Small, Vines connect twice as Pottsville stays unbeaten

Pottsville 47, Subiaco Academy 14

POTTSVILLE — Lane Small threw two touchdown passes to Logan Vines and Pottsville scored on its first five possessions in a 47-14 homecoming victory over Subiaco Academy Friday night.

Penn Helton, Keaton Ashmore, Tyson Thacker, Ashton Sellers and Jax Holland added rushing touchdowns for the Apaches, who improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in 4-4A play. Pottsville built a 28-0 first-quarter lead and carried a 34-0 advantage into halftime before Subiaco scored twice in the fourth quarter.

The Apache defense supplied favorable field position from the start. Helton and Eli Morris helped cover an incomplete fourth-down pass on Subiaco’s opening possession. Pottsville took over in Trojan territory, and Helton broke through tackles on a run that reached the 1. He finished the drive from there, and Jhostin Molina’s kick made it 7-0 with 9:19 left in the first quarter.

Helton’s pressure forced another fourth-down incompletion on Subiaco’s next possession. Ashmore took advantage of the short field, turning the corner for a 22-yard touchdown with 6:25 remaining. Molina’s kick extended the lead to 14-0.

After forcing a punt, Pottsville began its next possession at its own 45. Cort Johnson got the ball to Morris on the perimeter, and Morris broke up the sideline into Subiaco territory. Thacker powered the ball to the goal line and then scored on a one-yard run. Molina made it 21-0 with 4:14 left.

Small took over at quarterback later in the period and kept the offense moving. Vines supplied a first-down run, then caught Small’s pass in the open and carried it into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown. The extra point gave Pottsville a 28-0 lead with 11 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Hudson Meadows helped sustain the next scoring drive with a long run on third-and-13. Sellers added a first-down run and later scored from four yards on fourth-and-one. The extra point missed, leaving the Apaches ahead 34-0 at halftime.

Small and Vines connected again in the third quarter. Small converted a first down on a keeper, then found Vines on a post route for a 13-yard touchdown. Luke Rust kicked the extra point for a 41-0 lead.

Subiaco assembled its first scoring drive late in the third quarter. Ian Kennedy found Corey Montgomery for two first-down receptions and completed another pass to William Schmitz to reach the Pottsville 25. Kennedy then hit Schmitz for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Timothy Serice ran in the two-point conversion to cut the margin to 41-8.

Holland answered with a long touchdown run through the middle of the defense. Rust’s kick missed, leaving Pottsville ahead 47-8. Kennedy brought Subiaco back downfield with another completion to Montgomery, then found him in the end zone for the Trojans’ second touchdown. Pottsville stopped the two-point attempt and ran out the remaining time.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

Pottsville — Penn Helton one-yard touchdown run (Jhostin Molina kick). Pottsville 7, Subiaco Academy 0. 9:19.

Pottsville — Keaton Ashmore 22-yard touchdown run (Jhostin Molina kick). Pottsville 14, Subiaco Academy 0. 6:25.

Pottsville — Tyson Thacker one-yard touchdown run (Jhostin Molina kick). Pottsville 21, Subiaco Academy 0. 4:14.

Pottsville — Logan Vines 31-yard touchdown pass from Lane Small (kick good). Pottsville 28, Subiaco Academy 0. 0:11.

2nd Quarter

Pottsville — Ashton Sellers four-yard touchdown run (kick unsuccessful). Pottsville 34, Subiaco Academy 0.

3rd Quarter

Pottsville — Logan Vines 13-yard touchdown pass from Lane Small (Luke Rust kick). Pottsville 41, Subiaco Academy 0.

4th Quarter

Subiaco Academy — William Schmitz touchdown pass from Ian Kennedy (Timothy Serice two-point run). Pottsville 41, Subiaco Academy 8.

Pottsville — Jax Holland touchdown run (kick unsuccessful). Pottsville 47, Subiaco Academy 8.

Subiaco Academy — Corey Montgomery touchdown pass from Ian Kennedy (two-point attempt unsuccessful). Pottsville 47, Subiaco Academy 14.

Players Who Stood Out

Lane Small, Pottsville — Threw touchdown passes of 31 and 13 yards to Logan Vines after entering in the first quarter. Added a first-down keeper on the second scoring drive he finished with a pass.

Logan Vines, Pottsville — Caught both of Small’s touchdown passes and supplied a first-down run on the first of those drives. Helped defend a second-quarter incompletion.

Penn Helton, Pottsville — Scored the opening touchdown from one yard and broke tackles on the preceding run. Helped cover the first fourth-down incompletion and pressured Ian Kennedy into another on Subiaco’s next possession.

Keaton Ashmore, Pottsville — Scored on a 22-yard run with 6:25 left in the first quarter.

Tyson Thacker, Pottsville — Scored on a one-yard run and pressured Kennedy during Subiaco’s second possession.

Hudson Meadows, Pottsville — Converted third-and-13 with a long run during the second-quarter touchdown drive.

Ashton Sellers, Pottsville — Added a first-down run and a four-yard touchdown on fourth-and-one during Pottsville’s fifth scoring drive.

Jax Holland, Pottsville — Broke through the middle for the Apaches’ fourth-quarter touchdown.

Corey Montgomery, Subiaco Academy — Caught a fourth-quarter touchdown, supplied two first-down catches on the preceding scoring drive and stopped Logan Wilson for a loss in the second quarter.

William Schmitz, Subiaco Academy — Caught a pass to the Pottsville 25 late in the third quarter and finished the possession with a touchdown catch early in the fourth.

Ian Kennedy, Subiaco Academy — Threw both fourth-quarter touchdown passes, to Schmitz and Montgomery.