Despite 6 touchdown throws from Wellsville’s Geffers, Pembroke survives game-long shootout with Lions behind Felski’s massive ground attack in 64-48 home victory

PEMBROKE — Just like their first installment on the gridiron earlier this season in the Lion’s Den, Friday night turned into yet another shootout reminiscent of the wild, wild west, this time in Pembroke between the defending 8-Man State Champion Dragons and the Lions of Wellsville.

This latest chronicle of football, perhaps the craziest of the season by far and away, witnessing 19 combined touchdowns and a grand total of 112 combined points come to complete fruition across all 60 minutes.

It began with an early first quarter lead for the Dragons, and then the rest was history. Pembroke’s lead never switched hands, even after both teams combined to record 50 points and seven touchdowns across a back-and-forth second quarter filled with glorified madness, as they went on to record the season-series sweep of Wellsville in high-scoring fashion, led by another incredible ground game from Caleb Felski, with a 64-48 home win on Friday.

The night commenced on the biggest of bangs from the Dragons on the opening play of their first drive, as Felski stormed directly to the house from 69 yards out for the first of what would be nine total touchdowns in the game on the ground. After Wellsville (3-4) went 3-and-out on their opening drive, Felski capitalized on the opportunity to extend Pembroke’s lead, using the majority of the clock in the quarter to score his second touchdown — a 36-yard scamper to double the Dragons advantage to 12-0.

From that point on, it was an all-out, back-and-forth blitz until the end.

Beginning with Wellsville’s first quarter-ending response all the way to the end of the third quarter, both teams would score on every single possession they would take the field on offense for, with the Lions reaching the board on the first of six touchdown throws from the arm of Brennen Geffers — two each to Trent Green, Jack Davis and JJ Howard, as Geffers connected with Green first from short distance to make it a 12-8 game.

Then the constant exchanging of pleasantries would really begin to settle in, in the second quarter.

In the midst of a 50-point frame of play, the Dragons would score all four of their touchdowns on the ground from Felski, finding the end zone on a score from 59 yards, along with a two-yarder and a pair of three-yarders, while the Lions secured their points off two touchdown passes from Geffers to Jack Davis from 39 and 36 yards out to go with a goal-line rush from Xander Outman.

When it was all said and done, Pembroke remained in the lead with a 42-28 advantage going into halftime.

The Lions kept pushing the pace against the Dragons at the start of the third quarter, converting on their first possession with Geffers’ fourth touchdown throw of the game — the second to Trent Green, who stiff-armed a pair of defenders on his slant route into the end zone for the 16-yard score, closing the gap down to eight one more time before Felski helps Pembroke utilize the clock to their advantage one more time on their first drive of the second half, scoring his seventh touchdown from five yards.

The Dragons later unearthed an opportunity to create some separation from Wellsville, using a big turnover-on-downs drive — the first Lions possession without a score since the start of the game, which was powered by back-to-back sacks to force the offense backwards. As a result of their defensive efforts, Felski would convert his eighth touchdown of the game in the beginning of the fourth quarter to take a 58-34 lead, which was the largest degree of separation on either side.

Wellsville would remain alive until the end of the game, as Geffers racked up two more touchdown throws, both to JJ Howard from nine and 14 yards away to keep them within striking distance of Pembroke. But in the end, the Lions would run out of time, as the Dragons went on to secure the wildest of victories in front of their home crowd.

Geffers would finish 21-of-34 under center with 290 yards and his six touchdowns through the air. He would add 56 more yards off 14 carries on the ground, bringing his grand total to 334 all-purpose yards. On defense, Green led all defenders with 12 tackles. Howard and Matt Ritter each had 11 tackles, while Derek Coleman and Damon Davis followed with nine and eight, respectively.

The Lions will now put a bow on their regular season next weekend, as they prepare to host Red Jacket for their Senior Night celebration next Friday night at 7 p.m.

Wellsville 8 20 6 12 – 48

Pembroke 12 30 8 14 – 64

Scoring Summary

1st

PEM – Caleb Felski 69-yard run, 2-pts failed (6-0 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 36-yard run, 2-pts failed (12-0 PEM)

WLSV – Trent Green 4-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts good (12-8 PEM)

2nd

PEM – Caleb Felski 3-yard run, 2-pts good (20-8 PEM)

WLSV – Jack Davis 39-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts good (20-16 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 59-yard run, 2-pts failed (26-16 PEM)

WLSV – Jack Davis 36-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts failed (26-22 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 3-yard run, 2-pts good (34-22 PEM)

WLSV – Xander Outman 1-yard run, 2-pts failed (34-28 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 2-yard run, 2-pts good (42-28 PEM)

3rd

WLSV – Trent Green 16-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts failed (42-34 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 5-yard run, 2-pts good (50-34 PEM)

4th

PEM – Caleb Felski 19-yard run, 2-pts good (58-34 PEM)

WLSV – JJ Howard 9-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts failed (58-40 PEM)

PEM – Caleb Felski 60-yard run, 2-pts failed (64-40 PEM)

WLSV – JJ Howard 14-yard pass from Brennen Geffers, 2-pts good (64-48 PEM)