Franklin County Week 3: Chambersburg pulls away from Waynesboro in second half

On a night where thunderstorms affected many games in Franklin County, things stayed relatively dry in Chambersburg, so it was up to the Trojan offense to provide the lightning strikes.

Chambersburg scored 20 points in each half en route to a 40-20 victory over county foe Waynesboro on Friday night. The score makes the game seem lopsided, but there was a point where it could have flipped.

The Trojans held a 20-7 lead late in the first half, driving down the field, looking to extend it. Their drive stalled, but a field goal attempt was coming to either make it 23-7, or at the very least go into the locker room up 13.

But the ensuing kick was blocked, and as a scramble began, the ball found its way into the hands of a Waynesboro defender who took it back for a touchdown.

So instead of 27-7, 23-7 or even 20-7, it was 20-13 in a blink.

"There's probably three more scores we could have had in the first half, but we just didn't finish, so that's what we talked about [in the locker room]," head coach Mark Luther said. "We did good things, but there were points where we lost focus, and when you lose focus, bad things happen."

It was a moment in the game that could have flipped the momentum and demoralized the Trojans, but at halftime, they stayed level headed.

"What I was most proud of was we went in there and our guys weren't yelling at each other," Luther said. "They were talking saying, 'Let's go, we got this,' so it was a positive vibe."

Overall there were many bright spots for Chambersburg, as quarterback Riley Harmon threw for three touchdowns in the game, with Jermere Jones, Jake Folmar and Jason Chambers hauling in scores.

Antonio Harrison added two scores on the ground, with Dayre Senft finding the end zone as well.

Chambersburg started the year being shut out by a strong Pope John Paul II squad but has since scored 91 points over the past two weeks.

This team is finding its groove now.

"Now they believe. They know we can do this," Luther said. "Riley's playing really well, our receivers are catching the football, the line's giving us good protection. Overall, they're finding their rhythm and they're believing."

Chambersburg has a chance for a statement win next week as it hosts Central Dauphin (2-1) to begin Commonwealth play.

As for Waynesboro, it took advantage of some weird opportunities, scoring on the blocked field goal and scoring on a reception that was fumbled into the end zone that was recovered by an offensive player.

The Indians (1-2) face another county foe next week as they host their Rt. 16 rivals Greencastle-Antrim.

Last week's action: Waynesboro can't keep up with Hershey, Chambersburg wins big

Other scores in Franklin County

Greencastle-Antrim 35, Delone Catholic 21: The Blue Devils were able to stay undefeated in a game filled with delays. A 90-minute delay occurred in the first half due to weather, and then an injury to Delone Catholic quarterback Denver Ostrum cause another delay in the third quarter.

The Blue Devils (3-0) added an insurance score late thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown by Logan Shifflett.

Shippensburg 14, Spring Grove 6: Shippensburg picked up its first win as the Rockets fell to 0-3. Shippensburg led 14-6 after the third quarter, and neither team scored in the final frame.

James Buchanan 6, Biglerville 0: The game was suspended in the second quarter because of lightning. It will be resumed Monday at 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Franklin County football recap: Chambersburg beats Waynesboro