The Loyalsock Township Lancers will head out on the road to face off against the Shamokin Area Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Loyalsock Township hadn't beaten Danville on the road since August 30, 2019 but that history sure didn't bother them on Friday. The Lancers strolled past the Ironmen with points to spare, taking the game 34-20.
Jalil Coates was his usual excellent self, rushing for 184 yards and three scores, while also picking up 35 receiving yards and one TD.
Loyalsock Township's run defense was locked in: Danville could only muster 0.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Ivan Baker for the heroic effort on defense: he. Loyalsock Township's ground attack was stronger, having averaged four.
Loyalsock Township didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Danny Dowell.
Meanwhile, Shamokin Area put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Lewisburg 38-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Indians' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 70th, while the Green Dragons are ranked 304th).
Shamokin Area's win came from a few key players Loyalsock Township will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zakem Clinton, who rushed for 95 yards and one touchdown.
Loyalsock Township's record now sits at 5-3. As for Shamokin Area, their record is now 8-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Loyalsock Township has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shamokin Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging 305.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Loyalsock Township took a serious blow against Shamokin Area in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 48-7. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Lancers were down 41-0.
