SILVER CREEK - A poor third quarter and suspect run defense doomed Silver Creek (1-3) as the Black Knights fell to Portville, 37-14, Friday night in a Class D football clash.
The Panthers fired the opening salvo on a 30-yard touchdown run by Gunner Zancuren in the first quarter.
Zancuren also ran in the two-point conversion and finished the game with 129 yards on 16 carries.
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OBSERVER?Photo by Justin?Goetz
Silver Creek’s Zach Klisiewicz runs for a first down against Portville on?Friday in Class D high school football action.
That output wasn't even good enough to be the top rusher on his own team. Those honors went to Zack Woods, who carried the ball 23 times and picked up 176 yards to lead Portville.
Silver Creek cut into the lead early in the second quarter when Sherman Williams punched it in from a yard out. The pass failed to leave the Black Knights in an 8-6 hole.
The Panthers added one more score before halftime with Brett Marcellin finding the end zone from 14 yards out. Another Zancuren two-point run pushed Portville's lead to 16-6 at the break.
That lead continued to balloon as Portville's Ben Waugh scored on a 4-yard run to kick off the scoring in the second half. A third Zancuren two-point run upped the advantage to 24-6.
The final nail in the coffin for Silver Creek came when a Nick Iskra interception was returned 39 yards for a score by Portville's Nick Burroughs.
By the time the fourth quarter began, the Black Knights were looking up at a 30-6 deficit.
Iskra was able to make amends for the interception with a 25-yard touchdown strike to Zach Klisiewicz in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late.
Iskra finished with 231 yards on 16 of 18 passing. He tossed a touchdown but also had two interceptions.
His favorite target was Zed Williams, who finished with five catches for 79 yards. Phil Jones also hauled in five catches for 61 yards.
Woods capped the scoring with a 26-yard run late in the fourth quarter.
Silver Creek travels to play Cattaraugus-Little Valley next Friday night.
