Wyatt Ehrenzeller throws four touchdowns in 27-7 win over Shamokin – EasternPAFootball.com

SHAMOKIN—Before Friday night’s PIAA first-round game at Shamokin, it was no secret that Juniata didn’t have much of a chance to win. Not only did the Indians prove the so-called “experts” wrong, they did so convincingly. A defense that forced six turnovers and a passing game that made big plays throughout the first three quarters proved to be exactly the formula needed to pull off what many considered an upset. Juniata advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals for the second straight season with a 27-7 victory. District 11 champion Southern Lehigh (11-2) awaits the Indians next week.

“We also read newspapers in Juniata County and we have the Internet,” Juniata coach Kurt Condo said. “Our guys just played with their guts. They deserve a little respect, they have shown resilience all year. Nobody gave us a chance, and we took advantage of what they gave us, and our playmakers played. We have a lot of guys who gave it their all tonight and I love them. I love the commitment they’ve given all season, it’s great.

Juniata (9-3) converted the first turnover into points midway through the first quarter. Connor Boreman recovered a fumble, and on the next play, quarterback Wyatt Ehrenzeller started his huge night by connecting with Boreman for a 26-yard touchdown pass against man coverage. Boreman caught three passes for 79 yards, while Ehrenzeller finished with 264 yards on 8-of-19 passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

“Boreman is just one of those guys you trust,” Condo said. “I trust a lot of these guys, and you know they put in the effort all offseason, and it shows in big games like this.”

Shamokin (12-1) looked poised to tie things up, but Juniata’s defense put together an impressive goal-line stand. Quarterback Logan Steele was stopped a yard short of the end zone on a third-down play, then Zakem Clinton was placed on fourth-and-goal. Three plays after the Indians got the ball back, Ehrenzeller struck again. This time he would find Jasper Shepps, who beat his man, then won a foot race down the right sideline on a 97-yard touchdown pass to give Juniata a 13-0 lead with 3:12 to go. play in the first quarter.

“That could be a school record,” Condo said of the long pass. “We just trusted our guys. We let the playmakers play, I don’t know what else to say. The children showed a lot of courage, determination, they worked hard. I really feel like we’ve had a lot of experience the last few years in the playoffs and we know what to expect. We knew what it took to continue this long into the season.

Early in the second quarter, the lead would expand to 21-0 when Ehrenzeller dropped a beautiful ball into the hands of Shepps from 27 yards out in the left corner of the end zone. Shamokin would respond quickly on its next possession. Facing a 3rd-and-21 situation, Steele threw a short screen pass over the middle to Chase Pensyl, and the speedy receiver did the rest. Pensyl found space and sprinted 92 yards to pay dirt, bringing the Indians back inside. Another potential goal before halftime was hampered by a hurdling call in the red zone, and the threat collapsed with a turnover on downs.

Trailing by two scores at halftime, Shamokin had plenty of time to make an effort in the second half. However, this mindset would change in seconds. A line kickoff hit a Shamokin player at midfield, and Lane Peiper fell on it to give Juniata an unexpected finish. Right after that, the Indians took a shot downfield, and it paid off. Shepps put an exclamation point on his huge night with another long-distance connection from Ehrenzeller. The 51-yard scoring strike once again gave Juniata a three-possession lead and took away any momentum Shamokin generated. Shepps finished with four receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

“We were talking as we were going into the half saying, ‘Look, it’s going to be 21-14 and we’re going to get the ball,’” Shamokin coach Marc Persing said. “We’re going to have to get through it, but if there’s any team around that can do it, it’s us. But it was just one thing after another, after another, but that’s why you play this game.”

Using an effective running game, Shamokin once again looked like it would make things interesting, but the error-prone Indians coughed it up again. Hunter Erb recovered a fumble at the 1-yard line to stop another scoring opportunity. Shamokin would commit four turnovers in the second half, and Juniata was effectively able to stay away with time-consuming possessions.

“Six turnovers, no matter how good your season was,” Persing said. “We’ve been trying to emphasize all week that Juniata doesn’t care about our record. Juniata doesn’t care that we beat Jersey Shore last week or that we won the Coal Bucket. They were no bigger than us. They were not stronger than us and they dominated us. So we have to look in the mirror and say that tonight they were the best team in football. Coach (Condo) did a tremendous job game planning against us. We’ve survived big games all year, and that’s just the nature of how we lost tonight. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not indicative of this football team or the success we’ve had this year.

Juniata 13 8 6 0-27
Shamokin 0 7 0 0-7

Individual rating
First trimester
J-Connor Boreman 26 pass from Wyatt Ehrenzeller (Andel Lopez kick) 6:22
J-Jasper Shepps 97 pass from Ehrenzeller (run failure) 3:12

Second trimester
Ehrenzeller’s J-Shepps 27 pass (Lane Peiper run) 9:50
S-Chase Pensyl 92 pass from Logan Steele (Colin Steinhart kick) 6:19

Third trimester
J-Shepps 51 pass from Ehrenzeller (missed kick) 11:50

Team statistics
………………………J…………………S
1st attempts………13……………….13
peak construction sites……….41-119………….36-204
comp-att-int…8-19-2……………5-22-2
pass meters………264……………….129
total yards………..383…………….333
lost………2-0……………….5-4
pen-yds………….7-44…………….9-65

Individual statistics
Rushing-Juniata: Lane Peiper 13-57; Wyatt Ehrenzeller 8-51; Isaac Ramirez 2-13; Ayden Dowling 13-9; Javier Lopez 2-0; Team 1-(-1); Harlon gauge 2-(-10). Shamokin: Zakem Clinton 12-102; Logan Steele 11-58; Jayce Ginck 11-44; Chase Pensyl 2-0.

Passage-Juniata: Ehrenzeller 8-19-2, 264 yards, 4 TDs. Shamokin: Steele 5-22-2, 129 yards, TD.

Reception-Juniata: Jasper Shepps 4-177, 3 TDs; Connor Boreman 3-79, TD; Peiper 1-8. Shamokin: Pensyl 4-115, TD; Ben Delbaugh 1-14.