Red Lion hangs on to top Central, stays unbeaten
Friday night, Central York might have come the closest to giving Red Lion a run for its money this season.
But the Lions still emerged with their perfect record intact after a 28-18 victory at Central.
After coming out of halftime with a 21-6 lead, the Lions watched as Cade Pribula and the Panthers drove down the field twice in the third quarter, cutting Red Lion’s lead to just three.
But the Lions defense stepped up big in the fourth quarter. After holding a Central drive to a field-goal attempt to tie the score, the Lions blocked the 35-yard attempt to help seal the victory.
“We knew that this was going to be (Central York’s) Super Bowl,” Red Lion coach Jesse Shay said. “We knew they were going to play great and my hats off to them. That’s a really nice team over there, but I couldn’t be prouder of our guys for the way they responded when they cut it to a three-point lead.”
Early on, the visiting Lions appeared to be on their way to a lopsided win. Red Lion scored on the game's first play from scrimmage when Patrick Daugherty broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run 17 seconds into the game.
“Every play is designed to score, but you don’t think that one is going to get popped for 61 (yards),” Shay said.
Daugherty found the end zone later in the first quarter, this time coming off a 16-yard pass from Sam Emig.
Central got onto the scoreboard in the second quarter, but Red Lion added a third TD before heading into halftime.
But momentum shifted in the third quarter as the Panthers put points on the board on their first drive of the second half. Pribula found Sakai Barton twice in the third quarter for touchdown passes to pull Central within three.
“I’m really starting to understand who our team is and what we’re about,” said Central York coach Josh Oswalt. “I’m just so proud of how we play four quarters of football and we finish that second half every week.”
That’s when the Lions shifted back into gear and shut down the Panthers next offensive drive, concluding with the blocked field goal. On the ensuing possession, Red Lion went 80 yards down the field to restore the 10-point cushion.
“It was exactly what we expected. We went the whole week expecting a tough game, and that’s exactly what they gave us,” said Zach Throne, who accounted for 50 of the 80 yards on the Lions’ final touchdown drive. “They’re a heck of a team.”
The win was a big one for the Lions at a crucial point in the season as the district playoffs loom.
“If we win out … it looks like we’re going to host a (district playoff game),” Shay said. “We drop one? Maybe not. We drop two? Certainly not. This team from the offseason on has been about getting the job done, and they’re showing they can do the job.”
Red Lion_14_7_0_7_—_28
Central York_0_6_12_0_—_18
First Quarter
RL – Patrick Daugherty 61 run (Sam Emig kick), 11:43.
RL – Daugherty 16 pass from Emig (Emig kick), 1:01.
Second Quarter
CY – Noreaga Goff 3 run (kick no good), 11:09.
RL – Emig 19 run (Emig kick), 2:25.
Third Quarter
CY – Sakai Barton 14 pass from Cade Pribula (2-point conversion failed), 8:20.
CY – Barton 31 pass from Pribula (kick no good), 4:04.
Fourth Quarter
RL – Emig 6 run (Emig kick), 6:14
_RL_ CY
First downs_19_12
Rushes-Yards_30-205_29-136
Passing_24-26-0_14-29-2
Passing Yards_215_223
Total Yards_420_359
Fumbles-Lost_0-0_0-0
Penalties-Yards_5-45_4-40
Rushing — RL, Patrick Daugherty 1-59, Dylan Gurreri 15-66, Sam Emig 14-80. CY, Noreaga Goff 24-116, Cade Pribula 5-20.
Passing — RL, Sam Emig 24-26-215-0. Cade Pribula 14-29-223-2.
Receiving — RL, Zach Throne 20-186, Patrick Daugherty 1-16, Giuliano Favorito 1-7, Taylor Uberti 2-6. CY, Sakai Barton 7-86, Tim Sturgis 1-7, Noreaga Goff 2-7, Ben Ward 1-45, Drew Anderson 2-63, Eddie Santiago 1-15.