OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s Roger Markham runs away from a pair of Clymer/Sherman/Panama defenders on his way to a 58-yard touchdown during Saturday’s nonleague football game at Harry W. Brosius Field in Sherman.

SHERMAN — Rarely in a game when 65 points are scored is the defense talked about.

But Saturday afternoon, Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s defense changed the game.

Junior Bryce Hinsdale returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown and moments later junior teammate Alex Barmore was held in the end zone to produce a safety as the Wolfpack broke open a close game en route to a 44-21 nonleague victory over Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove at Harry W. Brosius Field.

“They’re a Class C team and they play in a tough league,” Hinsdale said postgame. “To get this win and put the amount of points up on the board that we did is a big confidence boost.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s defense forced the Herd into four three-and-outs and held them to just 127 yards on the ground before a late 67-yard touchdown run.

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove’s Roger Markham intercepts a Clymer/Sherman/Panama pass intended for Bryce Hinsdale during Saturday’s nonleague football game at Harry W. Brosius Field in Sherman.

Junior quarterback Tate Catanese led the Wolfpack (4-0, 2-0 Class D) offense with 104 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to go along with 12 completions for 181 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Hinsdale caught nine passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

“They did some different things defensively this week. They came out in a three-man front, which they haven’t shown. They did a really good job of stopping trap, which is a big play for us,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Ty Harper said of the Herd. ” … We saw some things with that three-man front that we thought we’d be able to do. Tate is obviously able to do a lot of different things for us at quarterback.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama scored on its first possession of a wild first quarter, thanks in part to a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a fourth-and-6 punt. Four plays later, Catanese hooked up with Hinsdale for a 24-yard touchdown that made it 7-0 after Hinsdale’s first of four successful point-after kicks.

“I’m feeling really good. I feel like Tate and I have a really good connection,” Hinsdale said. “With Alex Barmore and Carter Brink, I trust those guys. If I’m not open, I trust Tate to make the right decision and throw it to one of them.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove (2-2, 1-1 Class C South) answered right back with a five-play drive that ended with sophomore Roger Markham running 58 yards for a touchdown that made it 7-7 after Rider Carlson’s first of three successful PATs.

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Tate Catanese carries a trio of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove defenders across the goal line for his first of two rushing touchdowns during Saturday’s nonleague football game at Harry W. Brosius Field in Sherman.

Herd junior Charlie Reichenbach intercepted Catanese on the second play of the Wolfpack’s ensuing drive, but Hinsdale did one better three plays later when he stepped in front of a pass from senior Lucas Sopak and returned it 75 yards for a score to make it 14-7.

“I saw the quarterback shift his eyes to me. I undercut it and picked it off. It was a really big moment for the team because we just threw an interception and we needed a momentum booster,” Hinsdale said. “My linebacker Kaden Beckerink was down there working his tail off for me. I ran right behind him and scored.”

“We made kind of an uncharacteristic mistake. Tate knew immediately after the interception what he had done wrong. We needed the defense to make a stop,” Harper added. “Bryce is a great player and we needed a play, and he made it. We’ve come to expect that from Bryce. It was a huge play.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove mishandled the ensuing kickoff and took over on its own 2-yard line. After a penalty and a run for no gain, Sopak attempted to escape the pass rush of Barmore, who was held deep in the end zone resulting in a safety.

“I thought the safety was a turning point,” Harper said. ” … I didn’t think that game was out of reach at the end of the first half. … They are a good team.”

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Bryce Hinsdale runs for yardage after making one of his nine receptions during Saturday’s nonleague football game against Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove at Harry W. Brosius Field in Sherman.

The Wolfpack was unable to score on their extra possession, but on their next drive, they went 62 yards in six plays, capped by a Catanese 11-yard run that made it 23-7 with 28 seconds left in the opening quarter.

“In the first quarter, at one point the defense was outscoring the offense,” Harper said. “I thought early on they really kind of set the tempo and allowed the offense to get their feet under them.”

Catanse threw a 5-yard touchdown to Hinsdale with 2:33 left in the second quarter that made it 29-7, but the Herd answered with a quick five-play, 64-yard drive that ended with sophomore Bradyn Fuller catching a 43-yard touchdown pass from Sopak to keep their team in the game heading into halftime.

“I know Coach (Chris) Payne will watch the tape and be frustrated with a couple of the big plays we gave up,” Harper said, “but overall the defense did a great job.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s defense produced a three-and-out to open the second half and its offense marched 70 yards in nine plays to essentially put the game away when Catanese scored on a 10-yard run with 6:53 left in the third quarter.

“We needed to come out and clean up some mistakes in the third quarter,” Harper said. “We got a three-and-out, went down and scored. That was big.”

NOTES: Senior John Watson added Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s final score on a 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter while Fuller scored the Herd’s final touchdown on a 67-yard run. … Junior Collin Ryan led the Wolfpack with nine tackles, including two for a loss; senior Anthony Cipolla had five tackles, including one for a loss; and junior Travis Owens had four tackles, including two for a loss. … Sopak completed eight passes for 131 yards and Fuller rushed for 122 yards for the Herd. … Senior Kole Hawkins was in on 14 tackles; senior Devyn Morrison was in on seven tackles, including a sack; senior Kolden McCall was in on six tackles, including one for a loss; and Markham and Reichenbach had interceptions for Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley/Maple Grove 7 7 0 7 — 21

Clymer/Sherman/Panama 23 6 8 7 — 44

C/S/P–Hinsdale 24 pass from Catanese (Hinsdale kick)

F//CV/MG–RMarkham 58 run (Carlson kick)

C/S/P–Hinsdale 75 interception return (Hinsdale kick)

C/S/P–Safety, holding in end zone

C/S/P–Catanese 11 run (Hinsdale kick)

C/S/P–Hinsdale 5 pass from Catanese (kick failed)

F/CV/MG–Fuller 43 pass from Sopak (Carlson kick)

C/S/P–Catanese 10 run (Owens run)

C/S/P–Watson 3 run (Hinsdale kick)

F/CV/MG–Fuller 67 run (Carlson kick)