Wellsboro football game goes to the Dogs.

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Despite a tough Wellsboro defense in the first eight minutes of the game against Jersey Shore Friday, September 17, two early Wellsboro fumbles set the tone of the game as the Green Hornets were bit by a strong Bulldog team in the 33-9 loss.

"I really think the kids played hard but just were not with it mentally later in the game," head coach Mike Pietropola said. "And we started getting penalties that we shouldn't have. Like I told the kids, 'You can't have those kind of penalties or you're going to lose the football game."

Wellsboro had 10 penalties for 71 yards while Shore committed eight penalties for 83 yards,

On Wellsboro's first possession of the game, Derek Harsch fumbled the ball on the 36-yard line after bulling his way for a four yard gain.

But Jersey Shore was held for no gain on their first possession by a strong Wellsboro defense and forced to punt.

Wellsboro couldn't get any leverage on their second possession and neither could the Bulldogs.

On fourth-and-eight from Wellsboro's 42 yard-line, Shore punted again but Dave Laczi bobbled the ball and Jersey Shore recovered the ball at the four-yard line to set up the first score of the night for the Bulldogs.

"We talk about it every week," Pietropolia said. "We can't turn the ball over, we did it today, committed stupid penalties and that hurt us."

On fourth-and-goal from the 14-yard line, Bulldog's quarterback Jared Lehman fired a 14 yard touchdown pass to Jason Brown with 4:20 remaining in the first frame. Following a Jordan Pauling extra point, Shore held a 7-0 lead.

Lehman was 10-of-14 on the night with 143 yards passing and three touchdown tosses.

On Wellsboro's next possession, penalties and incomplete passes ended their drive down field and were forced to punt. But the Green Hornets got the ball back when a Jersey Shore player touched the ball which was recovered by Jared Hurlbert on the 46-yard line.

After the second illegal procedure call and a Jake Banik sack, Wellsboro faced fourth-and-20 and were forced to punt.

Three plays later, Justin Yost took the hand off and raced 40 yards to paydirt giving Jersey Shore a 14-0 lead with seven seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Wellsboro forged their way to Jersey Shore's 13-yard line on the ensuing series, but their third fumble of the night gave the Bulldogs possession.

"The bottom line is that we committed turnovers and foolish penalties," Pietropola said. "That's what happened."

But fumblitis bit the Bulldogs and Wellsboro recovered and converted it into their first score of the game.

Wellsboro took possession at Shore's 22-yard line but were stopped six yards out. Facing fourth-and-goal from the six-yard line, Wellsboro opted for a field goal. Dave Laczi booted the ball through the uprights with 3:59 remaining to trail Shore 14-3.

Wellsboro had found some success during the third quarter with their running game by working to the outside instead of running up against the size of the Bulldog's line. But the success was soon shut down.

"They have a nice nose guard," Pietropola said. "When we started running the ball outside, they moved him to defensive end."

Shore went to the air for two scores in the third quarter. The first aerial score came on a 28 yard pass completion to Joshua Hauser from Lehman who caught the Wellsboro secondary off guard.

Three minutes later, with 6:07 remaining in the third quarter, Lehman went to the air again firing a pass to Justin Hershery who outran the Wellsboro secondary and scampered 51 yards for the score.

Each extra point attempt was no good, giving Jersey Shore a 26-3 lead going into the final frame of the night.

"They (Jersey Shore) did a nice job and their kids played harder than our kids did," Pietropola said. "And that's just something we just need to learn to work with. We learned a lot here tonight."

Wellsboro earned their first six point score of the night in the early minutes of the fourth quarter.

Shore's signal caller, Lehman, rolled out to the left and fired a 10 yard pass attempt to Hauser but Wellsboro's linebacker Colin McBride read the play and picked off the pass. McBride then left Jersey Shore in the dust as he rocketed 86 yards down field and across the goal line.

Wellsboro tried for a two point conversion pass which fell incomplete and trailed Shore 9-26.

Shore struck back quickly on the kickoff as Hershey took the kickoff and weaved his way through the Wellsboro defenders on a 75 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Craig Willits extra point was good giving Jersey Shore the 33-9 win.

Harsch led the Wellsboro offense with 93 yards rushing on 23 carries. Banik was four-of-16 for 34 yards passing on the night.

Wellsboro (1-2) will travel to Wyalusing Friday, September 25.