pieces that are pretty good."

Dover 42, Shippensburg 17

Shippensburg71000—17Dover142107—42

First Quarter

D — Brett Mohn 2 run (kick failed), 7:34.

S — Wade Mills 37 pass from Tyler Gustafson (Jackson VanHorne kick), 5:15.

D — Tad Pequignot 20 pass from Tyler Blazosky (Durran Ledbetter run), 2:44.

Second Quarter

S — Mills 4 pass from Tyler Gustafson (VanHorne kick), 11:57.

D — Derek Breneman 6 fumble recovery (Josh Bradley kick), 10:24.

D — Breneman 41 fumble recovery (Bradley kick), 9:38

Ship — VanHorne 28 FG, 5:35.

D — Ledbetter 23 run (Bradley kick), 2:26.

Fourth Quarter

D — Blazosky 1 run (Bradley kick), 3:34.

ShipDovFirst downs1118Rushes-yards15-650-247 Passing19-42-2 8-14-2Passing yards271136Total yards277383Punts4-30.752-55.5Fumbles-lost3-31-0Penalties-yards3-1512-120
Individual statistics

Rushing — Ship, Cole Friese 8-15, Adam Houser 2-1, Tyler Gustafson 5-(-10). Dov, Durran Ledbetter 17-102, Brett Mohn 11-73, Tyler Blazosky 8-35, Joey Zutell 8-31, John Sterner 1-4, William Tomes 1-3, Tad Pequignot 2-0, Cole Jesmer 2-(-1).

Passing — Ship, Tyler Gustafson 19-42-271-2. Dov, Blazosky 8-14-136-2.

Receiving — Ship, Cody Gustafson 9-138, Wade Mills 6-97, Carter VanSycoc 1-14, Cole Friese 2-12, Houser 1-10. Dov, Mohn 2-47, Derek Breneman 2-25, Pequignot 2-26, Ledbetter 1-21, Zutell 1-17.