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33 unanswered points fuel Bulldogs to commanding win over rival Central Mountain

By HENRY HUBER 7 min read

JERSEY SHORE - At Thompson Street Stadium on Friday night, Jersey Shore and Central Mountain's annual rivalry game didn't kick off the way many expected. After receiving the ball to start, the Bulldogs immediately faced fourth down after a three-and-out and prepared to punt.

Or so Central Mountain and both fandoms thought.

Upon receiving the snap, Carter Rhinehart saw green to his left and opted to take off for the first down. The result was a 34-yard gain, and that seemed to jumpstart the offense following the sluggish start.

"Carter has the green light to do certain things," said Shore head coach Tom Gravish on the play. "He's a smart player and hats off to him for being able to make that play."

The Bulldogs went on to score 21 points by the end of the first quarter, carrying that eruption into a 33-0 lead by the end of the half. Central Mountain (0-10) put together a strong second half, but that cushion proved to be more than enough for Jersey Shore to get the job done, as it defeated the Wildcats, 53-27, to get back to .500.

With key contributors - Isaac Shiney and Connor Winters - back from injury, it was a win that reinvigorated a team fresh off a two-game skid as it heads into the postseason. The offense certainly built momentum, as quarterback Nolen Pauling totaled 390 yards and six TDs, three receivers logged 93 or more yards and the unit as a whole notched 550.

"Our three seniors - Jayce Fetzer, Zeke Sechrist and Khani McCray - all had great football games, so we're really proud of the seniors," said Gravish on the Senior Night win.

"It was really nice getting a few more guys healthy to play; I think it made a difference. Hats off to our whole team because we had a really good week of practice, anticipate having another good week of practice next week."

Following Rhinehart's big play, it wouldn't take the Bulldogs long to build up a lead. Their first four drives ended with touchdowns, and a blocked punt from freshman Ridge Hale netted the squad its fifth to put them up five scores heading into the break.

The first two drives saw Jersey Shore get in or near the red zone behind a balanced attack, with Pauling and Sechrist finishing them off with respective touchdown runs of 22 and four yards. And the next two saw it take the top off the Central Mountain defense.

On the first play of its third possession, Pauling found Khani McCray streaking down the left sideline, and McCray did the rest in route to a 78-yard score.

The next was a bit more contrived, starting at its own 9 and requiring a conversion on third-and-long right out the gate. But three plays later, Winters got wide open down the middle before tracking down the deep ball for a 62-yard touchdown, putting the Bulldogs up 27-0 early in the second.

Pauling went on to log three additional TDs in the third quarter, connecting with Carter Rhinehart and Winters for scores of 38 and 18 yards before running it in at the goal line for his last. Those scores diminished a second-half surge from Central Mountain, as the Bulldogs went into the fourth with an insurmountable, 53-13 cushion.

Alongside Pauling, it was an exceptional night for his receivers. Rhinehart finished with ten receptions for 142 yards alongside his initial 34-yard run. McCray surpassed 100 yards for the first time in his career on Senior Night, and Winters turned three receptions into 93 yards and 2 touchdowns.

"They get open for me," said Pauling on his three leading receivers. "It's easy throwing the ball when they're wide open, and that's what I did with that. Carter, he's a dog. I can just throw it up to him, and he'll make a play."

Despite its lofty deficit, Central Mountain put its best foot forward in the second half and battled until the end.

An offense that trudged its way to 32 yards heading into halftime found life in the third, and the result was a 300-yard, four-touchdown second half. And a defense missing its star player - Kole Corman - for much of the game found ways to make plays, forcing a turnover on downs late in the second quarter and recovering a fumble in the fourth.

"They're fighters. They work every week, and I couldn't be more proud of the effort they put in," said Central Mountain football head coach Travis Thompson on the team. "Football is about more than wins and losses. The things that I've seen these kids do and the way they've grown as humans, I couldn't be more proud of them."

In just his second start at quarterback, sophomore Alex Johnson finished with 234 yards and four touchdowns, including a 70-yard bomb to Caleb Stitzer. And after receiving just two touches through the first half, Gavin Heverly caught fire as both a runner and a receiver, making an impact in his final game as a Wildcat.

On the first drive of the second half, Heverly did it himself, turning an opening jet sweep into 19 yards and a reception into an additional 17. From there, the senior made a bee line towards the end zone, and Johnson put the ball on the money, with Heverly converting the diving catch into a 22-yard score.

He'd go on to add another receiving touchdown in the fourth - a 65-yarder down the middle - and almost completed a deep pass on a trick play on the team's final drive. Heverly finished the game with 136 yards on six touches, continuing to fight till the last down.

"Gavin is just one of those guys that holds his head up the entire time," said Thompson. "He plays football for the right reasons. He's having fun out there. He's a guy that wants the ball in his hands and wants to compete."

For Central Mountain, the loss still lands it at the end of a third winless season, but strides made up a fair portion of the latter half of its season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Key contributors like Heverly, Corman and many others part ways with the program, but Thompson is optimistic about the group he'll have back in 2027.

"We have a lot of potential, a lot of guys coming back that can be big-time playmakers," said Thompson. "A ton of potential. There's things that we left on the field each game that they'll continue to build on."

For Jersey Shore (5-5), the road didn't conclude on Friday, as it turns its attention towards the postseason. Next Friday, the Bulldogs will face Shamokin (8-2) on the road in the District 4 Class 4A semifinals, hoping to avenge an array of losses and get back to the championship game.

Jersey Shore 53, Central Mountain 27

C. Mountain 0 0 13 14 – 27

Jersey Shore 21 12 20 0 – 53

1st Quarter

JS – Nolen Pauling 22 run (Carter Rhinehart kick), 9:07.

JS – Zeke Sechrist 4 run (PAT missed), 4:55.

JS – Pauling to Khani McCray 78 pass (Pauling run), 1:55.

2nd Quarter

JS – Pauling to Connor Winters 62 pass (PAT missed), 9:20.

JS – Ridge Hale 10 punt block return (PAT missed), 3:09.

3rd Quarter

CM – Alex Johnson to Gavin Heverly 22 pass (Cahle Fredericks kick), 10:20.

JS – Pauling to Rhinehart 38 pass (Rhinehart kick), 9:54.

CM – Johnson to Caleb Stitzer 70 pass (PAT blocked), 9:31.

JS – Pauling to Winters 18 pass (PAT missed), 6:05.

JS – Pauling 2 run (Rhinehart kick), 2:18.

4th Quarter

CM – Johnson to Heverly 65 pass (Johnson to Hunter Remold pass), 6:17.

CM – Johnson to Mason Masorti 15 pass (2-pt missed), :54.

TEAM STATISTICS JS CM

First Downs 15 8

Rushes-yards 36-214 17-91

Passing yards 346 234

Comp-Att-Int 19-28-0 13-25-1

Total yards 560 325

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 4-40 4-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: Jersey Shore, Jason Jennings 18-96; Nolen Pauling 7-44, 2 TDs; Zeke Sechrist 7-42, TD; Carter Rhinehart 1-34; Ridge Hale 1-4; Zion Sechrist 1-(-1); TEAM 1-(-5). Central Mountain, Kyle Everett 11-70; Gavin Heverly 4-20; Alex Johnson 3-1.

PASSING: Jersey Shore, Nolen Pauling 19-28-0 346 yards, 4 TDs. Central Mountain, Alex Johnson 13-24-1 234 yards, 4 TDs; Gavin Heverly 0-1-0 o yards.

RECEIVING: Jersey Shore, Carter Rhinehart 10-142, TD; Khani McCray 5-103, TD; Connor Winters 3-93, 2 TDs; Dalton Rehrig 1-8. Central Mountain, Gavin Heverly 4-116, 2 TDs; Caleb Stitzer 4-91, TD; Mason Masorti 3-25, TD; Kyle Everett 2-2.

RECORDS: Jersey Shore 5-5 (2-3 Heartland-I). Central Mountain 0-10 (0-5 Heartland-I).

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