Big plays, miscues doom Sabers

For two quarters Susquehanna gave defending District champion Dunmore their best shot but a couple key miscues in the third quarter and the big play capabilities of Dunmore’s Rayshaun Dawkins eventually doomed the Sabers as they fell to the Bucks 48-20 in the District II Class 2A semifinal.

After Dawkins scored the first of his six touchdowns in the first quarter Susquehanna answered in the second quarter when Quarterback Garrett Decker found Gavin Baker from 16 yards out for a touchdown. With Layne Fisk’s extra point, the Sabers were tied 7-7.

Dunmore answered quickly on a 52-yard pass play from Steve Borgia to Christian Buckley. But Susquehanna methodically marched down the field and scored when Calvin Scheideler dived into the endzone from a yard out. The extra point was blocked and with a subsequent Dawkins touchdown Susquehanna trailed 20-13 at halftime.

Dunmore broke the game open in the third quarter when Borgia found Buckley for long completion on the opening drive and Dawkins scored two plays later.

Susquehanna would see their next two drives stall and, on both possessions, a bad snap on the punt attempt left Dunmore with ball inside the Sabers’ 20-yard line which Dawkins cashed in for two rushing touchdowns.

Susquehanna would score again in the beginning of the fourth quarter when Decker again connected with Baker for a 38-yard scoring play and Fisk added the extra point. Dunmore would answer quickly when Dawkins broke free for a 53-yard rushing touchdown 19 seconds later.

Decker led the offensive attack with 108 yards rushing to go along with 4-8 passing and two touchdowns. Scheideler had 101 yards rushing and Baker finished with three catches for 64 yards.