Panthers win fifth straight behind four Dominic Giuffre TDs
By Chris Deantonio — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Coming into the season, Dominic Giuffre and his teammates wanted to change the culture of Schuylkill Valley football.
After starting with two straight losses, the Panthers have ripped off five straight wins, including four league wins.
The latest win was similar to their season as a whole. They started out slow, but once they found their rhythm, the Panthers rolled.
Schuylkill was led on the ground by Giuffre, who scored four touchdowns as part of a 35-6 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 win over Columbia Friday night in Leesport.
Giuffre wasted no time, finding the end zone on a 2-yard run to finish the Panthers’ opening drive. It was his fifth carry of the drive.
“The offensive line really stood out to me,” he said. “Without them nothing gets done.”
On the next Schuylkill Valley (4-0, 5-2) possession, Columbia cornerback Quincy Stewart intercepted a Michael Goad pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. It was the Crimson Tide’s lone touchdown of the game. Stewart also intercepted a Goad pass in the end zone with 10 seconds left in the half.
“Our defense shut them out,” said Schuylkill Valley coach Bruce Harbach. “They (Columbia) are very athletic, but our kids responded well.”
Giuffre scored the game’s next two touchdowns, both on the ground. He scored on another 2-yard run late in the second quarter, capping off a 15-play drive for the Panthers. He also scored on a 51-yard run in the third quarter, and an 11-yard run in the fourth.
Giuffre finished with 202 rushing yards on 23 carries. He also caught two passes for 24 yards.
The run-heavy game plan paid off as Schuylkill Valley dominated possession with long drives, controlling the flow of the game.
“We wanted to run and throw a couple of passes here and there, but we really wanted to run the rock,” said Harbach.
Schuylkill Valley quarterback Logan Nawrocki also found the end zone for the Panthers, scoring on an 11-yard run.
The Panthers defense stifled Columbia (0-4, 2-5), holding it to 112 total yards. Cooper Hohenadel and Nathan Kier came away with interceptions for the Panthers.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Schuylkill Valley | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Columbia | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Schuylkill Valley | Giuffre, 2 run (Wamsher kick) | 9:28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia | Stewar, 43 interception (run failed) | 2:45 |
| 2 | Schuylkill Valley | Giuffre, 2 run (Wamsher kick) | 1:22 |
| 3 | Schuylkill Valley | Giuffre, 51 run (Wamsher kick) | 3:30 |
| 3 | Schuylkill Valley | Nawrocki, 11 run (Wamsher kick) | 0:54 |
| 4 | Schuylkill Valley | Giuffre, 11 run (Wamsher kick) | 4:24 |
Team statistics
| Columbia | Schuylkill Valley | |
| First downs | 7 | 16 |
| Rushes-yards | 31-35 | 38-255 |
| Passing yards | 77 | 81 |
| Total yards | 112 | 336 |
| Passes | 10-25-2 | 9-15-2 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-1 | 1-0 |
| Punts-average | 1-23 | 2-32.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-17 | 7-55 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Columbia: Rivas 14-27, Do. Diaz-Ellis 4-24, Poindexter 9-4, Rupp 1-2, Stewart 1-(-4), Team 2-(-18).
Schuylkill Valley: Giuffre 23-202, Nawrocki 3-16, Hohenadel 2-15, Goad 4-14, B. Woods 3-5, Cammauf 2-2, Stricker 1-1.
PASSING
Columbia: Poindexter 5-13-1-48, Do. Diaz-Ellis 2-5-0-15, Rupp 3-7-1-14.
Schuylkill Valley: Goad 8-12-2-61, Nawrocki 1-3-0-20.
RECEIVING
Columbia: Campbell 6-34, Do. Diaz-Ellis 1-7, Hagen 1-14, Poindexter 1-8, Rivas 1-14.
Schuylkill Valley: Spotts 4-42, Giuffre 2-24, Crills, 2-6, Lackner 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS
Columbia: Stewart 2.
Schuylkill Valley: Hohenadel, Kier.
MISSED FIELD GOALS
Schuylkill Valley: Wamsher 31.