FOOTBALL: Pioneers win second in a row with 17-12 victory over Pirates

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

CHARLESTOWN – Providence earned its second victory in a row Friday night at Dutch Reis Field, defeating host Charlestown 17-12.

The Pioneers scored all their points in the second quarter. Trailing 6-0, running back Kevin Smith gave Providence a one-point lead thanks to him making a sequence of key plays.

Smith recovered a fumble by Pirate senior Mitch Wurtsmith on a punt return, giving the Pioneers (2-3) the ball at the Charlestown 20-yard line.

Smith supplied Providence with a first down on a 17-yard run. He then followed that with a 3-yard touchdown scamper with 11:09 left in the first half.

At the 7:37 mark, place-kicker Brandon Schafer extended the Pioneer lead to 10-6 by converting a 26-yard field goal.

In the closing minutes of the opening half, Providence recovered another Pirate fumble near midfield. On their next drive, the Pioneers got the ball inside the Charlestown 5 thanks to a Pirate roughing-the-passer penalty. Senior Kaden Williams ran into the end zone from 2 yards out to increase the Providence advantage to 11 points with 43 seconds left in the second.

Sixteen seconds later, Charlestown (1-4) cut its deficit to 17-12 when Wurtsmith grabbed a 61-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Braiden Murphy. It was Wurtsmith’s second TD catch of the game as he snagged a 62-yard toss from Pirate wide receiver Brian Wolter on a trick play 19 seconds into the contest.

Smith ran the ball 26 times for 137 yards. Pioneer quarterback Joe Denis ended up 10-of-19 passing for 82 yards and an interception.

Wurtsmith made six receptions for 128 yards. Murphy completed 7-of-20 passes for 89 yards and two picks. Sophomore Addison Logsdon was the Pirates’ leading rusher with 60 yards on seven carries.

Both teams will return to action at 7 p.m. next Friday. Providence will host Louisville Holy Cross, while Charlestown (1-3 Mid-Southern Conference) will entertain MSC foe Scottsburg (2-3, 2-3 MSC). Warriors’ head coach Kyle Mullins is a former Pirate player. Also, one of Scottsburg’s assistant coaches is former Charlestown head coach John Mastin.

PROVIDENCE 17, CHARLESTOWN 12

Providence       0 17 0 0-17

Charlestown    6   6 0 0-12

First quarter

C – Mitch Wurtsmith 62 pass from Brian Wolter (kick blocked), 11:41.

Second quarter

P – Kevin Smith 3 run (Brandon Schafer kick), 11:09.

P – Schafer 26 field goal, 7:37.

P – Kaden Williams 2 run (Schafer kick), :43.

C – Wurtsmith 61 pass from Braiden Murphy (run failed), :27.