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McAuliffe's interception return lifts Biglerville against Littlestown


Biglerville's Gage McAuliffe returned an interception 50 yards to the Littlestown 10-yard line and the Canners cashed in a touchdown just before halftime to take a 20-point lead into halftime. Biglerville never looked back as it defeated the Thunderbolts, 41-20, in YAIAA Division III football action Friday night at Musselman Stadium.

On McAuliffe's interception return, he stepped in front of an out route and raced down the sideline before being hauled down. Scott Cooper picked up 8 yards on the first play, then Colton Sentz bulled his way into the end zone for the touchdown that gave the Canners a 27-7 lead with 1:14 left in the first half.

"The pick was huge, it set us up to go ahead by three touchdowns at the half," Biglerville head coach Alex Ramos said. "They had the ball there and were getting it to start the second half. If they score before the half, the game becomes a lot more interesting."

Littlestown (1-7, 1-4) put together its best drive of the night to start the third quarter and cut the lead to 27-13 on Cody Boyd's 1-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter.

But the Canners recovered an onside kick attempt and answered with a six-play drive that covered 49 yards and culminated in Dayne Showers' 5-yard scoring run.

"They pushed us tonight," Ramos said. "We had to keep playing, and we did that."

The teams also exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter with Jose Ariza scoring for the Bolts on a 5-yard run with 10:25 left. The Canners matched them when Seth Getz ran in from 6 yards out with 7:22 to play.

"We did a lot right and we did a lot wrong tonight," Littlestown head coach Mike Lippy said. "We played a bad first half and a good second half. Which is the opposite of what we've done the past five weeks."

Biglerville (5-3, 4-1) scored on its first two possessions of the contest, with Sentz scoring on runs inside the 10.

Scott Cooper made it 20-0 early in the second quarter, then Wes Storey got the Bolts on the board with a 1-yard run with 3:16 to play before halftime.

Showers paced the Canners' rushing attack with 117 yards on nine carries, while Sentz had 53 yards on 13 carries and a trio of touchdowns.

For the Bolts, Storey carried 17 times for 83 yards.

Littlestown0767—20Biglerville141377—41

First Quarter

Big — Colton Sentz 8 run (Sentz kick) 6:59

Big — Sentz 1 run (Sentz kick) 2:43

Second Quarter

Big — Scott Cooper 1 run (kick failed) 7:47

Lit — Wes Storey 1 run (Alex Potts kick) 3:16

Big — Sentz 2 run (Sentz kick) 1:14

Third Quarter

Lit — Cody Boyd 1 run (kick failed) 6:32

Big — Dayne Showers 5 run (Sentz kick) 3:24

Fourth Quarter

Lit — Jose Ariza 5 run (Potts kick) 10:22

Big — Seth Getz 4 run (Sentz kick) 7:25

LtBigFirst Downs1721Rushes-Yards45-20542-271Passing8-25-17-14-0Passing Yards8996Total Yards294367Fumbles-Lost1-01-0Punts4-24.83-32.0Penalties6-596-60
Individual Statistics

Rushing — Lit, Storey 17-83, Boyd 9-39, Drew Matthews 8-35, Ariza 9-31, Austin Watters 2-17. Big, Showers 9-117, Sentz 13-53, Cooper 11-52, Malakai Curtis 4-35, Josh Brandt 2-10, Getz 2-4, Gabe May 1-0.

Passing — Lit, Boyd 8-25-89-1. Big, Ben Hurda 7-14-96-0.

Receiving — Lit, Ben Snouffer 3-42, Colin McNeal 2-17, Brandon Pittinger 1-18, Jackson Hornbrook 1-11, Storey 1-1. Big, Cooper 2-27, Showers 2-25, Nick Bell 1-24, Nate Newberry 1-12, Gage McAuliffe 1-8.