Wellsboro Green Hornets win opener 19-6 over Coudersport.

The Wellsboro High School Green Hornets opened their 1959 gridiron campaign on a successful note last Saturday afternoon with a convincing 19-6 conquest of Coudersport on the losers' field.

It was the second annual meeting of the fall sport between the two schools and the local eleven has won both of them. The win also kept Wellsboro's unbeaten mark alive which began last year when football was inaugurated in the school after a 25 year absence.

The ball game was a good one with Coudersport almost scoring in the first two minutes of the game. An onside kick recovered by Coudersport on the Wellsboro 43-yard line gave Coudy possession of the ball with only two seconds gone in the game. Two line plays failed, then quarterback Bunnell uncorked a pass complete to halfback Orlando Custano, who was pulled down on the two-yard line. On the next play, Coudersport fumbled and Red Luther recovered for Wellsboro to end the threat.

Wellsboro went for a first down to the 18-yard line, but the drive bogged down and the Hornets were forced to punt. Coudersport could get no where through the Green wall and they in turn punted to the Wellsboro 24-yard line. Keith Tombs returned the kick to the 29-yard line and the Green and White began to march.

Wellsboro scored in nine plays on a march goalward of 71 yards. With Mike Burns running the ball club and mixing his calls beautifully, Wellsboro scored from 15 yards out on a nifty reverse play which John Deibert ran into the end zone without a hand being laid on him. Tombs' kick for the extra point was wide and the Hornets had a 6-0 lead.

Coudersport could not get anything going after taking the kickoff and were forced to punt. Fred Reynolds dropped the punt and Coudersports Ebberts picked up the ball and ran to the Wellsboro 35-yard line.

From there, Coudersport scored on seven plays with Dave Seitzer plunging over for the score from a yard out. Coudersport ran for the extra point but the score was nullified by a penalty and a pass attempt that fell incomplete. The score stood Wellsboro 6 and Coudersport 6.

Wellsboro wasted no time in getting their lead back as they scored on a march of 72 yards. Pete Losinger ran the kickoff back 16 yards to the 28-yard line. Deibert gained 2 to the 30 and then Fred Reynolds ran for 20 yards to midfield Losinger then dashed around right end for a 30 yard scamper to the Coudersport 20-yard line. After a series of running plays to the five, Wellsboro was penalized 5 yards for being offsides. Mike Burns then threw a perfect strike down the middle to Keith Tombs in the end zone for the score. Tombs' kick for the extra point was blocked. The half ended with Wellsboro leading 12-6.

Wellsboro completely dominated play in the second half with Coudersport only getting past the 50 yard line into Wellsboro territory once and that was a 30 yard pass from Bunnell to Castano which carried to the Hornet 39-yard line but the Hornet defenses held Coudy to a yard gain in four plays and took over on downs.

The Hornets had several scoring opportunities but one drive was killed on a intercepted pass on the Coudersport 13 and another with a fumble on the two-yard line.

Wellsboro scored in the final quarter when Bunnell got off a short punt from his 13-yard line to the 29-yard line. With Reynolds, Burns, and Deibert carrying the load the Hornets went to the 9-yard line but a pitch back play lost 6 yards and then Burns threw his second touchdown pass of the afternoon, this time to Deibert. Tombs then passed to Deibert for the extra point and that's how the game ended, Wellsboro 19-6.