Rain doesn’t ground Columbia air show in win over Kutztown

By John Nagy Last updated Oct 21, 2023

2023 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

By John Nagy — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent

Columbia freshman quarterback Cameron McClair picked apart Kutztown for over 300 yards and threw three touchdowns to lead the visiting Crimson Tide to a 25-8 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 win Friday night.

With rain steadily falling for a majority of the game Kutztown shut down any ground game the Crimson Tide could muster, holding them to minus-21 yards on 24 carries. However, the rain didn’t affect McClair and Columbia’s passing game.

The Cougars were decimated by Columbia’s Artie Poindexter, who amassed 256 yards receiving and caught all three of McClair’s touchdown passes, from 16, 85, and 88 yards. He also intercepted Kutztown’s Colten Mathias at the end of the first half.

McClair finished with 323 passing yards, averaging nearly 36 yards per completion.

While Kutztown only punted the ball two times, after its first two drives, the Cougars turned the ball over five times. The Cougars fumbled eight times over the final three quarters, losing four.

Cougars coach Larry Chester made no excuses.

“It rained for them; it rained for us,” he said. “We can’t be turning the ball over. We’ve got to call better plays, all across the board. We’re not there yet.”

Special teams struggles hurt the Cougars. Early in the game, Columbia (1-5, 2-7) successfully executed an onsides kick that turned into six points.

Later in the first half Columbia squibbed a kick following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that the Cougars fumbled away.

Cougars running backs Brenden Ackley and Ethan Lafferty were effective on the ground, recording 147 and 87 yards, respectively. Lafferty intercepted Poindexter late in the game, who attempted a trick play for the Crimson Tide.

Ackley scored Kutztown’s only touchdown midway through the third quarter.

Kutztown (1-3, 2-7) travels to face Pequea Valley next week to finish its season. Columbia faces Hamburg at home next week to wrap up its year.

	1	2	3	4	Final
Columbia	13	6	6	0	25
Kutztown	2	0	6	0	8

Scoring summary

1	Kutztown	Safety	8:46
1	Columbia	Poindexter, 16 pass from McClair (McClair kick)	2:49
1	Columbia	Campbell, 2 run (kick failed)	0:37
2	Columbia	Poindexter, 88 pass from McClair (kick failed)	4:12
3	Columbia	Poindexter, 85 pass from McClair (pass failed)	8:15
3	Kutztown	Ackley, 10 run (run failed)	2:52

Team statistics

	Columbia	Kutztown
First downs	9	12
Rushes-yards	24-(-21)	51-234
Passing yards	323	34
Total yards	302	268
Passes	9-16-1	2-5-1
Fumbles-lost	2-0	8-4
Punts-average	3-34.3	2-31
Penalties-yards	13-82	6-41

Individual statistics

RUSHING

Columbia: Campbell 3-7, Simms 1-7, Hershey 1-(-1), Team 3-(-4), Nichols III 8-(-4), Poindexter 1-(-7), McClair 7-(-19).

Kutztown: Ackley 26-147, Lafferty 12-87, Sherry 6-4, Mathias 7-(-4).

PASSING

Columbia: McClair 9-15-0—323, Poindexter 0-1-1—0.

Kutztown: Mathias 2-5-1—34.

RECEIVING

Columbia: Poindexter 6-256, Stewart 2-42, Simms 1-25.

Kutztown: Lafferty 1-29, Sherry 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS

Columbia: Poindexter.

Kutztown: Lafferty.