TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Jersey Shore's Nolen Pauling (1) prepares to hand the ball off to Bo Sechrist (5) during a high school football game against Hollidaysburg on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at Thompson Street Stadium. The Bulldogs bounced back from that 52-7 loss on Friday, beating Penn Wood, 44-20.

JERSEY SHORE– How does a good team respond after a loss? That is the answer the (6-2) Jersey Shore Bulldogs would have to answer after last week’s crippling 52-7 loss to (8-0) Hollidaysburg. Well the Bulldogs responded the only way they know how, beating the visiting Penn Wood Patriots (1-7) on Friday, Oct 10th by a final score of 44-20.

In that game versus Hollidaysburg, Jersey Shore was able to get off to a hot start, and they did again Friday with quarterback Nolan Pauling finding Carson Watkins in the endzone for a 25-yard score with 3:53 in the first. However, unlike last week’s game the guns never fell silent.

After forcing a three-and-out, it was Carter Rhinehart providing the fireworks, taking a 65-yard punt return to the house to put the Bulldogs up 14-0 after the first quarter. Tack on a Bo Sechrist receiving touchdown and a safety on a botched snap and all the sudden with ten minutes in the second quarter the Shore quickly found themselves up 23-0.

For Penn Wood, it felt like everything was going wrong.

Multiple delay of games and pre-snap penalties meant that the Warriors couldn’t get any positive momentum. But mid-way through the second they managed to get some life, forcing a Sechrist fumble and turning that into a 20-yard TD run from quarterback Nasir Serrano.

Then, after another Pauling-to-Watkins touchdown, Serrano hooked up with receiver Sheldon Hannible for an 84-yard catch and run into the endzone to make it 30-13 at the half.

It is something to be said that facing a 23-0 deficit under a first-year head coach in Darren Ryals, the Patriots, who have not won a game since their season opener, continued to battle and never backed down.

While the second half saw less scoring than the first, it doesn’t mean there weren’t any fireworks, with Pauling providing some highlight moments. A 7-yard rushing touchdown made the score 37-13, but Pauling’s magnum opus was his final score of the day.

With just 40 seconds in the third quarter, facing a 3rd and goal from the seven yardline Pauling took the snap, rolled to his right but found nothing open. Not one to panic, he quickly reversed field to look back to his left, running into a wall of Patriots defenders who grabbed at the sophomore quarterback trying to bring him to the ground.

Miraculously, Pauling managed to fight out of the scrum and fired a pass off his back foot, finding Watkins for one of the best 7-yard touchdown throws you will ever see to give the Bulldogs a commanding 44-13 lead.

Pauling was certainly one of the heroes of the game for the Bulldogs, scoring five total touchdowns and putting a large majority of the offensive load on his back. Not only did Pauling deal out four touchdowns through the air, but he also got it done on the ground, providing the only consistent yardage in the run game as Penn Wood did a fantastic job at shutting down the vaunted Shore running attack.

Pauling was not the only star for the Shore however, as Watkins deserves his flowers as well. Not only did he have three receiving touchdowns, but Watkins added two INTs to his season total of seven on the defensive side. His two way ability proving vital.

After the game Watkins talked about his connection with Pauling, and how their chemistry came to fruition on that final touchdown.

“The funny thing is, I was supposed to run a slant route. I saw him scramble away, so I ran across the back of the endzone, he saw me throw my hand up and was able to throw it over them.”

Penn Wood would manage another score before the final whistle, but it was Jersey Shore who found the jubilation of victory, getting their season right back on track.

After the game Jersey Shore head coach Tom Gravish talked about the win and what it meant to get that vital sixth win

“We’re happy to get win number six.” Gravish noted, “A lot of people were saying prior to the season that we had lost too many weapons and too many seniors. And yeah, we are a younger team, but we are still going to line up every week and battle.”

Gravish closed by reiterating the team’s now famous mantra “Tradition never graduates.”

Up next: Things certainly do not get easier for Jersey Shore, as they travel on the road next week to take on another 5A school in (4-4) Scranton Prep. That game will take place in Scranton, PA on Oct. 17th with a kickoff time of 7 P.M.

SCORING PLAYS

JS: Carson Watkins: 30-yard TD catch, pass by Pauling / 7-0 Shore 3:52 1st Quarter

JS: Carter Rhinehart: 65-yard TD return, / 14-0 Shore 1:26 1st Quarter

JS: Bo Sechirst: 12-yard TD catch, pass by Pauling / 21-0 Shore 11:15 2nd Quarter

JS: Luke Thomson: Safety / 23-0 Shore 10:16 2nd Quarter

WOOD: Nasir Serrano: 20-yard TD run / 23-7 Shore 8:13 2nd Quarter

JS: Carson Watkins: 31-yard TD catch, pass by Pauling / 30-7 Shore 2:50 2nd Quarter

WOOD: Sheldon Hannible: 84-yard TD catch, pass by Sirrano / 30-13 Shore 2:30 2nd Quarter

JS: Nolan Pauling: 7-yard TD run / 37-13 Shore 2:49 3rd Quarter

JS: Carson Watkins: 7-yard TD catch, pass by Pauling / 44-13 Shore :40 3rd Quarter

WOOD: Nasir Serrano: 2-yard TD run / 44-20 Shore 1:53 4th Quarter