MORRISDALE - After starting off the game with an 80-yard touchdown pass, the Glendale Vikings just couldn't seem to get the play they needed to go ahead of West Branch.
The Vikings had a chance to tie the game with :56 remaining, but a big play by the Warrior defense on a fourth down allowed West Branch to run out the clock, sending Glendale to a 34-26 defeat.
"We knew it that they were going man the whole time," Glendale coach Matt Irvine said. "Gary dug past them and Twigg made a nice catch. After that score, I don't know happened."
It was West Branch's first victory over Glendale since 2004.
"It was a homecoming game," said West Branch coach Lester Smeal. "The kids were fired up and they figured out tonight what it is going to take. We only have 18 kids and it's tough on us. But they are playing ironman football."
After the Vikings scored to start the game, the Warriors answered with a 5-yard score from Chad Speigle after Jacob Brown ran the kickoff back 55 yards to the Glendale 17.
Things got even better for the Warriors, who forced the Vikings to punt from their own 20. The punt was blocked and scooped up by L.G. Smeal, who ran it back 11 yards for the score.
Parker Emigh added his second PAT of the night to give West Branch a 14-6 advantage.
After another punt by Glendale, West Branch was pushing into Viking territory when Doug Twigg picked off Jonathan Sanker and ran it back for a 60-yard touchdown.
The kick failed, leaving the Vikings down 14-12 with 4:50 left in the first frame.
West Branch added on another score with 1:20 left in the first, as Speigle took in a 9-yard run.
Speigle finished the game with 209 yards on 34 carries.
The Warriors went up 28-12 when Speigle scored on a second-and-24 from the 24.
Glendale moved the ball on its next series, getting down to the Warrior 13. But a fumble recovered by West Branch's Jacob Brown killed the drive.
The Warriors ate up a huge chunk of the clock, going 13 plays and 90 yards for another touchdown.
Speigle carried the ball 10 of the times and punched in the 1-yard score with 2:03 left in the half.
Glendale finally answered back with a 3-yard score from Damon Braniff with 30 seconds left. Twigg took in the 2-point conversion to cut the score to 34-20 at the half.
West Branch was called for offensive pass interference on its opening drive of the second half and was forced to punt. Glendale was also stopped by penalty and a tackle by L.G. Smeal after Twigg tried to run on a fourth-and-15.
But on the Vikings next possession, things started to come together.
A 27-yard run by Witherow moved Glendale into West Branch territory where the Vikings kept pounding the ball up the middle. Witherow later scored on a 10-yard run but the conversion run failed, putting the score at 34-26.
While Glendale was starting to move the ball, West Branch's drives seemed to stall out, whether it was a penalty or a big tackle from the Viking defense.
Speigle was held to just 29 yards in the second half.
"We switched fronts defensively from a 5 to 6," Irvine said. "The kids came out to play in the second half. I wish they would've in the first. It may have been a different ballgame.
"They fought hard in the second half. We just have to go back and get to work for next week."
After Glendale scored, the West Branch defense made a couple of big plays to keep the Vikings off the board. Speigle had a tackle for loss on a third-and-9 to force a Viking punt in a fourth quarter in which neither team wound up scoring.
Speigle led all ball carriers with his 209 yards.
Braniff added 106 yards on 20 carries, while Twigg had 138 yards receiving.
Glendale (2-2) hosts Claysburg-Kimmel next Friday.
Score By quarters
Glendale12 8 6 0 - 26
West Branch21 13 0 0 - 34
First quarter
G-Twigg 80 pass from Witherow, (kick blocked), 11:49.
WB-Speigle 5 run, (Emigh kick), 11:08.
WB-L.G. Smeal 11 punt block return, (Emigh kick), 10:13.
G-Twigg 60 interception return, (kick failed), 4:50.
WB-Speigle 9 run, (Emigh kick), 1:20.
Second quarter
WB-Speigle 24 run, (Emigh kick), 10:44.
WB-Speigle 1 run, (kick failed), 2:03.
G-Braniff 3 run, (Twigg run), :30.
Third quarter
G-Witherow 10 run, (run failed), 2:00.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Glendale-Braniff 20-106, Witherow 6-29, Twigg 8-21, O'Donnell 2-5. West Branch-Speigle 34-209, K. Smeal 2-14, Emigh 7-8, Team 2-(-2), Sanker 1-(-9).
Passing: Glendale-Witherow 4-11-1-103, Braniff 1-1-42. West Branch-Sanker 1-4-1-12. Speigle 0-1-0-0.
Receiving: Glendale - Twigg 4-138, O'Donnell 1-7. West Branch - L.G. Smeal 1-12.
Interceptions: Glendale-Twigg 2. West Branch-Emigh.
TEAM STATISTICSGWB
First Downs1116
Rushes-Yards36-16146-220
Comp-Att-Int5-12-11-5-2
Passing Yards14512
Total Plays-Yards48-30651-232
Fumbles-Lost2-10-0
Punts-Avg.3-25.64-33.8
Penalties-Yards8-709-70
