ATHENS RIDES BIG SECOND QUARTER TO 55-7 WIN OVER WYALUSING
By: Tim Birney / September 9, 2022 / Photo: Matt Patton
WYALUSING — Athens scored four TDs in the second quarter on its way to a
55-7 win over Wyalusing here Friday night in NTL Large School Division
football action.
Senior Caleb Nichols put the Wildcats on the
board in the first quarter with a 14-yard TD run. Senior Mason Lister
split the uprights with the PAT kick to make it 7-0.
Nichols scored again early in the second quarter, this time on a 6-yard TD run to make it 14-0.
Junior Kaden Parrish scored on Athens’ next possession, busting 10 yards up the middle. Lister PAT kick made it 21-0.
The next four Wildcat scores came on the arm of Lister, who completed 7 of his 9 pass attempts for 198 yards and four TDs.
Lister connected with sophomore Xavier Watson on a 64-yard TD pass late in the second quarter to make it 28-0.
In
the final minute of the first half, senior Lucas Horton hauled in a
33-yard TD pass. Lister’s fifth PAT kick of the half made it 35-0.
Early in the third quarter, Nichols hauled in a 30-yard TD pass out of the backfield. Lister’s kick made it 42-0.
Watson’s second TD grab, this one for 25 yards, gave the Wildcats a 48-0 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Sophomore
Keegan Congdon provided Athens’ final TD of the night with a 6-yard
run. Lister tacked on the PAT kick to make it 55-0.
Moments
later, Wyalusing’s Joey Gonsauls raced 87 yards with the ensuing kickoff
to put the Rams on the board. Zach Fenton’s PAT kick provided the final
margin.
The Wildcats rushed for 200 yards in the win, with
Nichols leading the way with 86 yards and two TDs on seven carries.
Congdon added 32 yards and one TD on five carries, and Lister chipped in
with 27 yards on five carries.
Watson led Athens’ receivers with two catches for 89 yards and two TDs, while Horton had two grabs for 52 yards and one TD.
The Wildcat defense limited Wyalusing to 108 yards in total offense, including just 16 passing yards.
Alex Hunsinger led the Rams with 40 rushing yards on 16 carries, and Liam Franklin added 28 yards on four carries.
Defensively, senior Bradley Bouck had an interception for the Wildcats.
Athens, now 2-1, returns to action Friday at Wellsboro.
About the Author
Tim Birney
Tim Birney is the founder / owner of River Road Media Group. He was born and raised in the Valley, graduating from Waverly High School in 1984.
Birney earned an Associate's Degree in Journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1986 and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism / Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988. He began his newspaper career at The Daily Review in Towanda in 1989, before moving on to The Evening Times in 1995. He spent more than 10 years at the Times, the last four as Managing Editor.
River Road Media Group includes five sites in "The Sports Reports" family that cover 24 school districts in five counties: Valley Sports Report (launched Aug. 10, 2009), Tioga County (NY) Sports Report (Aug. 13, 2018), and Northern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 31, 2020); Northern Tier West Sports Report (March 15, 2021) Southern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 16, 2021).
