Trending
By Kevin Petrochko
For the Mirror
ALEXANDRIA -- Juniata Valley senior running back Vincent Hoover's hard work -- after a season-ending injury in 2023 -- paid off on Friday night, as he racked up 41 carries for 287 yards in the Hornet's playoff-clinching victory over Curwensville at AR Simkins Memorial Field.
"It's a testament to all the hard work that he's put in," said Juniata Valley coach Bill Musser, who pointed out the Hornets will qualify for the District 6 1A playoffs because of the win. "His season ended last year, but his work began that day, and I think (Friday) was a good indicator of how hard he's really worked."
Hoover credited the offensive line for his big night, scoring four of Juniata Valley's five touchdowns.
"The offensive line did great," Hoover said. "I just got the ball and ran the ball as hard as I could."
Musser lauded the team's focus coming into a game with playoff implications.
"I think the kids are starting to understand the gravity of the situation," he said. "They (seniors) want to end on a good note."
With :44 left in the third quarter, Hornet senior safety Jett Rand had a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"I saw it in the air, and got it," Rand said. "A lot of enjoyment right there."
Juniata Valley made it a tough night for the Tide on both sides of the ball.
"Physicality, that was an easy one," Tide coach Jim Thompson said. "They were just way more physical than we were tonight."
Play of the game: With 2:04 left in the first half, Hoover racked up a 30-yard touchdown run to give the Hornets an 18-0 lead in the first half.
Player of the game: Hoover finished with 41 carries for 287 yards.
Unsung hero: Rand's pick-6 in the third quarter.
Most vital statistic: The Hornets racked up 325 total yards in the win.
Musser: "This comes down to kids doing what we're asking them to do. The kids worked hard."
Thompson: "You can only take so many snaps on the defensive side of the ball before you start to be physically worn down. That's a credit to them. They ran the ball hard."
Hoover: "I give praise to God. I just worked as hard as I could and I got rewarded."
Notable: Despite the defeat, Curwensville racked up 103 yards on the ground.
Records: Juniata Valley (3-5), Curwensville (2-6)
Next week: The Hornets travel to Southern Huntingdon next Friday night, while Curwensville will play at Glendale.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Curwensville 0 0 6 0 -- 6
Juniata Valley 6 12 14 0 -- 32
First Quarter
JV--Hoover 26 run (run failed), 7:02.
Second Quarter
JV--Hoover 1 run (run failed), 8:03.
JV--Hoover 30 run (run failed), 2:04.
Third Quarter
C - Hoyt 27 pass from Dunn (kick failed)
JV - Hoover 2 run (Rodkey kick) 0:59
JV - Rand 27 Interception return (Rodkey kick) 0:44
TEAM STATISTICS C JV
First downs 12 18
Total yards 271 325
Rushes-yards 19-103 45-292
Yards passing 168 33
Passing (comp.-att.-int.) 14-39-5 4-13-2
Punts-avg. 3-31.6 4-41.7
Fumbles-lost 1 2
Penalties-yards 7-50 4-40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Curwensville, Hoyt 1-(-3) Gustafson 1-3 Pence 5-15 Dunn 12-88. Juniata Valley, V. Hoover 41-287, Williams 2 (-18), Rand 2-23.
PASSING–Curwensville, Dunn 14-39-168-5. Juniata Valley, Williams 3-12-25-2, Rand 1-1-8-0.
RECEIVING–Curwensville, Hoyt 5-53, Tkacik 3-36, Pence 3-40, Luzier 3-39. Juniata Valley, Norris 4-33.