DANVILLE — The first time Danville gave Selinsgrove multiple cracks in plus field position early Friday night, the Seals raced out to a lead but couldn't put the Ironmen away.
When the Ironmen did it again in the second half, turning the ball over on consecutive plays, Selinsgrove finished it off to reach a milestone.
Senior quarterback Rocco Amato threw three touchdown passes, all to Jonathan Neidig, and the Seals took advantage of five Danville turnovers in a 38-22 win, the 600th in program history.
"The 600 thing has been hanging over my head for a few weeks, and I was starting to wonder when it was going to come," Selinsgrove coach Matt Wenrich, a member of the 2009 state title team, said. "It's an absolute honor. We pulled it all together. Couldn't be more proud of our kids and our coaching staff."
Danville (3-5) lost three fumbles on its first seven snaps and Selinsgrove (3-5) took advantage to take an early two-score lead.
The teams traded three lost fumbles on the first six snaps of the game.
After the Seals fumbled on their first play, Danville gave it right back to Selinsgrove at the 28-yard line. On third down, Amato hit Neidig in the flat. Neidig broke a tackle and dove across the goal line for an early 7-0 lead.
Selinsgrove recovered another Danville fumble, this time at the nine. Amato followed a fleet of blockers on a keeper for a 13-0 lead midway through the first quarter after the PAT was blocked.
"Turnovers killed us today," Danville coach Shawn Sheptock said after his young and battered team lost its fourth in a row. "We put ourselves in bad positions and we need to make stops there and it just didn't happen. But kudos to Selinsgrove, they played a good football game."
Danville bridged the first and second quarters with a 62-yard TD drive. Freshman quarterback Macon Patrick, back after a month out, squirted through the left side and went 30 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-7.
The Ironmen missed two shots to cut into the lead or go in front late in the second quarter. Selinsgrove stopped Danville on fourth down from the 10 and Liam Tomko's 36-yard goal at the buzzer sailed just left.
Wenrich said he leaned on the offensive line this week and again at halftime to make a difference in the game.
The Seals' offensive front did just that on the first drive of the third quarter as Selinsgrove pieced together a huge possession.
Selinsgrove chewed up nearly eight minutes to start the third quarter, converting twice on fourth down — including on fourth-and-12 — and three third-down plays of at least 10 yards. Amato capped the drive with a perfect 22-yard TD pass to Neidig, who tapped his toes in the corner of the end zone on third and long.
"It all clicked. The offensive line was great, the quarterback was awesome, the receivers caught everything," Wenrich said.
Danville answered back in just six plays with Patrick hitting Braxtyn Girardi for 32 yards. After the Ironmen grabbed some momentum with a stop and a chance to take the lead, down 19-14, Danville fumbled the ball on the first snap of the next series in a back-breaking series of events heading to the fourth.
Amato hit Neidig in the flat on the second play of the fourth quarter, and he cruised for a 40-yard score to make it 25-14.
On Danville's next snap, Andrew Gusemaria snatched a one-handed interception, and Cael Badman iced it two plays later with a 30-yard sprint for a touchdown. Amato banged in a quarterback sneak with less than four minutes to play to make it a 24-point lead.
"We have been so depleted up front all year and those guys gave us everything they've got," Wenrich said. "I was proud of the way our offense played, and our defense. We came out swinging in the second half and got going."
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SELINSGROVE 38, DANVILLE 22
Selinsgrove (3-5);13;0;6;19—38
Danville (3-5);0;7;7;8—22
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
S-Jonathan Neidig 6 pass from Rocco Amato (Braydon Mack kick), 7:27
S-Amato 6 run (kick blocked), 5:59
Second quarter
D-Macon Patrick 30 run (Liam Tomko kick), 9:57
Third quarter
S-Neidig 17 pass from Amato (kick blocked), 4:07
D-Braxtyn Girardi 32 pass from Patrick (Tomko kick), 2:38
Fourth quarter
S-Neidig 40 pass from Amato (run failed), 11:09
S-Cael Badman 30 run (pass failed), 10:05
S-Amato 2 run (Mack kick), 3:37
D-Mason Kingery 22 pass from Patrick (Patrick run), 3:20
TEAM STATISTICS
;S;D
First Downs;19;16
Rushes-yds;46-233
Passing yds;145;159
Passing;13-21-1;12-21-1
Penalties;13-125;4-25
Fumbles-lost;3-1;5-4
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Selinsgrove: Isaac Thomas 21-130; Gabe Paradis 2-15; Colton Fegley 7-45; Badman 6-34, TD; Amato, 8-15, 2 TDs; team, 2-(-6). Danville: Jack Rarig 8-6; Kayvion Seabrook 5-35; Aidon Bingaman 2-7; Jagger Simpson 4-36; Patrick, 4-58, TD.
PASSING — Selinsgrove: Amato 13-21-1, 145 yards, 3 TDs. Danville: Patrick 12-20-1, 159, 2 TDs; team 0-1-1.
RECEIVING — Selinsgrove: Neidig 11-140, 3 TDs; Fegley 1-3; Thomas 1-2. Danville: Simpson 3-38; Seabrook 2-11; Girardi 3-56, TD; Kinger 4-54, TD.