Late field goal allows Gov. Mifflin to escape Boyertown, 17-14
BOYERTOWN >> After 47½ minutes of back-and-forth play including drive-crippling penalties, long touchdown runs and a couple of costly turnovers, Friday night’s football game at Memorial Stadium came down to a 33-yard field goal attempt by Governor Mifflin’s Jackson Schools.
And the Mustang senior split the uprights with plenty of distance to spare for the deciding points in a 17-14 non-league win over Boyertown.
Brayden Reis ran for 89 yards and Brandon Jones for 70 for Mifflin (1-2). Cole Yesavage led the Bears (1-2) with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
“Definitely one of the biggest field goals I’ve had,” said Schools. “But the line and the staff all came into it. Coach Lang set a tempo during the week and during the game. We didn’t want to lose. We were tired of it.”
Boyertown tied the score at 14-14 with 7:48 remaining in the contest on a 54-yard run by Yesavage. But Mifflin controlled the ball for over seven minutes, methodically advancing from its own 43-yard line to a 4th-and-3 at the Bear 16, setting up the field goal attempt with 31 seconds to go.
“When it came down to it, they were punching the ball down our throat and we didn’t stop it in time,” said Bear coach Justin Konnick. “That’s what Pottsgrove will try to do to us next week. We’ll fix it up front.”
Governor Mifflin had dropped its first two outings to Spring-Ford (21-10) and Carlisle (48-14).
“The first couple games were pretty tough … a couple of tough teams,” said Mustang coach Jeff Lang. “We were in the games at halftime. Tonight we just came out and executed in the second half. We picked it up and made some defensive adjustments to stop what they were doing.”
Boyertown led 7-0 at the half, with Yesavage running 20 yards for a TD to finish a 12-play, 74-yard drive with 2:12 left in the second quarter.
But Mifflin tied it on its first possession after the break, with Reis bursting up the middle for 50 yards and a score. Then the Mustangs recovered a Boyertown fumble early in the fourth quarter that led to a 41-yard touchdown run by quarterback Delsin McNeil.
Boyertown quickly came back to tie it three plays later on Yesavages’s second long scoring run. But the Bears did not get the ball back again until the waning seconds after the time-consuming Mifflin drive and field goal.
Schools had missed a 24-yard attempt late in the first half.
“I was kind of mad after the first one,” he said. “But I was all focused on it and it went right through.”
“He has been our field goal kicker for four years,” said Lang. “His numbers have been phenomenal. I was confident he was going to make it.”
Jones and Reis alternated carrying the ball and finished with an average of over six yards on their combined 25 carries.
“Between Reis and Brandon Jones, they both played defense,” said Lang. “We were trying to keep them fresh.”
Boyertown got 89 yards on 6-for-10 passing from Ryder Gehris, including three catches by Jason Oakes for 55 yards.
But the Bears turned the ball over twice and hurt themselves with nine penalties.
“The kids came out this week a lot better,” said Konnick. “They threw the first punch. But we turned the ball over and they didn’t. They won the turnover battle and that was the game.”
“We didn’t fumble the ball … we didn’t turn the ball over,” said Lang. “And that was the difference.”
Governor Mifflin 17, Boyertown 14
Governor Mifflin 0 0 7 10 – 17
Boyertown 0 7 0 7 – 14
B-Yesavage 20 run (Sennott kick)
GM-Reis 50 run (Schools kick)
GM-D McNeil 41 run (Schools kick)
B-Yesavage 54 run (Sennott kick)
GM-Schools 33 FG
Team Stats GM Bt
First downs 17 12
Rushes-yards 40-196 33-147
Passing yards 97 111
Total yards 293 258
Passes 9-14-0 7-16-1
Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-1
Punts-avg 2-13.5 1-23
Penalties-yards 8-55 9-75
Individual Stats
Rushing: Governor Mifflin: Reis 9-89, 1 TD; Jones 16-70; D McNeil 7-25, 1 TD; Martin 4-6; Harter 4-6; Boyertown: Yesavage 20-140, 2 TD’s; Famularo 5-16; Oakes 3-9; Gehris 3-(-7); A Panarello 2-(-11).
Passing: Governor Mifflin: D McNeil 9-14-97. Boyertown: Gehris 6-10-89; A Panarello 1-6-22,1 INT.
Receiving: A McNeil 6-56; Martin 2-32; Huber 1-9. Boyertown: Oakes 3-55; Daddario 2-32; Yesavage 2-
24.
Interceptions: Governor Mifflin: Reis
