CATAWISSA — This is just what opposing defenses needed to see: Southern Columbia has another healthy running back.
Early in the season, halfback Austin Carpenter was working his way back from off-season surgery for a torn ACL. Friday night, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior joined coach Jim Roth’s running backs by committee as the Tigers rallied from a 6-3 first-quarter deficit and rolled to a 38-14 Central Susquehanna Conference Division II victory over Hughesville.
In a game in which none of the rushing numbers were gaudy, Carpenter rushed for 67 on eight carries, including a 30-yard burst that set up Southern’s final TD.
Earlier, he was knocking down defenders and breaking tackles just like his Tigers teammates.
“Right now I feel really good,” Carpenter said. “Before the season I was a little nervous coming in because it was a major surgery, but once I started to get hit I got used to getting back into stuff, and I feel real good right now.”
The Tigers (5-1 overall, 3-1 CSC-II) started slowly on both sides of the ball. They took the lead on a 31-yard Bryan Snyder field goal with 9:49 left in the first quarter, then fell behind when Hughesville linebacker Ammon Swisher scooped up a Tigers fumble and raced 16 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:05 left in the first. Linebacker Sam Springer blocked the extra point try.
The Tigers’ offense continued to struggle, but their defense bailed them out as Springer intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown to get the lead back for Southern. Bryan Snyder’s PAT made it 10-6 with 10:27 left in the half.
Southern’s offense took over from there. The Tigers were literally unstoppable the rest of the way as they scored on every possession until they lost a fumble at the Hughesville 25-yard line with 1:42 left in the game.
Carpenter said the Tigers were undaunted by the early Hughesville lead.
“We came in a little flat, but after that we just knew we had to pick it up and we did,” he said.
Southern coach Jim Roth said, “I feel real happy for the way Austin Carpenter is starting to come around. You can see a big difference in the way he is running right now.”
Halfback Andrew Wimble also had another outstanding game with TDs of 25 and 17 yards. Ted Heitzman hit Colby Snyder for a 28-yard TD pass and Steve Roth added a 2-yard TD run.
“We have a good group of backs right now and certainly someone can’t come in and key on any one,” Roth said. “Andrew looks so explosive right now and the one thing that’s nice when you get a rotation like this it seems like, no matter who it is, when they touch the ball, they’re really hungry to make a play, but they’re not pressing.”
Hughesville coach Rick Reichner said, “You don’t look at any of them and say this kid is a super star, but they’ve got three or four kids who are above-average backs. The end result is the same.”
Hughesville (2-4, 1-3) played well early, but did not quit in the second half after the Tigers came out and scored on two quick drives. The Tigers scored on a 54-yard, 3-play drive in just 39 seconds to open the second half and a 69-yard, four-play drive in 1:27 to take a 31-6 lead.
The Spartans kept the ball for 13 plays and, although they didn’t score, they later added a 33-yard TD against the second team.
Reichner said he thought his team was controlling the game early. “I think our kids came out and played well and were aggressive. But you’ve got to give (the Tigers) credit. That’s a good football team, they didn’t get rattled, kept with what they do and came right back and eventually put things together.”
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Marching orders
Carpenter leads Tigers’ ground game in win
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