Football – Hornets bounce back in a big way, defense limits high-powered Whitehall offense to just one score in 26-7 rout of Zephyrs

Emmaus' defense put up one of its best efforts of the season last night in holding Whitehall to just seven points. Photo: Tom Ashelman

RECAP >> How’s that for a bounce-back game?

Coming off suffering their first loss of the season in a disappointing 21-0 loss to Central Catholic last Saturday, Emmaus responded in a big way as the Hornets got back on the winning track by dominating previously-undefeated Whitehall 26-7 before a huge crowd Friday night at East Penn School District Stadium.

Defensively, Emmaus came up with a performance similar to the one they put up in their 13-6 win over Freedom two weeks ago, as they limited a Whitehall team that had been averaging 40 points per game through the first three weeks of the season to just a single touchdown and 182 total yards.

The victory improved the Hornets to 3-1 on the season and it was their fourth straight win and sixth in the last seven meetings over the Zephyrs coached by former assistant Matt Senneca.

Emmaus got touchdown scores from three different players and scored 26 unanswered points – 20 after halftime – after Whitehall had jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

Senior Jared Groller’s one-yard touchdown run with 8:04 left in the third quarter gave the Hornets their first lead in the game and it was a lead they would never relinquish.

Junior Dylan Darville caught his first career touchdown pass on a 19-yard strike from sophomore Josiah Williams with just :36 left in the third quarter and junior running back Tylik Jarvis (16 carries, 117 yards) closed out the scoring with an electricfying 68 yard run midway through the fourth quarter, his fifth touchdown of the season. Junior Owen Garcia added a pair of field goals from 24 and 25 yards, respectively.

Junior linebacker Aidan Garrett led the defense with a team-high six tackles.

Whitehall’s Linton finished the night with 117 yards on the ground, but 73 of those yards came on one play on his touchdown run that gave the Zephyrs a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. That would be the last time Whitehall would score in the game.

Emmaus will hit the road next Friday to take on winless East Stroudsburg North. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

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To listen back to last night’s game courtesy of The Eastern Pa. Sports Network click here: https://mixlr.com/easternpasportsnet/showreel/easternpasportsnet-on-mixlr-34

Emmaus 26, Whitehall 7

W – 0-7-0-0 – 7

E – 0-6-13-7 – 26


Scoring:

W – Nigel Linton 73 yard run (Andrew Deutsch PAT)

Em – Owen Garcia 24 yard FG

E – Garcia 25 yard FG

E – Jared Groller 1 yard run (Garcia PAT)

E – Dylan Darville 19 yard pass from Josiah Williams (2-pt conv. failed)

E – Tylik Jarvis 68 yard run (Garcia PAT)


Team stats:


Rushing yards – Em 31-163, Wh 151

Passing yards – Em 106, Wh 31

Total yards – Em 269, Wh 182


Individual: Em

Rushing – Tylik Jarvis 16-117, Sam Moratori 3-19, Jaiden Robinson 1-12, Jared Groller 6-9, Josiah Williams 5-6

Passing – Josiah Williams 7 of 14, 106 yards, TD, Int

Receiving – Chase Fotta 2-38, Dave Iobst 2-28, Dylan Darville 1-19, Sam Moratori 1-8, Ben Thomas 1-13