The Tioga Bulldogs jumped out to a 22-point lead, but a second-half offensive explosion by Muenster proved too much to overcome as the Hornets rallied for a 53-48 victory Friday night in district football action.
Tioga built a 14-0 first-quarter advantage and led 28-13 at halftime before Muenster erupted for 27 points in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs finished with 511 yards of total offense, including 282 rushing and 229 passing, but could not overcome a dominant performance by Muenster quarterback Carter Heller, who rushed for 272 yards and six touchdowns on 27 carries.
Tioga quarterback Camden Stephens completed 16 of 27 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Jake David led the Bulldogs on the ground with 156 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He also caught four passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Tioga dominated the early going, building a 22-0 lead behind touchdown passes from Stephens to Jaxson Hurst and David, along with a 1-yard scoring run by Stephens.
Muenster answered with two second-quarter touchdowns before David broke loose for a 59-yard scoring run to give the Bulldogs a 28-13 halftime advantage.
The Hornets took control in the third quarter, scoring four touchdowns, including a 70-yard run by Heller. Stephens briefly regained the lead for Tioga with a 39-yard touchdown run, but Muenster carried a 40-34 advantage into the final period.
Two more Heller touchdown runs extended the Hornets’ lead to 53-34 in the fourth quarter.
Tioga mounted a late comeback behind a 60-yard touchdown pass from Stephens to David and a 9-yard scoring strike to Quesyn Arrington. A successful two-point conversion pulled the Bulldogs within 53-48, but Muenster recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the victory.
Arrington finished with five receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown, while Hurst added two catches for 30 yards and a score. Jake Hague contributed three receptions for 32 yards.
For Muenster, Heller also completed three of nine passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Maverick Bayer added 97 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
The Hornets finished with 419 yards of total offense, including 374 on the ground.
The teams combined for 930 yards of offense and 101 points in a contest that featured multiple lead changes and a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Bulldogs.
