CURWENSVILLE – Curwensville junior running back Hunter Johnson scored three rushing touchdowns as the Golden Tide defeated visiting Cameron County 43-13 Friday night at Riverside Stadium.
The Homecoming evening win keeps the Tide unbeaten at 4-0 while the Red Raiders remain winless on the 2014 season at 0-4.
Curwensville took the opening kick-off and marched down to the Cameron County two yard line before committing the first of three turnovers, a fumble, to stop its own drive.
The second Tide possession ended much better, as Johnson scored on a six yard run with 3:36 left on the clock in the opening quarter. Kicker Heather Thorp added the PAT to make it 7-0 Curwensville.
Rusty Setzer of Cameron County helped knot the game at 7-7, with a 10 yard TD run with 11:10 remaining in the first half as Jack Karsten was good on the extra point.
Curwensville would add two more scores before the break as junior quarterback Jake Terry hit freshman Nick Stewart with a 50 yard pass to push the Tide back in front 14-7 after the Thorp PAT at the 9:29 mark of the second quarter.
Johnson picked up touchdown number two on the night with 6:47 left in the half on a 2 yard run while Thorp hit another PAT to give Curwensville a 21-7 halftime margin.
The Red Raiders got right back into the contest as they took the second half kick-off and employed the hurry up offense that resulted in a 25 yard touchdown toss from quarterback Keith Spehalski to Brandon Saline. The extra point attempt was blocked, but Cameron County found itself trailing just 21-13 with 10:03 on the clock in the third quarter.
Most interesting was the fact that the Red Raiders never again utilized the hurry up offense the rest of the contest. It would be their last score.
Curwensville answered back with a 16 yard touchdown run by Johnson and a 10 yard TD sprint by Stewart to end the third frame. And with the PATs by Thorp, the Tide had a comfortable 35-13 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.
The only score of the fourth quarter was a 10 yard run by Tide sophomore running back Kaleb Witherite with just 2:08 left in the game. Witherite also added the two point conversion to make the final 43-13 in favor of Curwensville.
Curwensville will play its first Allegheny Mountain League South Division game on Friday when they entertain the Crusaders of Elk County Catholic with kick-off set for 7 pm at Riverside Stadium.
You can listen to Golden Tide football on WOKW-FM, 102.9 this Friday, with the pre-game show starting at 6:45 pm.
CAMERON COUNTY 0 7 6 0 13
CURWENSVILLE 7 14 14 8 43
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER
CURW 3:26 6 yard run by Hunter Johnson
Heather Thorp PAT 7 0
2ND QUARTER
CAM COÂ 11:10 10 yard run BY Ryan Setzer
Jack Karsten PAT 7 7
CURW 9:29 50 yard pass Jake Terry to Nick Stewart
Thorp PAT 14 7
CURW 6:47 2 yard run by Johnson
Thorp PAT 21 7
3RD QUARTER
CAM COÂ 10:03 25 yard pass Keith Spehalski to Brandon Saline
PAT attempt blocked 21 13
CURW 7:10 16 yard run by Johnson
Thorp PAT 28 13
CURW :48 10 yard run by Stewart
Thorp PAT 35 13
4TH QUARTER
CURW 2:08 10 yard run by Kaleb Witherite
Witherite run for two point conversion 43 13