SECTION IV FOOTBALL: SVEC ROLLS PAST OXFORD IN MUST-WIN CONTEST (24 PHOTOS) (2024-10-18)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
SPENCER — Spencer-Van Etten/Candor was in desperate need of a victory Friday night if it hoped to keep its Section IV Football Conference playoff hopes alive.
The Eagles did just that, putting together an impressive Homecoming performance to roll to a 54-8 Division VI victory over Oxford here.
Knowing a loss would jeopardize their postseason hopes, the Eagles came ready to perform.
“We definitely wanted to light a fire,” coach Jared Wayman said. “We talked about it before the game started.”
SVEC wasted little time asserting its dominance as Logan Aman returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game.
The Eagles found the endzone on six of their first seven offensive possessions and added a pick six to build a 54-0 halftime cushion.
The Eagles’ initial offensive TD came on a 23-yard Aman run at 9:33. The Blackhawks turned the ball over on downs at the SVEC 44, Jakobe Foster picked up 22 yards on first down and Aman followed with the TD. His PAT run made it 14-0.
The interception came at midfield with Teagan Kwiatkowski making a leaping grab and racing 50 yards to paydirt as SVEC went ahead, 21-0, at 8:46.
Aman would tack on his third TD of the night, racing 58 yards down the home sideline on first down following a punt and Oxford penalty. The score, with 5:15 on the first-period clock, made it a 28-0 advantage.
Oxford went backward on its next possession and SVEC would start on the visitor’s 24. Charlie Hilbert and Rodney Vaow followed with a pair of 12-yard runs with Vaow picking up the TD at 2:03.
The Eagles took a 35-0 lead into the second quarter and Chris Merrick threw to a wide open Foster for a 32-yard TD and a 41-0 lead with 10:59 on the clock.
Vaow would tip a Jacob Gallo pass into the air then make a tip-toe interception on the sideline at his own 41. SVEC would march 59 yards in eight plays with Merrick diving into the endzone for a 3-yard TD with 5:11 remaining in the half.
The Blackhawks would turn the ball over at their own 11 on the ensuing possession and Theo Mueller-Steinhardt ran it in on the next play. Mueller-Steinhardt’s sixth PAT kick of the evening made it 54-0 with 3:56 to go in the half.
Oxford, which had minus-19 yards offense at that point, switched to the Wildcat for two plays and picked up 40 yards on four plays with Richard Hunter carrying twice for 22 yards and catching a pass from Gallo for another 15. A bad snap sent the Blackhawks back 12 yards to end the half.
The visitors attempted to move the ball to begin the second half, but a Nevin Mack sack forced Oxford to punt.
With a running clock initiated in the second half, SVEC punted twice and the Blackhawks also punted a second time to run out the third period.
Oxford would put together an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive to open the fourth quarter with Hunter scoring on an 11-yard run. Gallo’s PAT keeper made it 54-8 with 3:56 on the clock.
The Eagles recovered the onside kick and moved the ball 26 yards to the Oxford 18 before taking a knee twice to end the game.
Wayman was pleased with the team’s performance.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be done,” he said. “It was a complete game on both sides of the ball. You’re doing your assignment; eleven moving parts on both sides of the ball, doing what they’re supposed to be doing. You saw it on the scoreboard.”
SVEC finished with 312 yards offense with Aman carrying the rock five times for 122 yards. Charlie Hilbert gained 56 yards on nine runs and Mueller-Steinhardt had 33 yards on two rushes. Foster, Nick Oakes, Vaow, Matt Smith, Merrick, Cooper Zufall, Landon Lawrence and Ethan DRake combined for another 69 yards on 11 carries. Merrick threw one pass to Foster for 32 yards.
Oxford (1-2 division, 1-5) had 98 yards offense with Gallo rushing 12 times for 30 yards and going 7-for-18 through the air for 53 more. Hunter had four receptions for 33 yards and five rushes for 23 yards.
The Blackhawks suited up just 18 players and Wayman applauded their effort.
“I’m really proud of the Oxford team too,” he said. “They really played their hearts out.”
SVEC (3-4 overall) remains in the hunt for one of two playoff spots. The Eagles are 2-1 in division play and in third place behind Delhi and Walton, both at 1-0. Those two teams face off Saturday. The Bulldogs hold the tie-breaker over SVEC while Walton will host the Eagles next Saturday.
“We talked about it all week,” Wayman said. “It’s a new season. It really is. We’ve got a three-game season and we’ve got to treat it like it’s the first round of playoffs, the first of three games of playoffs.
“These kids deserve it more than anyone else. It’s going to carry into next week.”
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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