Williams Valley Downs Old Forge, But Loses Rabuck

Written by: Matt Freiler on Saturday, November 18th, 2017. Follow Matt Freiler on Twitter.

Late in the first half, a deafening silence fell over the Williams Valley side of Lehighton Multi-Purpose Stadium. Star senior tailback, Dylan Rabuck, who’s rushed for over 2,700 yards and 40 touchdowns this season, was down on the far sideline. Ten minutes later, Rabuck was carted off the field.

 In his absence, Williams Valley held on to defeat Old Forge 44-25, remaining unbeaten and advancing to the second round of the PIAA Class A playoffs.

 The injury happened with Williams Valley leading 22-0 after the Vikings scored on their first three possessions. QB Levi Engle was playing a near perfect game, throwing two beautiful touchdown spirals in the first quarter.

 With Rabuck down, Nick Savage entered the game and held his own against a tough Old Forge defense. The senior finished with 114 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

 Williams Valley entered the half with a 30-6 lead, but more bad news came on the first play of the third quarter. Engle tossed a jump ball into double coverage intended for senior receiver Jake Wolfgang, who landed awkwardly on his leg. The pass was intercepted by Old Forge.

 Without Wolfgang and Rabuck, the Vikings marched on. A pair of Savage runs extended the lead to 44-12 with eight minutes to play. Dylan Rabuck returned to the sideline on crutches to a standing ovation from the Viking crowd. His linemen, who he credits for his success, carried him to a seat on the bench.

 Williams Valley head coach Tim Savage elected to send out the victory formation up 44-18 with three minutes to go. The Old Forge coaching staff objected, and called two timeouts to prolong the game. The Blue Devils scored their final touchdown after a blocked punt set them up on the goal line.

 With the win, Williams Valley moved to 13-0, a school record for victories in a single season. The Vikings move on to the PIAA Class A Quarterfinals next weekend.

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2 Responses to “Williams Valley Downs Old Forge, But Loses Rabuck”

1. Mid-penn says:
   November 18th, 2017 at 7:23 pm

   Rabuck is fine. He will be ready next week

2. No Horse says:
   November 18th, 2017 at 2:37 pm

   Such a shame about the injuries. They looked like they had a real shot this year.