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FLINTON -- Glendale sought its first 4-0 start to a season since 1981 and continue to surprise local high school football followers.
Backyard rival Moshannon Valley was looking to spoil the Vikings' historic run and Glendale's homecoming game on Friday night at Dr. Roy F. Baker Field.
It was a very good Friday the 13th for the Black Knights, who forced two first-half turnovers and scored on a fourth-and-9 with a 38-yard pass from freshman quarterback Brady Mihalko to junior Chase Mital with 6:19 left in the game to secure a stunning 15-12 upset of the Vikings.
"It feels amazing," Mo Valley running back Rocco Reifer said. "They had homecoming. We knocked off our rivals. We played well and executed."
"I tell you what, coming as underdogs we had everything against us," Mo Valley coach Chris Davidson said. "It was homecoming and they had a 3-0 record. It was a battle out there. We kept trading blows. Our quarterback really came through. He's growing every week. He's a young kid who's figuring it out. He just showed a lot of moxie today."
Glendale coach Dave "Spank" Trexler was one of the last to leave the field after the game.
"Hats off to Moshannon Valley," Trexler said. "They took it to us. They came ready to play. It starts with me. I obviously didn't have us prepared mentally to go. Some distractions got into us. They capitalized on some of our errors, and the scoreboard reflects it."
Play of the game: The Mo Valley defense set up the offense at the Glendale 30 on the go-ahead touchdown. On fourth down, Mihalko found a wide open Mital for the touchdown. And then Cole Hutton caught a tipped pass Mihalko threw for the two-point conversion.
"It was fourth and long, and I knew we had to score there or else the game is over," Mital said. "I just knew it was my time. It was one of the most open catches I've ever had."
"Chase Mital is blossoming into a heck of a weapon," Davidson said. "We've been seeing him do it for a year-and-a-half now. Something hasn't been the right moment for him to get loose. He got loose a little bit last week. Today, he was the showcase player for us."
Players of the game: Mihalko and Mital were certainly connected. Mihalko completed 5 of 13 for 116 yards, with four of those completions going to Mital for 81 yards.
Unsung heroes: The Mo Valley defense forced a fumble and interception in the first half. Landon Buck and Gavin Lovell stopped stopped Jimmy Sutton for a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-three in the first half on the Vikings' 73-yard drive.
Davidson on Trexler: "I feel for Spank. He's a heck of a coach, and he's doing a great job. I know this is a tough one for him, but I think in the long run his team will be better for it. I think they're very talented."
Notable: Sutton and Reifer scored touchdowns in the first half. Cameron Dreibelbis scored a rushing touchdown for Glendale in the second half. ... David Frowner was named the homecoming king before the game, while Ava Weld was voted the queen. Sutton was the prince, Anna Kozak was the princess. ... The Black Knights attempted an onside kick to start the game, but Glendale recovered.
Next week: Moshannon Valley hosts Mount Union. Glendale visits Southern Huntingdon.
Records: Moshannon Valley (2-3), Glendale (3-1).
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Moshannon Valley 0 7 0 8 --15
Glendale 6 0 6 0 --12
First Quarter
G--Sutton 4 run (kick failed), 5:48
Second Quarter
MV--Reifer 2 run (Smith kick), 8:18
Third Quarter
G--Dreibelbis 5 run (pass failed), 4:38
Fourth Quarter
MV--Mital 38 pass from Mihalko (Hutton pass from Mihalko), 6:19
TEAM STATISTICS MV G
First downs 11 10
Total yards 189 238
Rushes-yards 31-73 36-211
Yards passing 116 27
Passing (comp.-att.-int) 5-13-0 2-8-1
Punts-avg. 4-37 2-32.5
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 7-59 8-63
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Moshannon Valley, Reifer 16-55, Buck 10-27, Kephart 1-0, Mihalko 4-(-9). Glendale, Sutton 17-122, Dreibelbis 9-80, Skebeck 6-22, Meyers 3-1, TEAM 1-(-14).
PASSING--Moshannon Valley, Mihalko 5-13-0-116. Glendale, Skebeck 2-8-1-27.
RECEIVING--Moshannon Valley, Mital 4-81, Kephart 1-35. Glendale, Sutton 1-14, Hoopsick-Bell 1-13.