Schuylkill Valley’s Edward Shuttleworth proved to be a one-man wrecking crew in leading the Panthers to a 35-21 win against Hamburg Area in the 40th edition of the Frost Bowl at Panthers Stadium on Oct. 31.
Shuttleworth ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns and also picked off a pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.
That interception thwarted a chance for the Hawks to take the lead in the second quarter and instead increased the Panthers lead to 14-3.
“The interception was tremendous,’ Schuylkill Valley head coach Jeff Chillot said. “He has great instincts and is a great leader, even as a freshman. He pours his heart into it.’
The Hawks (1-5 BFL-2, 1-9) were able to tie the contest at 14 on its first drive of the second half.
The Hawks executed a screen pass to perfection as quarterback Nick Kuhn passed to running back Ignasio Reynoso, who sprinted 54 yards for the score.
Reynoso, a freshman, ran in for a two-point conversion to tie the score.
“We knew they could run the ball, but I was surprised they had so many big (runs),’ Chillot said. “I was disappointed that we didn’t play the run better.’
The Panthers (3-3, 5-5) responded with a 13-play, 70-yard drive as Shuttleworth scored on a 1-yard run for a 21-14 lead for the Panthers with 6:28 left in the third quarter.
The Hawks hurt themselves again by fumbling at the Panthers 12 and the Panthers capitalized four plays later when Shuttleworth rumbled 74 yards for a score.
After a Hamburg punt the Panthers took only four plays to add to their lead as Dillon Riley ran through a big hole for a 64 yard score and a 35-14 lead for the Panthers with 11:39 left in the game.
“Our defense didn’t play bad in the first half,’ Hamburg Area head coach Damian Buggy said. “They wore on us. Shuttleworth’s a big back.’
For the game the Panthers ran for 360 yards. Riley finished with 124 rushing yards.
Hamburg Area finished with 314 rushing yards and Reynoso carried the ball 27 times for 258 yards and caught two passes for 55 yards.
With the win the Panthers take a 20-19-1 lead in Frost Bowl annals.
“It’s awesome,’ Chillot said of winning the Frost Bowl. “We look forward to the game. Beating Hamburg is a big deal to our guys and the community.’
Schuylkill Valley qualified for District 3-AA playoffs with the victory.
Although the Hawks finished the season at 1-9 Buggy saw some bright spots.
“The senior class set the foundation,’ Buggy said. “They acted the right way and set expectations for the underclassmen. They left a legacy.’
