Elizabethtown rallies past Fleetwood in final minute

By Kyle Morgan Last updated Oct 14, 2023

2023 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)

By Kyle Morgan — LNP/Lancasteronline

ELIZABETHTOWN — Sitting a game under .500 heading into Week 8 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League football season, Fleetwood needed a victory to stay in contention for a District 3 Class 4A playoff berth.

Now that playoff chance may be gone.

Elizabethtown overcame a deficit entering the fourth quarter to pull off a 33-26 Section 3 victory thanks to an Ian Brosey touchdown off a Brayden Huber pass in the final minute.

After a short Fleetwood drive to open the game was derailed by a holding penalty and ended in a turnover on downs, Trent Kauffman hit a wide-open Brosey for a 30-yard catch-and-run on Elizabethtown’s first snap from scrimmage.

The Bears (2-2, 2-6) went with the Wildcat for the next four plays, with three different ballcarriers. Hayden Haver finished things off with a 4-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers’ ensuing series initially looked dead, but a third-down defensive pass interference on a deep shot from Jack Riffle kept things going. Riffle took advantage, finding Devyan Moore for a 30-yard gain to set up a 5-yard score from Czion Brickle, though Cole Pennypacker’s PAT was wide left.

The two sides traded three-and-outs to end the first period; following an E-town punt, Fleetwood’s offense picked back up with a couple of third-down conversions and also got some help from a roughing the passer flag.

Mason Musitano then made a nice sideline catch down to the Bears’ 1, where Brickle crossed the goal line on the next play; Riffle found Jeffrey Killian for a 2-pointer to make it 14-7.

Elizabethtown brought back the Wildcat in response; Brady Moran picked up a first on third-and-short, followed by an 18-yard scamper by Saequan Shakespeare on fourth down. A 27-yard Haver TD was brought back by a holding flag, putting the Bears in a fourth-and-long hole.

Kauffman heaved up a long ball to Shakespeare, who pulled it down for 32 yards inside the Fleetwood 5. Haver found the end zone for a 3-yard TD afterward to cap a 14-play series, though a bad snap on the PAT allowed the Tigers (0-4, 3-5) to block the kick.

Fleetwood quickly moved the ball with passes to Musitano for 18 yards and Tristan McFarland for 13, but four straight incompletions from there resulted in a turnover on downs. Elizabethtown got one first on a third-down unnecessary roughness penalty but stalled afterward and punted, leading to halftime.

The Bears’ Wildcat plays didn’t yield anything to start the second half, leading to a turnover on downs in their own territory. Their defense stood tall from there to force a four-and-out from Fleetwood. They capitalized with a 36-yard pass to Avery Kopcha from Huber, who then hooked up with Brosey for a 12-yard TD; a Haver Wildcat pass for two fell incomplete to keep the score at 19-14.

Brickle quickly swung the momentum, bursting through a hole on third-and-short for a 59-yard TD, with an incomplete 2-pointer following. Then, on a third-and-long, Huber got pressured and tossed one up for grabs; McFarland nabbed the interception and took it back 36 yards for a TD; another failed 2-pointer kept it a one-score game at 26-19.

Haver helped carry the Bears via the Wildcat late in the third with a 22-yard run before converting on fourth-and-short to start the fourth. Brosey would come up with a nice catch en route to a 24-yard TD from Huber, with the Caleb Fuge XP tying the game.

A defensive personal foul and an 11-yard Musitano third-down catch got Fleetwood into Elizabethtown territory, but the Bears defense came through to force another turnover on downs.

Huber connected with Shakespeare for 28 yards, followed by a 29-yard run from Moran. Fleetwood’s stop-unit held firm, and a 28-yard field goal from Fuge went wide left.

The Tigers quickly went three-and-out. A dumpoff to Shakespeare ended up going for 44 yards inside the Fleetwood 10, and Huber found Brosey wide open from 7 yards out with 26 seconds remaining.

Fleetwood got the ball to shy of midfield, but Riffle’s Hail Mary on the final play was well short of the end zone.

Brosey finished with 73 yards and three TDs on four catches. Huber had a banner night with 149 yards and the TDs to Brosey on 10-for-12 passing. Moran (11 carries, 55 yards), Haver (nine carries, 41 yards, two TDs) and Shakespeare (four catches, 106 yards; seven carries, 29 yards) also chipped in.

Riffle went 17-for-35 and 164 yards. Brickle carried the ball 15 times for 92 yards and three scores, though most of his yardage came on the 59-yard TD.

Musitano hit the century mark in receiving with 100 yards on nine catches. Moore had three catches for 40 yards as well.

	1	2	3	4	Final
Fleetwood	6	8	12	0	26
Elizabethtown	7	6	6	14	33

Scoring summary

1	Elizabethtown	Haver, 4 run (Fuge kick)
1	Fleetwood	Brickle, 5 run (kick failed)
2	Fleetwood	Brickle, 1 run (Killian pass from Riffle)
2	Elizabethtown	Haver, 3 run (kick blocked)
3	Elizabethtown	Brosey, 12 pass from Huber (pass failed)
3	Fleetwood	Brickle, 59 run (pass failed)
3	Fleetwood	McFarland, 36 interception return (pass failed)
4	Elizabethtown	Brosey, 24 pass from Huber (Fuge kick)
4	Elizabethtown	Brosey, 7 pass from Huber (Fuge kick)

Team statistics

	Fleetwood	Elizabethtown
First downs	15	15
Rushes-yards	23-109	34-128
Passing yards	164	225
Total yards	273	353
Passes	17-35	15-24
Fumbles-lost	0-0	0-0
Punts-average	2-30	3-25.7
Penalties-yards	5-40	7-77

Individual statistics

RUSHING

Fleetwood: Brickle 15-92, Petition 6-13, McFarland 2-3, Maddocks 1-4.

Elizabethtown: Moran 11-55, Haver 9-41, Shakespeare 7-29, Steffe 4-10, Cintron 1-2, Kauffman 1-0, Huber 1-(-9).

PASSING

Fleetwood: Riffle 17-35-0–163.

Elizabethtown: Huber 10-12-1–149, Kauffman 3-10-0–68, Moran 2-2-0–8.

RECEIVING

Fleetwood: Musitano 9-99, Moore 3-41, McFarland 2-13, Killian 1-7, Brickle 1-3.

Elizabethtown: Capello 5-10, Shakespeare 4-106, Brosey 4-73, Kopcha 1-36, Cintron 1-0.