North Penn keeps trophy.

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North Penn kicker Randon Wilston booted a 23 yard field goal in the third quarter to give his team the deciding points Friday night, but the big play of the night was a 63 yard scoring run by Kyle Atkinson as the Panthers kept the Morton Jones Memorial Trophy.

The Panthers (4-6) downed Wellsboro (5-5) 24-14 in Blossburg in the annual rivalry game between the two schools. With the win, North Penn keeps the trophy, which they have held since downing the Hornets 42-0 in 2005.

A 4-6 record was not the goal of a team that went to district playoffs last year, said head coach Tom Dickinson. However, Dickinson's Panthers did go out with a pair of big wins to boost their confidence for next year.

"Finishing with a win over Wellsboro made it more bearable," Dickinson said of his rebuilding year.

The Hornets jumped out to an early lead as Matt Weaver picked off a Bryce Weaver pass on the Panther's opening drive.

Wellsboro capped the ensuing drive when Cameron Jones found Steve Mengee for a 22 yard touchdown pass at the 6:40 mark of the first quarter. Patrick Driebelbies added the extra point and the Hornets took a 7-0 lead.

From there, North Penn shut out the Hornets until the fourth quarter. The Panther defense recorded two sacks, three tackles for a loss, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. Wellsboro was held to 148 yards of total offense compared to 254 recorded by the Panthers.

"I was very pleased with the way our defense played," Dickinson said.

North Penn did not respond until late in the second quarter, but did not let up after that.

With less than four minutes to play in the half, Bryce Weaver found Jessie Kriner from four yards out. Wilston hit the extra point to tie the score at 7-7.

After forcing a three and out and a Hornet punt, North Penn's Atkinson turned in the key play of the game for the Panthers.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Atkinson bounced to the outside and broke free for a 63 yard scoring run at the 1:57 mark of the second quarter. Wilston's extra point gave North Penn a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.

"That gave us the momentum that we needed," Dickinson said.

Atkinson was the top rusher for the game, as he ran for 97 yards on 11 carries. Justin Harris 63 yards on 23 carries.

Driebelbies recorded 42 yards on 16 carries to lead the Hornets.

After halftime Wilston, who is also a standout soccer player at Mansfield High School, recorded the game-deciding points at the 5:30 mark of the third quarter on his 23 yard field goal. The score gave North Penn a 17-7 lead that the Hornets could not overcome.

In addition to solid placekicking n the gridiron, Wilston broke the NTL scoring record on the soccer field this season. Football is a cooperative sport among North Penn, Mansfield, and Liberty high schools. Soccer is not a cooperative sport in Southern Tioga School District and all of the schools have their own soccer teams.

The Hornets made the game interesting as Jones again found Mengee for a 21 yard touchdown pass at the 8:42 mark of the fourth quarter. Driebelbies added the extra point to pull Wellsboro to within a field goal.

Mengee caught only two passes Friday night, but both of them went for touchdowns.

The Panthers iced the game with less than two minutes to play as Harris scored from four yards out. Wilston's extra point, the last of his high school career, gave North Penn the 24-14 victory.

The win gave North Penn's seniors a measure of redemption after a disappointing 4-6 (2-3 NTL) season that included a mid-season six game losing streak. Last season, the Panthers went to the playoffs.

The underclassmen have a few weeks off before they go back to the weight room after Thanksgiving. Dickinson is looking for next season's squad to build upon their last two victories and come out excited to play next year.

As for the Hornets, they ended the season with a .500 overall record and a 2-3 NTL mark. The Hornets did not get an invitation to the Eastern Conference playoffs and had to hang up the pads until next season.