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Alumni Game 2005
Game 4
Falconer 32 @ PCS 23
Friday   Sept. 24   7:30 pm
 
The Panthers got blistered by Falconer in their first league game, as Curt Jones ran the ball 42 times for 367 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.  Portville certainly did not look like the #3 team in the state, giving up a total of 426 yards rushing, but were still in the game with just minutes to go.
 
Portville's offense was out of sync and the defense was out of whack, as Falconer went up 19-0 in the second quarter.  With 34 seconds left in the half, Portville finally scored, as QB Brian Nitsche took it in from the 21.
 
Falconer scored again in the 3rd, going up 26-6 before PCS mounted an attack.  With 8 minutes to go in the game, the Panthers roared back with a Nitsche to Jarid Lowe TD pass.  This followed a beautiful touchdown pass to Kirk Austin at the beginning of the final quarter.  The score stood at 26-23, and the situation looked hopeful...until Jones did it again, and the game was out of reach.
 
All of the XP attempts by Portville were good, but this fact was one of the few positives for the Panthers on this night.  The Panthers were able to recover 2 Falconer fumbles and block an XP kick, but they were flagged for 60 yards total.
 
Falconer won the 1st down battle 14-8, thanks to their superb blocking and running.  Jones' total rushing yards was an all-time unofficial record against a Portville team.  Otto-Eldred's Ed Crandall rushed for 302 yards in their 65-6 win over the Panthers in 1976.  Incredibly, Jones missed last week's game due a hip injury, which "plagued" him this whole night.
 
Nitsche scrambled for 60 yards during the match and was able to pass for 92 yards and 2 TDs, but the ferocious Falconer players were too much for Portville.  From a fan's point of view, poor tackling and lack of intensity ruined the Panthers' chances of pulling out a victory.
 
Despite playing terrible, Portville was still in the game until the last 5 minutes.  Hopefully, the squad will be able to regroup, repent from their mistakes, and take it to the next level.  They may see Falconer again this year.

Click Here: Portville #3 in the State

Click here: Portville #4 in the Buffalo News Poll

Rivalry Began in 1985
Falconer leads series:  10-9
Points:   Falconer - 325     PCS - 264
 
1985     Falconer 21     PCS 12
1986     PCS 15     Falconer 14
1987     Falconer 19       PCS 6
1988     Falconer 28     PCS 14
1989     Falconer 3         PCS 0
1990     Falconer 36       PCS 7
1991     Falconer 33       PCS 0
1992     PCS 12       Falconer 0
1993     Falconer 36     PCS 14
1994     Falconer 22       PCS 8
1995     PCS 14     Falconer 13
1996     PCS 36       Falconer 6
1997     PCS 7         Falconer 0
1998     Falconer 27       PCS 0
1999     PCS 19       Falconer 7
2000     PCS 20       Falconer 7
2001     PCS 33       Falconer 0
2002     Falconer 33     PCS 20
2003     PCS 27     Falconer 20
 
Visiting team has won 10 of the 19 clashes
 
 
 PRELUDE TO GAME 4 with FALCONER
 
The non-league portion of the schedule is complete for the Portville Panther football team, and they are riding high at 3-0.  The victories were over three good opponents, but the next 5 league games are what count toward the playoffs and Ralph Stadium.
 
Falconer has a good program and has consistently been a nemesis for PCS since the rivalry began in the mid-80s.  They employ a power run offense with large running backs.  Overall, they have bigger bodies, and the Panthers will have to elevate their intensity and play.  Every team in the league is aiming for Portville.  "We got a big bulls-eye on our back," warns Coach Swetland.
 
After 3 games, Portville has out-rushed its opponents 657-230 yards, but are behind in passing yards 315-249.  Even though the coaches called off the dogs early in the first 2 games, Portville's offense is averaging 301.7 total yards per game, while opponents are at 182 per game. 
 
This has translated into 93 points (31 per game), 12 touchdowns, 2 field goals, and 13 XP points.  The opposition has 38 points (13 per game), 6 TDs, and only 2 XP points.  RB Joe Holcomb leads the TD attack with 3, while TE Brad Holcomb, QB Brian Nitsche, and RB Alex Woodhead each have two.  Kirk Austin, Josh Haynes, and Jarid Lowe have also scored a TD, and K Kris Young has contributed 10 points.  Nitsche has thrown for 3 TDs and 2 XP strikes, while completing almost half his passes overall.
 
Portville is +3 in takeaways, with Joe Holcomb taking an interception for a TD.  The biggest problem for PCS statistically and mentally is penalties.  Portville has been flagged 27 times for 263 penalty yards.  This translates into 90 yards per game, essentially wiping out the team's passing yards.
 
The defense has been extraordinary, and the first team has had 4 TDs scored against it.  The Alden shut-out was a great achievement.  Matt Miller, Brad Holcomb, and Jarid Lowe lead the squad in tackles, followed by Brad Hill, Haynes, Nitsche, Ross Degolier, Joe, and Woodhead.  Ross, Brad, Eric Caya, and Woodhead have recorded sacks, while Lowe and Woodhead have blocked kicks.
 
The Panthers have out-scored the opposition 53-6 in the first half, and this is a sign of a great team.  All of the components are firing well enough for this group to go a long way, as long as they continue to think, hit hard, and achieve their goals each play.

Punishing Panther '04 Results