By 4th Down Staff:
Yaniel Ortiz had his hands in a little bit of everything Friday night.
His six receptions produced 43 yards and a score, and his seven carries resulted in 67 yards and another score. But it was his 10-yard sack on third down in overtime that secured Juniata’s 21-14 win over Lower Dauphin. And it likely helped motivate Juniata fans.
Ortiz is the Week 4 4th Down Magazine Player of the Week after a strong outpouring of support. His 1,519 votes easily topped his 14 challengers, adding up to 46.8% of the vote.
Ortiz scored the game’s opening TD on a 7-yard dash in the first quarter. Then his third-quarter reception for 9 yards carried him into the end zone and tied the game at 14-14. He capped his award-winning night with that sack of LD’s Braden Landis.
Second in the fan vote was Boiling Springs tight end/middle linebacker Jayden Barrick (940 votes), with Upper Dauphin’s Chance Crawford in third (178).
Juniata (2-1, 1-0 Liberty) now turns its attention to an away game against Lancaster Catholic after previous opponent Newport had to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns.