‘Breaking through’: Shore’s win over Shamokin meant more than playoff advancement
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Jersey Shore wiped away three years of frustration and heartbreak in impressive fashion, hammering Shamokin, 26-6 in Friday’s District 4 Class AAAA semifinals while earning a spot in a ninth straight championship Friday at Shikellamy. Shamokin had defeated Jersey Shore in consecutive finals, three times by four combined points these past three seasons and, 35-14 seven weeks earlier.
But the Bulldogs never thought about what was; only what could be and scored 26 straight points in the middle quarters, taking a 26-0 lead into the fourth. They played well in all facets; received strong contributions throughout the roster and ended the reign of the two-time champions who were ranked No. 1 in the state through eight weeks.
"I can almost guarantee that when they announced the scores around the area, everybody was shocked when they heard we were winning," two-way, first-time starter Khani McCray said. "It feels great because years before I would be in the stands and they’d be going against Shamokin and they (the Indians) were always winning. It’s great to finally beat them after so many years of them beating us.
“It’s almost like breaking a curse."
McCray helped Jersey Shore reverse that curse when he made a hustling play and forced a fumble inside the 5-yard line when the game was scoreless. Nolen Pauling recovered and returned it 36 yards and then found Carter Rhinehart for a 63-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs were rolling from there, scoring touchdowns on their next four possessions.
Jersey Shore’s defense played one of its best games at the best time and held a running game which gave it first seven weeks earlier in check. Jacob Gee and Aidan Patts played excellent games up front, as did Jayce Fetzer, Isaac Shirey and Tyson Fisher who frequently helped bottle up inside runs.
Jason Jennings and Dalton Rehrig intercepted passes and Conner Yingling produced a sack. Pauling shined in the secondary, also throwing for 191 yards and three scores and rushing for a 10-yard touchdown in which he broke five tackles.
Carter Rhinehart (118 yards) topped 100 yards for a seventh time and helped change the game with a 63-yard touchdown after McCray forced a fumble inside the 5-yard line. McCray also caught four passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Jersey Shore’s nine straight finals appearances are the second-most strung together by any District 4 team this century except Southern Columbia. The work continues as the Bulldogs get another shot at revenge when it plays Shikellamy Friday, but the Bulldogs certainly savored a win three years in the making last Friday.
"We tell the kids we want to do ordinary things extraordinarily well and they all were making plays," Jersey Shore coach Tom Gravish said. "They’re all coming together, and we still felt like we left some points on the board. We just have to keep plugging away."