Hornets Drop Heartbreaker to East Juniata

By: Ed Weaver  /  October 30, 2009

Despite surrendering 208 yards on the ground to East Juniata, the Wellsboro defense played the best the best they have played since the opening week of the 2009 season. The Hornets' stingy defense stopped numerous East Juniata scoring drives, but couldn't come away with a victory.

Wellsboro took the lead in the second quarter when Juniors Nick Saniga and Ethan Callahan connected on a 39 yard pass and Freshman Ben Shaw's extra point attempt split the uprights to give the Hornets a 7-0 advantage at halftime. Wellsboro played another quarter and a half of shutout football until East Juniata's workhorse Running Back Wade Truitt punched the ball in from one yard out, and on the following play took a one point lead as Nathan Bair missed deflecting a two-point conversion pass by an inch. Wellsboro got the ball back with plenty of time left on the clock, but turned the ball back over to East Juniata to seal the 8-7 loss.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 1-8 on the year. Wellsboro will be in action next week for their final game of the 2009 season as they travel to North Penn to take on the Panthers in the annual Morton F. Jones Trophy game. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Island Park in Blossburg.