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RURAL VALLEY -- Portage won a wild back-and-forth game over West Shamokin when freshman kicker Dylan Bednarski nailed a 36-yard field goal with 53 seconds remaining to give the Mustangs a 31-29 victory.
"We stopped them at midfield," Portage coach Marty Slanoc said. "They were at our 40-yard line. They decided to punt. We put some pressure on them, and they snapped it over his head. We picked up a couple first downs, had a fourth-and-9, and said the heck with it and tried a 36-yard field goal with our freshman kicker and he made it."
Bednarski's game-winning kick was made possible after a big game by quarterback Ty Burkett, who threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another.
One of the scores, a 66-yard pass to Dom Berardinelli that made it a one-point game on the first play of the fourth quarter, bounced off Owen Slanoc's hands before ricocheting to Berardinelli.
Burkett also added a 41-yard pass to Noah Willinsky and another touchdown pass to Berardinelli.
Cole Wingard ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns for West Shamokin. He also threw for 86 yards and had a touchdown pass to Aiden Painter.
Maddax Johns had 61 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving for the Wolves.
"We only have four seniors," Slanoc said. "We have young guys, and they can be overly emotional at times. They were coming in and out of the game, but they stepped up when they needed to. They gathered themselves, and this can only help. When we're going over the game and looking at mistakes, it's a lot better to do that after a win."
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Portage 7 8 7 9 — 31
West Shamokin 7 8 14 0 — 29
First Quarter
P--Burkett 4 run (D. Bednarski kick)
WS--Wingard 32 run (Krizmanich kick)
Second Quarter
WS--Wingard 1 run (Cessna pass from Wingard)
P--Willinsky 41 pass from Burkett (Bagby pass from Burkett)
Third Quarter
WS--Wingard 1 run (Krizmanich kick)
P--Berardinelli 54 pass from Burkett (D. Bednarski kick)
WS--Painter 19 pass from Wingard (Krizmanich kick)
Fourth Quarter
P--Berardinelli 66 pass from Burkett (kick failed)
P--D. Bednarski 36 field goal, :53