COUDERSPORT – Coudersport’s Falcons wrote their names in the
high school football record books Friday night with a 42-15 win
over Kane in the first round of District 9 Class A playoffs at CARP
Field.

Coach Paul Simcoe’s team became the first squad in school
history to run up a 10-0 record, and the streak may not stop at 10.
Coudersport will be back in the friendly confines of CARP Field
next Friday night (Nov. 11) at 7:00 to meet the winner of
Saturday’s Port Allegany at Curwensville game in the D-9 Class A
semifinals.

Senior David Babcock scored all six touchdowns for the Falcons
on a night that saw the Wolves (5-5) howling early on. Kane went on
top 7-0 when sophomore quarterback Zach Anderson fired a short pass
to Paul Eastman, who broke a tackle, found a seam and ran 80 yards
for a touchdown.

“We were concerned after that big win last week over
Curwensville that we would be flat,” Simcoe remarked. “We did come
out pretty flat and struggled for a while. They scored on their
first possession and went up 7-0. Fortunately, we scored 42
unanswered points after that.”

Babcock took it from there. He intercepted an Anderson aerial at
the Falcon 27 and returned it 30 yards into Kane territory. Brian
Wetzel’s 36-yard pass found a diving Sam Decker at the 8. Then
Babcock ran around left end for a touchdown. The extra point
attempt was blocked.

Coudersport finally took the lead with 8:15 left in the first
half. The Falcons drove 67 yards on 11 plays, with Babcock covering
the final eight for the score. Wetzel’s conversion pass to Babcock
made it 14-7.

Moments later, Babcock came on a blitz and sacked Anderson for a
10-yard loss to halt a Kane drive. Decker’s halfback option pass to
Steve Bernard carried 39 yards to the visitors’ 16. Babcock broke
loose on the next play for another touchdown. Caleb Morris’ extra
point boosted Coudy’s lead to 21-7 at the break.

A 40-yard punt return by Decker set up a four-yard TD run by
Babcock midway through the third quarter – and the rout was on.

Decker’s hard hit on Kyle Oakes forced a fumble and the Falcons
struck again, this time on a 48-yard screen pass from Wetzel to
Babcock early in the fourth period.

Later, Babcock picked off another pass and returned it 30 yards
for his – and the team’s – sixth and final touchdown.

Kane scored in the final minutes on three-yard run by Oakes.

Morris complemented Babcock’s heroics with a series of long
kickoffs and well-placed punts that gave the Wolves miserable field
position all game long. The Falcons were missing a trio of two-way
starters, which forced Coach Simcoe to press some of his younger
players into service and make other adjustments.

Anderson closed out his season with a gutsy performance,
completing 21 of 36 pass attempts for 327 yards. Oakes was limited
to 60 yards on 11 carries.

“We were concerned about (Oakes), he was first in District 9 in
rushing,” admitted Paul Simcoe, Coudy coach. “He’s very quick – if
he gets outside he can take it all the way. We did a good job
against that. He didn’t hurt us a whole lot in the game.”

Babcock led a balanced Coudersport offensive attack with 100
yards on 15 carries. Wetzel completed three of four passes for 110
yards.

Kirk Duffee (6 assisted tackles, 7 unassisted, 1 sack, 1 fumble
recovery), Decker (4 assisted, 2 unassisted, 2 tackles for loss, 1
forced fumble, 1 deflection), Kody Frederick (4 assisted, 4
unassisted, 2 QB hurries) and Andy Chisholm (1 assisted, 3
unassisted, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 deflections) powered the
Falcons’ defense.

“Kane had a good game plan,” Simcoe noted. “They played hard and
did what they had to do for a chance to win. Our kids just buckled
down, got their feet on the ground and got going.”

The Falcons were able to overcome nine penalties that cost them
95 yards.

“We (the coaches) talked about that after the game and it’s
definitely something we have to address,” Simcoe declared. “When
you get into a close game with that many penalties, it will get you
sooner or later. That is one thing we have got to work on.

“We didn’t play our A-game, but we move on and we have to
refocus and get back to business going on in the playoffs.”