Photos by Jeff Shomo
STATE COLLEGE – Next stop, Harrisburg!

Though things started out slow for the State College football team fell behind 10-0 early to visiting Carlisle Friday night.

But the Little Lions pushed through the challenge and turned a close contest into a late runaway Homecoming win, topping the Thundering Herd 49-20.

State College freshman phenom D’Antae Sheffey continues to shine.

But in this contest, State College would use its air game to get the comeback victory.

Carlisle got on the board first as Ezeekai Jonathon Thomas intercepted a State College pass, putting the ball deep into Little Lion territory.

The State College defense held the Thundering Herd to a 4th down on the 19, giving Carlisle a field goal attempt.

Kicker Theonas John Mazias put the first points on the board, making it an early 3-0 contest.

Going into the second quarter, the Thundering Herd would score once again, this time taking to the air.

Liam Ewert hit a 70-yard pass to receiver Carson James Swartz for the touchdown.

Trailing 10-0, the Little Lions regained their momentum and pushed the ball down the field. Quarterback Owen Yerka called his own number and scored on a 9-yard run.

With the successful PAT, State College trailed 10-7.

Defensively, State College got into the act as Michael Dincher picked up a Carlisle fumble and ran it back for a 25-yard touchdown, making it a 14-10 contest.

In the third, A second field goal by Carlisle closed the gap when Mazias hit his second field goal of the afternoon.

But the Little Lions would win the quarter, scoring 21 points in the stanza.

Scoring for State College were Finn Furmanek launching a 66 -yard TD pass completed to Ty Salazer for a TD, extending the lead to 21-10.

Later on in the third, Furmanek went to the air once again and hit Sheffey on a 33-yard TD pass.

Carlisle battled back to try to close in on the State College lead as Ezeekai Jonathon Thomas hooked up with his second 70-plus pass to notch another score. Thomas tossed a  72-yard pass to Carson James Swartz cutting it to a 9-point State College lead.

However, Furmanek continued to find the end zone. This time he scored this one on the ground posting a 21-yard scamper to put the Little Lions up for good, 35-20.

From there, the State College defense tightened up and shut out the Thundering Herd the rest of the way.

Their offense continued to add to its lead posting two fourth quarter touchdowns to go onto the 49-20 victory.

With the win, next week Harrisburg is next on the schedule, in the battle of two undefeated and state ranked teams. It’s sure to be another Epic Mid-Penn showdown.