Hornets 555 rushing yards lead to 53-28 home win.

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Anytime you run the ball for almost a third of a mile in one football game you will win. Take it to the bank. That is exactly what happened Fnday night in Wellsboro's 53-28 homecoming win over Towanda.

The Hornets ran the ball 50 times for 555 yards, an average of 11.1 yards per tote.

Russ Manney, Jay Young, and Jared Mahon all finished with over 100 yards rushing, as the trio combined for 521 of the Hornets 555 yards.

Manney ran for a game high 264 yards on 22 carries. He scored four touchdowns on runs of 17, 24, 45, and 15 yards. Young, the Wellsboro quarterback, averaged an astounding 38.7 yards per rush, netting 155 yards on only four carries. He scored on runs of 72 and 38 yards. Mahon ran in from 19 and eight yards out. The trio accounted for all eight Wellsboro touchdowns.

The lone bright spot for Towanda was big running back Joe Bowen, who chalked up 170 yards and three touchdowns on runs of one, eight, and 71 yards.

Wickwine also caught a 15 yard touchdown pass from Knight quarterback Allen.

Wellsboro got on the board twice in the first quarter on touchdown runs by Manney and Mahon. Chris Fuller kicked the extra point following Manney's run and Wellsboro led 13-0 entering the second quarter.

Manney scored twice and Young once in the second period. Bowen sandwiched his first touchdown between the two Manney scores. By halftime, the Hornets had a comfortable 34-6 edge.

The lead swelled to 47-6 following Young and Mahon runs early in the third stanza, but the Knights from the east refused to fold. Bowen's eight yard touchdown run followed by the Allen-to-Wickwine touchdown pass and two successful two-point conversion runs, made the count 47-22 entering the final quarter.

Bowen's 71 yard scoring jaunt made the count 47-28 early in the fourth period and the natives were getting restless.

The Hornets then sealed the game and closed out the scoring with Manney capping his fine performance with a 15 yard touchdown run.

The loss dropped Towanda to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Northern Tier League action. Wellsboro, coming off their only loss of the season last week end at Wyalusing, improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in NTL action.

This Saturday, Wellsboro travels Columbia Montour Vo-Tech for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.