Wellsboro slips by Cowanesque.

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Forget about the luck of the Irish. It's better to have Green Hornet luck for a chilly and slippery Northern Tier League football game.

"Do you know how lucky you guys are?" Wellsboro coach Mike Pietropola asked his team after the win. "There must be someone up there who likes us."

It may have been luck that helped the Green Hornets edge Cowanesque Valley for the 14-11 win, but Wellsboro's first two scores had nothing to do with luck.

"This is awesome," Pietropola said of the win. "Our defense came out strong in the first half."

The Hornets took a 7-0 lead after they returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Matt Priset received the kickoff and raced down field 84 yards for the early Green Hornet score. Jason Johnston added the extra point kick.

Wellsboro took advantage of a bad Cowanesque Valley snap on a punt on the next series and looked like they were ready to score again. But Cowanesque Valley's Marty Stahli picked off a Luke Straniere pass to get the ball back.

The Wellsboro defense held the Indians and forced them to punt.

Two plays later Wellsboro scored again when Kevin Schultz took the hand off and bolted 21 yards and in for the touchdown. After Johnson's extra point kick, Wellsboro held a 14-0 lead. Schultz led Wellsboro with 90 yards on 18 carries.

Cowanesque coughed up the ball on their next series and Wellsboro took over near mid field. Two plays later the Hornets suffered the same misfortune when Stahli recovered a Wellsboro fumble.

The Indians forged their way down field into Hornet territory behind Mike Chambers, but Wellsboro's Colin McBride stopped the drive when he picked off a Paul Plummer pass.

Then the Cowanesque defense held Wellsboro, forcing them to punt.

"We didn't come out to play," Cowanesque Valley head coach Steve Boyce said. "But we stepped it up on defense and brought up players to their potential."

After the punt, Cowanesque drove the length of the field behind Mike Chambers.

Paul Plummer punched the ball over from one yard out for the score. Eldon Cummings booted the extra point to help the Indians pull within seven points of the lead with 2:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Wellsboro fumbled the ball again on their next possession and Cowanesque took over at the Hornets’ 14-yard line

But once again, the Wellsboro defensive secondary made the big play and stopped the drive when Kevin Schultz picked off a second Plummer pass of the night.

After a Wellsboro clipping call, the ball was backed up half the distance to the goal.

On second-and-nine from the one-yard line, Schultz took the hand off and was immediately tackled in the end zone for the safety. Cowanesque narrowed the lead 14-9.

Wellsboro tried for a field goal before the half, but Johnson's kick was short.

Cowanesque came out in the second half and drove the ball to Wellsboro's 29-yard line.

Again, the Wellsboro secondary stopped the Cowanesque drive with their third interception. This time Jared Hurlbert picked off the Plummer pass.

Wellsboro couldn't formulate a drive due to the presence of the Indian defense that was highlighted by a Eric Chapman sack of Straniere and two illegal procedure calls against Wellsboro.

The luck of the Green Hornets helped them overcome 71 yards in penalties and a mediocre 84 yards rushing.

Mike Chambers, 75 yards rushing, and Kevin Hendershot 48 yards rushing, led the Indians ground attack. The backs would have been able to add more yards to their tally if the circumstances of the Indians next series would have been different.

Cowanesque had formulated another, drive but were dealt a deadly blow when Chambers was carried off the field on a stretcher.

"Chambers had a sprained ankle and will be out about a week. He is a central part in our offense," Boyce said. "But we have people who can step up and punch the ball in."

Hendershot stepped up to pace the Indians to Wellsboro's 17-yard line. But the Indians were forced to go to the air when Hendershot was carried off the field with a leg injury with seven minutes remaining in the game.

After Hendershot was put out of the game, Cowanesque went to the air on third-and-10 from the 17-yard line and fired the pass into the end zone for the game winning toss attempt. But Hurlbert wouldn't allow it. The Wellsboro defensive back pulled in his second pick-off of the night and took a knee in the endzone.

But Cowanesque held Wellsboro again and forced the punt but the snap squirted through Schultz' hands and Cowanesque pulled him down in the end zone for the safety.

Cowanesque came back behind the passing of Plummer who completed six passes for 79 yards.

Unfortunately for CV the Wellsboro secondary picked off their fourth Plummer pass of the night to stop the Indians again. Hurlbert pulled his third pick of the night with three minutes remaining in the game and sealed the win for the Hornets.

"We had mistakes but stuck with it," Pietropola said. "Lot of confidence stepped up and got it done."

Wellsboro returns home Friday night, October 13, and will host Muncy for their Homecoming game.