Watervliet Public Schools

The Watervliet Panthers opened the season with a strong 43-23 victory over Delton Kellogg, putting together a complete performance on both sides of the football. Trailing 9-0 with just 1:15 remaining in the second quarter and no timeouts, Watervliet put together one of the biggest drives of the night. The Panthers marched 85 yards in seven plays, with Brayden Harasewicz finding Ashton Coleman for a 15-yard touchdown with just three seconds remaining in the half. Ethan Westfall added the extra point to send Watervliet into halftime trailing just 9-7. The drive showcased the offense’s ability to play fast, stay composed, and execute in a pressure situation. From that point on, the Panthers were ready to roll. Watervliet opened the third quarter with a seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 9-yard touchdown run from Harasewicz. Harasewicz then connected with Coleman on the two-point conversion to give the Panthers their first lead of the night, 15-9. Just two plays into Delton Kellogg’s next possession, the Panthers forced a fumble. Watervliet capitalized immediately, scoring on the very next play when Harasewicz connected with Coleman for a 20-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-9. Harasewicz had a huge night leading the Panther offense. He rushed 16 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns while completing 18 of 23 passes for 144 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He finished the night responsible for 345 total yards and five touchdowns. Alvin Jones Jr. provided another major spark on the ground, carrying the ball 12 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, including a 36-yard run. Jones also added four receptions for 19 yards. Coleman led the receiving attack with eight catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, giving Watervliet another explosive weapon through the air. The Panthers continued to pull away in the second half. Harasewicz added touchdown runs of four and six yards, while Jones put the finishing touches on the offensive performance with an 18-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. On special teams, Ethan Westfall finished 3-for-4 on PAT attempts. Defensively, the Panthers made plays when they needed them most. Kyle Domingo came up with a fumble recovery, while Isaias Mendez put the finishing touch on the victory with an interception to end the game. Deandre Rose, Rem Burke, Josh Koch, Aiden Wolford, Gage McKie, Tyler Jarvis, and Sam Roland all helped get the defense going and came up with huge stops throughout the night. It was a complete team victory, with Watervliet showing explosiveness offensively, creating turnovers defensively, and executing in key moments throughout the game. Scoring Summary Q1 — Delton Kellogg: Tack 2-yard run, 2-point attempt failed — DK 6, W 0 (7:48) Q2 — Delton Kellogg: Stampfler 33-yard field goal — DK 9, W 0 (1:21) Q2 — Watervliet: Harasewicz 15-yard TD pass to Coleman, Westfall kick good — DK 9, W 7 (0:03) Q3 — Watervliet: Harasewicz 9-yard TD run, Harasewicz pass to Coleman for 2 points — W 15, DK 9 (9:42) Q3 — Watervliet: Harasewicz 20-yard TD pass to Coleman, kick failed — W 21, DK 9 (9:24) Q3 — Watervliet: Harasewicz 4-yard TD run, Westfall kick good — W 28, DK 9 (4:49) Q3 — Delton Kellogg: Tack 1-yard TD run, Stampfler kick good — W 28, DK 16 (2:20) Q4 — Watervliet: Harasewicz 6-yard TD run, Harasewicz pass to Kevin Johnson for 2 points — W 36, DK 16 (10:56) Q4 — Delton Kellogg: Tack 13-yard TD run, Stampfler kick good — W 36, DK 23 (6:02) Q4 — Watervliet: Alvin Jones Jr. 18-yard TD run, Westfall kick good — W 43, DK 23 (1:54) FINAL: WATERVLIET 43, DELTON KELLOGG 23