Rivals Selinsgrove, Jersey Shore collide in Week 3 showdown
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Long-time rivals collide again tonight with both looking to receive a HAC-I and District 4 Class AAAA boost. Selinsgrove opened its season with an impressive 23-0 win against three-time defending District 6 Class AAAA champion Juniata.
The Seals allowed just 84 yards and forced three turnovers in that victory. Selinsgrove struggled to get its offense going last week at Mifflinburg, although the defense held its own against a dangerous Wildcat offense. Senior linebacker Owen Hoffman leads the defense with 20 tackles; Jet Hollenbach has an interception and Blake Dressler a sack.
Rocco Amato is a dual threat at quarterback and has accounted for touchdowns in both games. Nash Fordyce caught six passes at Mifflinburg and Jonathan Neidig is back after leading Selinsgrove with 27 catches last fall. Selinsgrove is seeking its first win at Jersey Shore since 2016. The Seals won that game in the regular season before Jersey Shore avenged it in the district final.
Jersey Shore (2-0) came up with big plays on both sides of the ball at crucial times to defeat Montoursville, 27-13 last week despite being outgained. Zeke Sechrist recovered a fumble at the goal line; Isaac Shirey ended another drive with a strip sack and Nolen Pauling intercepted a pass. Pauling totaled 302 yards and four touchdowns, using both his arm and legs on two clutch fourth quarter touchdown drives.
Carter Rhinehart came up big on those drives and helped seal victory, reeling in a fourth-and-3 10-yard touchdown pass in the last two minutes. Rhinehart leads the area in catches, yards and touchdowns. Conner Winters and Khani McCray both have big-play ability, too. Winters beat his man and nearly had a 95-yard touchdown a week ago, while McCray caught a 37-yard score in a 49-34 comeback win against North Schuylkill. Shirey had a big game up front last week and Ace Willits was in on a sack.
Willits has 15 tackles through two games. Sechrist and fellow linebacker Chase Ellison both made 13 tackles at Montoursville, Ellison making 10 solos. The defense has settled in after slow starts in both games and closed the first half last week by surrendering just 17 yards on 15 plays. Jersey Shore is trying to start 3-0 for a seventh straight year.
Junior defensive end Conner Yingling has been a consistent playmaker these past two seasons. An injury cut his excellent year short last fall, but Yingling has sacks in seven of his last nine games, including at Montoursville. Yingling also has 16 tackles, 14 solos, this season and provides depth at receiver, providing excellent blocking.
Jersey Shore has endured slow starts the past two games and is playing with fire in that regard but the way it has responded both times also bodes well. Nothing comes easy against Selinsgrove, so expect this game to be a grind, but one in which the Bulldogs prevail.