Mawdsley, SelPort Run To 2-0

SelPort piled up nearly 600 yards of offense and pulled away from Springdale for a 56-24 victory Friday, Sept. 11, in Northport, improving to 2-0 on the season. The combined Northport/Selkirk squad featured speed and big play ability despite a spirited and gritty run game by the Chargers, who fell to 1-1. SelPort led just 6-0 after the opening quarter on a Cameron Mawdsley 44-yard touchdown run before its offense erupted. The Lumberjacks would notch 20 points in the second quarter as freshman quarterback Weston Hedrick hit Henry Thompson for a 55-yard touchdown pass, and Mawdsley ripped off a 72-yard touchdown run.

Hedrick found Thompson again for a 68 scoring strike. Springdale wasn’t done early, however, and quarterback Nolan Swearngin scored on a seven-yard touchdown run to make the score 26-8 at halftime. After the break, the Lumberjack offense continued to make lumber. Mawdsley rushed for a 61-yard touchdown run, then a Johnson eight-yard touchdown. Springdale’s Zach Gilman stepped in and immediately powered the ball down the field. The freshman, in name only, capped a Springdale drive with a 25-yard touchdown run to cap off the third quarter scoring, making it 42-16. In the final quarter, Mawdsley capped off his game with a 55- yard touchdown, his fourth of the game, while Springdale answered with an eight-yard touchdown pass by Swearngin to Colt Edwards.

SelPort scored the final touchdown, a three-yard score by freshman Logan Maupin. Mawdsley finished with 259 yards on just six carries, which is 43 yards per attempt. SelPort finished with 470 rushing yards on 33 attempts. Junior Blaine Rieckers added 138 yards on 11 carries, but was injured during the game and had to sit out while emergency medical technicians tended to his shoulder. Cade Johnson rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown, and freshman Logan Maupin added 29 yards and a score. Hedrick gave SelPort another explosive dimension through the air, completing three of seven passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while Thompson caught two passes for 123 yards.

Altogether, SelPort generated 599 yards of offense, averaging 14.2 yards per rushing attempt and 43 yards per completion. The SelPort defense also made life difficult for Springdale. Senior Judah Creach led the way with 14 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack, while junior Trajan McIntosh finished with 11 tackles. Sophomore Johnny Oberholtzer added eight tackles and Mawdsley had seven. SelPort recorded four sacks as a team. Springdale leaned heavily on its running game, carrying the ball 52 times for 179 yards. Freshman Will Koontz led the Chargers with 93 yards on 25 attempts, while freshman Zach Gilman rushed seven times for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman Tyler Parker added 42 yards on 12 carries. Swearngin completed 4 of 11 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Junior Colt Edwards caught two passes for 35 yards, including Springdale’s receiving touchdown, while Koontz had two catches for 41 yards. Parker paced Springdale defensively with 13 tackles and two tackles for loss. Junior Trystyn Pinyan recorded 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and Springdale’s lone sack. In two weeks, SelPort has scored 114 points, while Springdale has scored 112 points in 1B football action.

SelPort Enters Season With Bigger Roster, Experienced Staff

After three years away from the sidelines, Jeremy Link is back as head coach of the SelPort football program. Link previously coached Selkirk for seven years. “I’m excited to be back coaching,” Link said. SelPort was formed after declining participation numbers at both Northport and Selkirk. Link said operating a combined program presents logistical challenges, but the transition into his new role has gone smoothly.

This year, the Lumberjacks have significantly better numbers with 20 players from Selkirk and nine from Northport - an increase of 12 players from last year. Link is joined by assistant coaches Jay Link, Matt Moore, and former Northport head coach Kevin Dionas. “As a staff we bring a lot of experience and different coaching strengths to the table,” Link said. “I’m having a ton of fun coaching these guys and we are working very hard to get better every day.