BY JOBY FAWCETT
Times-Shamrock Writer

Evan Aldrich flipped a switch and lifted his team to victory.

The senior nose guard’s intensity was on display Saturday afternoon as he launched his body into the center of the Nanticoke offensive line play after play as the sun beat down in the fourth quarter.

Aldrich disrupted the snap on seven straight plays bridged over three possessions, leading to two late touchdowns as Susquehanna pushed through for a 28-6 win in a nonconference football opener.

“I was really trying hard,” Aldrich said. “I knew that they were tired and I knew that we were tired. I had to take it into my hands to get the team pumped up or we might not have won this game.

“I just kept hitting them and hitting them until finally we got them.”

As the sweltering heat that more resembled mid-July began to take its toll in the fourth quarter, Aldrich made what appeared to be a sack on a key third-and-8 as Nanticoke had invaded Susquehanna territory at the 24 while trailing, 14-6.

However, Aldrich became too aggressive on the stop and was hit with a personal foul penalty that kept the drive alive.

On the next three plays, he caused chaos with the exchange, eventually leading to a Cameron Mallery fumble recovery at the 16-yard line.

After a Susquehanna punt pinned Nanticoke at its 5, Aldrich almost caused a fumble on a first-down play, then forced a fumble on the next play that Zach Conrad scooped up for his second recovery.

“That was really key,” Conrad said. “We needed to shift the momentum. … A lot of us are two-way players, so once we get fired up on one side of the ball, we get it going on the other.”

One play later, Nolan Hausser powered his way in from 5 yards out for his second touchdown that gave the Sabers a 21-6 lead.

Aldrich wasn’t finished.

His final attack caused a bobbled snap on first down and one that sailed high over the head of quarterback Matt Wrubel in the shotgun formation that led to a frantic pursuit of the ball.

Noah Jennings, who had an acrobatic interception in the first half, recovered it and headed for a score. However, he lost control while being brought down and Jarred Mills pounced on it in the end zone for the final touchdown.

“I just knew that I could feel it coming out at halftime that we had to turn it up defensively,” Aldrich said. “I started to sense the count. I knew it was a quick count and I was just gone on the snap.

“This is a great way to start the season.”

The avalanche of miscues forced by Aldrich capped a game that saw Nanticoke put the ball on the ground eight times, losing six, and turning it over on an interception.

“We showed our youth today,” Nanticoke coach Ron Bruza said. “We have only five seniors and we showed our youth. When it was time to step up we were young. We will get better each week.

“The guys still came out and played hard.”

Susquehanna’s late defensive surge allowed the team to overcome some growing pains with several new faces making their debut on offense.

Junior quarterback Kyle Donovan piloted an eight-play drive that resulted in three first downs, but no points in his initial possession. He had Hausser cap a four-play drive following a fumbled punt by Nanticoke, and threw a 17-yard touchdown strike to Logan Conrad with 7:53 remaining in the third following a Zach Conrad fumble recovery.

“That was surprising because this is my first year at tight end,” Logan Conrad said. “It was a great read by Kyle.”

Nanticoke used a punishing running game that featured Alec Norton pounding 133 yards and a 1-yard touchdown to keep his team within striking distance.
But his effort couldn’t withstand the onslaught started by Aldrich in the second half.