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Mustang backs reach milestones in victory

PORTAGE — Friday was a night of milestones for Portage as the Mustangs saw a pair of runners surpass the coveted 1,000-yard mark for the season as the Mustangs overwhelmed visiting Conemaugh Valley 42-14.

Quarterback Connor Price and running back Cole Sossong each put up big numbers to reach the 1,000-yard plateau. Price ran for a game-high 195 yards and two touchdowns, while Sossong added 101 yards and a score to key an attack that rolled up 304 of 394 total rushing yards in the first half which ended with Portage holding a comfortable 36-8 edge.

“This was the fifth duo in the last 28 years that we’ve had both hit 1,000 yards in the same season,” said Portage head coach Gary Gouse, whose squad won its fourth straight to improve to 7-2.

“We came out firing on all cylinders,” said Gouse. “Connor and Cole ran wild, and that says a lot about our offensive line.” “Dom Davis, Owen Falvo, Nick DeMatteis, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Miko do an outstanding job up front, and Al Koenigsberg is a great blocking tight end.”

The Blue Jays (4-5) saw two first quarter possessions stall in Portage territory and were unable to keep pace with the Mustangs. “Portage is a very, very good team and we spotted them too much too early and couldn’t recover,” said Conemaugh Valley head coach Dan Markiewicz. “We tried to make some adjustments, and our kids didn’t quit, but it wasn’t enough.”

The Mustangs needed just five plays to open the scoring on the initial possession of the game. Price’s 39-yard run was followed two plays later by his two-yard keeper that made it 6-0.

Conemaugh Valley answered with a 12-play drive that saw the Blue Jays pick up three straight first downs on runs of 10 and 17 yards by Bryce McCleester and a 12-yard reception by Mason Stoup, but Portage’s defense stopped the Jays on downs at the Mustang 27.

The Mustangs went three-and-out, and a subsequent partially blocked punt gave Conemaugh Valley another golden opportunity at the Portage 39, but good pressure by the Mustang defense on McCleester forced a third-down sack and a subsequent Conemaugh Valley punt.

Portage needed just one play to respond as Price bolted untouched up the middle and went the distance for a 73-yard touchdown, and he then found Seth George for the conversion to put the Mustangs up 14-0 heading into the second quarter.

Conemaugh Valley quickly made it a one-possession game as McCleester converted a third-and-long with a 14-yard strike to Colin Markiewicz and two plays later raced 42 yards to the end zone. McCleester then ran in the conversion to pull his team within six at the 10:53 mark of the second.

The Mustangs subsequently moved into Blue Jay territory on runs of 30 and 13 yards by Price, but Portage later faced fourth-and-six at the Conemaugh Valley 13. Gabe Forst then converted both the first down and the touchdown with a 13-yard run, and Nathan Moore’s extra point made it 21-6.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Conemaugh Valley 0 8 0 6 — 14

Portage 14 22 6 0 — 42

First Quarter

P–Price 2 run (kick failed), 10:25.

P–Price 73 run (George pass from Price), 0:26.

Second Quarter

CV–McCleester 42 run (McCleester run), 10:53.

P–Forst 13 run (Moore kick), 6:04.

P–Oravecz 13 run (Price run), 2:37.

P–George 35 run (Moore kick), 0:42.

T–Score (Conversion), Time.

Third Quarter

P–Sossong 50 run (kick failed), 4:39.

Fourth Quarter

CV–Kovalchiik 18 pass from McCleester (run failed), 8:42.

TEAM STATISTICS CV P

First downs 12 12

Total yards 268 394

Rushes-yards 36-147 46-394

Yards passing 121 0

Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 7-20-1 0-2-0

Punts-avg. 3-28 2-24

Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-1

Penalties-yards 7-60 6-40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–Conemaugh Valley, McCleester 23-87, Markiewicz 4-13, Kovalchik 1-1, McKenzie 2-17, Stoup 2-9, No. Heltzel 3-17, McClain 1-3. Portage, Price 13-195, Sossong 14-101, George 1-35, ORavecz 3-20, Berardinelli 5-5, Forst 3-16, Team 1-(-13), Kargo 4-35, Spaid 1-0.

PASSING–Conemaugh Valley, McCleester 5-15-1-65, No. Heltzel 2-5-0-56. Portage, Price 0-2-0-0.

RECEIVING–Conemaugh Valley, Stoup 2-31, Kovalchik 1-18, Markiewicz 1-14, McKenzie 1-2, Ni. Heltzel. Portage, none.

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