Youth football

PORT ALLEGANY — The Warren Dawgs traveled to Port Allegany on Tuesday to play under the lights and came away with a hard-fought shutout to improve to 5-1 on the season.

The win also secured a home playoff game for the Dawgs.

Port Allegany started the game on offense, but was held to a quick three-and-out. On the Dawgs’ first offensive play, Tanner Stuart took a designed run to the left before reversing field and running 65 yards untouched for a touchdown. Grant May got in for the extra point on a shifty outside run to the left to make the score 7-0.

The remainder of the first half was dominated by strong defensive play by both teams. The poor weather conditions over the weekend and steady rain throughout the day made the field slick and gave both teams ball security issues.

A fourth-quarter fumble recovery by Ryan Hillard set up the Dawgs deep in Gators’ territory. Stuart took a bootleg to the left for a game-sealing touchdown. Chase Raub ran in the extra-point attempt outside to extend the Dawgs lead to 14-0.

The offense was led by Stuart’s 136 yards rushing and 15 passing yards. Grant May ran for 35 yards and added 15 yards through the air. Nate Harris took his lone carry for 16 yards. Connor Smith gained 12 yards on the ground and Chase Raub finished with 6 yards. The Dawgs finished with 205 yards on the ground.

The Dawgs defense was led by an extraordinary effort by Blake Peterson, who stuffed the stat sheets with 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Tanner Stuart finished with 10 tackles. Jeremiah Lyon had eight tackles and two forced fumbles. Chase Raub finished with seven tackles from his defensive end position while Liam Frederoski put up six tackles from the opposite-side defensive end spot. Owen Damcott had six tackles and a forced fumble. First-year nose tackle Wesley Stevens had a career game with six tackles, a forced fumble and his first career sack. Nate Harris had four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Ryan Hillard and Bentlee Moore each had a fumble recovery. Clayton Hammerbeck had three tackles and Grant May had a tackle.

The Dawgs’ physical defense recovered six fumbles on the day and was once again brilliant as they grinded through four quarters to hold a strong Gators run game scoreless.

The Warren Dawgs head to Coudersport on Saturday to take on the undefeated Falcons in a battle for the first seed in the playoffs.