BOSWELL— Will Eshleman rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns, while also intercepting a pass and returning it for a score, leading North Star to a 33-14 Inter-County Conference South football victory over Northern Bedford County, Friday, Oct. 16.
“I thought my line did a phenomenal job of opening up holes for me all night,” said Eshleman. “We need to stay locked in and keep working as we have a big game next week with Berlin coming up. It is just week to week, so we will enjoy this one and get ready for the next one.”
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For Cougars head coach Shane Smith, having his team rush for more than 300 yards, was extra rewarding after he challenged his offensive line this week.
“I am tickled pink,” said Smith. “We put a lot of pressure on the linemen this week to step up with their age and dominate this week. I think, especially in the second half, both sides on offense and defense, our lines carried us.”
With the weather conditions less than ideal and the field getting muddy as the game went on, Northern Bedford (4-4) struggled to contain Eshleman and quarterback Kasey Yoder, who added 120 yards on the ground on 13 carries.
“Traditionally, in a mud game you want a straight-line guy like Kasey Yoder running the ball,” said Smith. “Will is our shifty guy and we thought if we could get him loose and, in this mud, he could keep his footing, it would benefit us with a lot of missed tackles and that is how it played out for us.”
The game did not start out as North Star (7-1) wanted with a fumbled snap on its first possession. Northern Bedford quarterback Trace Baker went deep and found Nevin Lloyd for a 59-yard touchdown to make it 6-0 after one quarter of play.
Eshleman took the first play of the second quarter off right tackle for a 79-yard touchdown run to even the score.
Yoder picked off a Baker pass in the end zone on the next possession, and Eshleman raced 67 yards off the right tackle again, giving the Cougars their first lead at 13-6.
Just two plays later, Eshleman picked off a tipped pass and returned for a touchdown and a 19-6 advantage at the half.
Northern Bedford turned the ball over again in the third, when a snap sailed over Baker’s head and it was recovered by Noah Lasky inside the 20-yard line.
Eshleman added another touchdown on the ensuing series with a 16-yard score and a 26-6 advantage.
Late in the quarter, Eshleman scored again, running to the right but this time it was shut off by the defense, so he reversed field, and ran all the way back to the left sideline and scored his fifth of the night from 20 yards out for a 33-6 lead.
Northern Bedford scored in the fourth on a 49-yard touchdown from Baker to Lloyd, setting the final.
North Star (7-1) visits Berlin Brothersvalley (7-1) with both Inter-County Conference South and District 5-2A playoff implications on the line.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: North Star ground game overwhelms Northern Bedford on homecoming