Brian Hagberg
RUSSELL, Pa. – Two late, first-half touchdowns and timely second-half defense lifted Eisenhower to a 26-8 win over Northwestern.
Rewatch the game:
The Knights scored less than a minute apart in the final two minutes of the first half to take an 18-8 lead into the locker room. The defense got an interception and a turnover on downs with the Wildcats deep in Eisenhower territory to preserve the win.
“It wasn’t our prettiest, but we battled to the end and that’s all that matters,” Kris Bunk said during the Cole Orthodontic Associates postgame interview.
“Our guys up front were firing off the ball and getting the blocks,” Shawn Pascuzzi said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement from these guys and couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Their defensive performances, Bunk had multiple tackles for loss and Pascuzzi a number of pass breakups, helped earn the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Co-Player of the Game.
See the full Cole Orthodontic Associates postgame interview:
With Eisenhower trailing 8-6, the Knights got the ball with nine minutes remaining in the first half. They methodically drove the ball down the field, taking 7:30 off the clock before Tucker Lindell scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run.
A fumbled exchange between Lloyd Fountain and Kolton Sutter ended with an Aiden Huebach recovery. Three plays later, Pascuzzi hit Bunk for a 23-yard touchdown and Eisenhower had an 18-8 advantage.
The teams traded interceptions with their first possessions of the second half.
Northwestern drove inside the Eisenhower 20 in the fourth quarter. Fountain tried to connect with Sutter on a 4th-and-3, but Pascuzzi jumped the route and nearly had an interception. The pass break-up was enough to give the Knights the ball.
Logan Penley closed out the game with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Sutter opened the scoring with a 10-yard run in the first quarter.
Lindell’s first touchdown came on the first play of the second quarter on a 5-yard run.
Fountain was 13-29 passing for 169 yards and an interception. He had 13 carries for 15 yards.
David White led the Wildcats’ rushing attack with 65 yards on nine carries. Braden Swift, Reese Gonzales, and Sutter each had four receptions. Swift had 73 yards, Gonzales 57, and Sutter 33.
Pascuzzi was 5-10 passing for 39 yards with a TD and two interceptions. He ran eight times for 64 yards.
Penley finished with 113 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Lindell had 77 yards and two scores on 11 totes. Bunk finished with two receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown.
