GETTYSBURG – It was a game of “what ifs” for the Waynesboro Area Senior High School varsity football team against the Gettysburg Warriors on Friday night.
Actually, it came down to one big what-if? What if the Indians didn’t suffer a first-half collapse and give up 32 points while scoring only seven of their own?
Waynesboro made it a game beginning late in the third quarter, scoring the final 18 points before losing 41-34 in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division contest.
In a game that can be characterized as two games in one, Gettysburg had taken a 41-13 lead on a 65-yard scoring pass from quarterback Grant Johnson to wide receiver Kash Kessel. It was Kessel’s second touchdown reception of the game. He made a beautiful diving catch of a Johnson rainbow pass for the game’s first score. His second was the Warriors’ last score of the game and occurred with 2:49 left to play in the third quarter.
At that point, it was safe to say that Waynesboro, coming off a 27-21 non-league win over Greencastle-Antrim in the first game of the season and the first of a three-game road trip to start the season (the Tribe plays at Shippensburg on Friday, Sept. 5), was playing for pride and to get in a better mental state for the league contest against the always-tough Greyhounds.
The Warriors came very close to activating the mercy rule, but a field goal to increase the lead to 35-7 was almost a moral victory for Waynesboro. Before that drive, Gettysburg scored touchdowns on four of its previous five drives. The other score came on a 70-yard punt return by Julius Warren to make it a 32-7 lead at halftime.
Waynesboro responded to Max Rawling’s 20-yard field goal with a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive capped by a 22-yard scramble by quarterback Rayshawn Fraser-Hewitt.
Following Gettysburg’s quick-strike touchdown after the ensuing kickoff, the Indians put together a scoring march of their own. Dwayne Johnson ran for 16 yards from the Waynesboro 19 to the 35. Two plays later, Gettysburg was assessed a personal foul penalty on a play that resulted in a four-yard loss and would have brought up a 3rd-and-10. From midfield, Steven Howard ran for nine yards, Kean Baumgardner bulled his way for a 4-yard run and a first down, and Fraser-Hewitt scampered 16 yards to the Gettysburg 21. After running for six yards, Fraser-Hewitt passed to Taylor for 11 yards, and Baumgardner finished the drive with a 2-yard TD run.
Fraser-Hewitt’s pass for the two-point conversion to Howard was successful, making the score 41-21.
Waynesboro’s defense finally stopped Gettysburg, resulting in a punt. Taylor broke loose for a 33-yard touchdown run to punctuate an 8-play, 61-yard scoring possession. The point after touchdown was no good.
The Tribe again forced a Gettysburg punt, and Waynesboro took advantage of a short field to score its final points. Fraser-Hewitt connected with Taylor for an 8-yard TD pass with 1:26 left to play in the game. Nick Carbaugh’s extra point kick was true.
The Indians attempted an onside kick, but it went out of bounds, and the Warriors ran out the clock.
Howard opened the scoring for Waynesboro with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Fraser-Hewitt. Tight end Ryan Martin set up the score with a 35-yard reception.
Fraser-Hewitt ended up with 103 rushing yards on 12 attempts. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 159 yards, including seven for 70 to Howard.
Photos By Toya McCleary:
