DANVILLE – If Shamokin is going to take the next step this year and advance further into the playoffs, then it is most likely going to do it on the back of Logan Steele – the engine that makes the Indians go.
And if they do, it will be due to performances like the one Steele and the Indians turned in on Friday.
The Indians scored on their first three possessions of the game, took a 31-0 lead after the first quarter, and amassed 451 yards of total offense while holding Danville to just 177 as Shamokin improved to 2-0 with a convincing 53-14 win over the Ironmen.
“We’re fast and physical. We’re built on speed and toughness and I think our guys showed that all night,” said Shamokin coach Marc Persing. “We think we have big-play type players at all positions. We want teams to think we don’t have the ability to throw the ball but Logan showed tonight that when he’s settled in and our receivers can get behind, he’s capable of throwing the ball deep as well.”
Steele, who is bound for Wake Forest next fall and is probably the Indians’ biggest big-play type of player, though far from the only one, made a handful of big plays as he was responsible for four different types of touchdowns. He threw for one, ran for another, and also had two defensive touchdowns as he returned both an interception and a fumble for scores. He threw for 150 yards on just three completions and also ran seven times for 38 yards.
The Indians scored on their first three drives of the game. They recovered an onside kick of the game’s opening kickoff and started their drive at their own 40. Steele then hit Ryan Bickert for a 46-yard completion on the first play from scrimmage to flip the field, and Colin Steinhart later kicked a 27-yard field goal to get the scoring started at the 10:27 mark of the first quarter.
“They had a great crowd tonight and we figured they were going to come out and do the onside kick just like they did, so we felt like we needed something early to set the tone and let them know that we were here,” said Persing.
Shamokin then took over at the Danville 35 on its next drive and needed just three plays to find the end zone on a six-yard run by Bickert. Barrett Walsh then took over as the quarterback for the Indians’ third possession and needed just three plays to go 67 yards, and he finished the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run to make it 17-0 with 5:08 left in the first.
Steele picked off Danville’s Macon Patrick and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown at the 2:25 mark of the first quarter to extend the Shamokin lead to 24-0. He then tossed a 66-yard touchdown to Steinhart on the Indians’ next offensive possession to make it 31-0 with :11 left in the quarter.
“Logan Steele is amazing. He’s probably one of the best athletes I’ve ever had the opportunity to compete against,” said Danville coach Shawn Sheptock. “There’s no doubt why he’s a Division I player. He’s got great speed, great football mind, his instincts are tremendous.”
It was 38-0 after Noah Ringes ripped off a 30-yard touchdown at the 7:49 mark of the second quarter. Ringes led a 277-yard rushing attack by the Indians with 105 yards on just eight carries.
The Ironmen got on the board on a nice 53-yard connection from Patrick to Myles Koser with 7:02 left in the first half. But that was answered right back by the Indians when Steele capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive that took nearly five minutes with a four-yard touchdown run to give Shamokin a 45-7 lead at the half.
Danville received the second half kickoff, but just three plays into its drive, coughed up the ball again and Steele scooped up the fumble and returned it 33 yards to the end zone to make it 51-7.
Another lack of ball security deep on their own end of the field by the Ironmen resulted in a safety later in the third quarter when a fumbled snap was covered the Ironmen in their own end zone.
“Shamokin is a very good program, they’re well coached and they were more physical than us and were able to establish a lot of the things they did,” said Sheptock. “We gave up some big plays that hurt us from the start. We were in positions but didn’t tackle well.”
Danville did end the game on a more positive note offensively as they put together a nine-play, 69-yard drive with the running clock and with nine rushing plays, produced a touchdown as Patrick ran it in from 17 yards out.
“We did what we were supposed to do tonight, but Danville reminds me of us about four years ago when we were still trying to find who we are,” said Persing. “They have some nice players and they’re going to do a good job. Coach Sheptock was the right man for the job and he’s going to get them where they need to be.”
Shamokin 53, Danville 14
Shamokin (2-0) 31 14 8 0 – 53
Danville (1-1) 0 7 0 7 – 14
First quarter
10:27 – (S) Colin Steinhart 27-yard field goal, 5-49, 1:33
8:02 – (S) Ryan Bickert 6-yard run (Steinhart kick), 3-35, :52
5:08 – (S) Barrett Walsh 23-yard run (Steinhart kick), 3-67, :46
2:25 – (S) Logan Steele 27-yard interception return (Steinhart kick)
:11 – (S) Colin Steinhart 66-yard pass from Logan Steele (Steinhart kick), 1-66, :09
Second quarter
7:49 – (S) Noah Ringes 30-yard run (Steinhart kick), 8-77, 2:54
7:02 – (D) Myles Koser 53-yard pass from Macon Patrick (Tomko kick), 3-64, :47
2:15 – (S) Logan Steele 4-yard run (Heim kick), 11-80, 4:47
Third quarter
10:15 – (S) Logan Steele 33-yard fumble return (kick failed)
7:50 – (S) Team Safety
Fourth quarter
3:41 – (D) Macon Patrick 17-yard run (Tomko kick), 9-69, 5:04
Statistics
S D
First downs 18 9
Rushes-net yards 35-277 35-112
Passing yardage 174 65
Passing 4-10-1-0 6-12-1-1
Fumbles-lost 2-2 4-2
Penalties-yards 9-60 3-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Shamokin: Noah Ringes (8-105-1), Logan Steele (7-38-1), Trey Taylor (5-38), Kam Petrovich (3-15), Trent Schrader (3-12), Sheldon Sassani (2-22), Ryan Bickert (2-14-1), Evan Pancher (2-9), Mason Pursel (2-1), Barrett Walsh (1-23-1); Danville: Macon Patrick (8-21-1), Ben Nye (7-11), Jack Rarig (4-18), Jagger Simpson (4-18), Kayvion Seabrook (4-13), Braxtyn Girardi (2-32), Aidon Bingaman (2-3), Team (2-(-8)), Drake Hur (1-7), Mason Kingery (1-(-3))
PASSING: Shamokin: Logan Steele (3-7-150-1-0), Barrett Walsh (1-1-24-0-0), Kam Petrovich (0-1-0-0-0), Evan Pancher (0-1-0-0-0); Danville: Macon Patrick (6-12-65-1-1)
RECEIVING: Shamokin: Colin Steinhart (2-104-1), Ryan Bickert (2-70); Danville: Jagger Simpson (4-11), Myles Koser (1-53-1), Kayvion Seabrook (1-1)