Kutztown defeated by Pequea Valley

With a new season and a new coach, the Kutztown Area High School football team is trying to turn around a program that has struggled mightily over the last several years. Take heart Cougar fans – bu7t it will take time. The Cougars lost their second game of the season (0-2) Sept. 5 when host Pequea Valley defeated them, 31-10.

Pequea Valley led 12-0 after one quarter, and 18-7 by halftime. Kutztown hung around to make it interesting, but Pequea pulled away in the fourth quarter to sew up the game.

Before the season started, first-year head coach Matt Hoffert said he wanted to see his team fight hard for 60 minutes and never give up. He had to be heartened by the game a little bit. He team fell behind 18-0 in the second quarter. In the past, that might have snowballed into a 30-0 halftime deficit.

But the Cougars did not pack it in. They came back with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Zach Mickey to John Sullivan to cut the lead to to 18-7.

The Kutztown defense tightened up after that, keeping hopes alive into the fourth quarter. But Pequea Valley proved too much for the locals as pulled away after a 53-yard touchdown run by Jason Stoltzfus.

The Cougar offense struggled with just 126 total yards in the game, while the hosts chewed up 388 yards.