Quaker Valley edges Keystone Oaks in overtime

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 28, 2018 | 11:45 PM

Quaker Valley scored on a 10-yard pass from Ethan Moore to Cam Nelson on the first play of overtime and then got a defensive stop to narrowly defeat Keystone Oaks, 50-43, in a pivotal Class 3A Tri-County West showdown Friday night.

The game featured 10 lead changes and neither team led by more than a touchdown.

Moore had his best game of the season, rushing for 239 yards and scores of 2, 8 and 59 yards. He also threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns.

“They have stars, and we have stars,” said Moore, a senior quarterback. “We didn’t know it was going to be a shootout, but we were firing on all cylinders, and it was a total team effort.”

Quaker Valley (2-3, 2-2) scored on its first drive, as Moore found the end zone on a 2-yard run with just under 8 minutes to go in the first quarter, giving the Quakers a 6-0 lead.

Keystone Oaks (4-2, 2-2) took the lead at the 4:59 mark of the first quarter when Michael Daure went off tackle for 80 yards, and the Golden Eagles led 7-6. Daure finished with 112 yards on 17 carries.

Quaker Valley responded on its next drive. After the Quakers committed a false start penalty on a fourth-and-goal from the Eagles’ 1, Evan Frund kicked a 22-yard field goal to give Quaker Valley a 9-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Keystone Oaks regained the lead at 14-9 on a 12-yard pass from Logan Shrubb to C.J .Morrow. It was the first of three TD connections between Shrubb and Morrow on the night.

Quaker Valley jumped back on top on Moore’s 8-yd TD run, but the lead was short-lived. Daure returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a score to give the Eagles a 22-15 lead.

Undaunted, Quaker Valley tied the game 22-22 with 17 seconds left in the first half clock on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Demetrios Perez.

After a rare 3-and-out for Keystone Oaks to start the second half, Quaker Valley took the lead on a 24-yard pass from Moore to Ryan Jackovic to give the Quakers a 29-22 lead.

Keystone Oaks responded by scoring on two consecutive drives to take the lead at 36-29. Shrubb connected with Morrow on a 23-yard TD pass and then found Daure on a 50-yard screen pass.

But, Quaker Valley answered with back-to-back touchdowns of its own to re-take the lead, 43-36. Moore ran for a 59-yard score with 11:49 to go, and then offensive tackle George Francic recovered an Isaac Guss fumble in the end zone with 9:17 left.

But, Keystone Oaks had one last game-tying drive left as Morrow caught a 25-yd TD pass from Shrubb with 38 seconds left to tie the game at 43-43.

After Quaker Valley scored in overtime, Shrubb was stopped on fourth down at the 1-yard line to preserve the win for Quaker Valley.

Steve Nagler is a freelance writer.

Tags: Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley