Inexperience is hard to overcome in the game of football.

It often leads to mistakes and miscues.

For a young Pleasant Valley football team, it’s been just that plaguing it this season.

The Bears’ turnover woes once again came back to bite them in their match-up with Parkland on Thursday night. Two lost fumbles in the first quarter sparked the Trojans offense, as Parkland was able to take advantage of Pleasant Valley’s early miscues to come away with a 52-0 victory.

The Bears’ offense put together two good drives in the opening period and rushed for 76 yards in the frame, but fumbles once again were an issue and a catalyst for Parkland.

“Compared to last week, I think we put forward a much better effort. I was really proud of our guys tonight. We had a good week of practice in a short week, and again that’s a really good football team we played tonight,” said Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Sager.

“Right now, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot way too much. We’re a young group, and we’re going through some growing pains, but we’re going to continue to work to get better. But again, proud of the effort tonight. I thought we were energized and played much better than last week.”

Parkland (3-1) would get its first score of the game off a PV botched pitch from the Bears’ 8-yard line. The ball squirted into the end zone and was recovered by the Trojans Julian Diaz.

After forcing a PV punt on its ensuing possession, Parkland would then go to the air, which it did often in the first. A coverage breakdown left receiver Preston Mertz wide open and Parkland quarterback Osmany Guzman hit him in stride for the 65-yard hookup to make it a 13-0 Trojans advantage after one quarter of play.

The Bears’ offense stalled in the second, while the Parkland passing attack would go to work. On the Trojans first possession of the second, a 30-yard strike from Guzman to Aidan Johnston set up a 20-yard connection again to Mertz to make it 21-0 after a successful two-point try.

Two more scores from short yardage — a TJ Lawrence 2-yard dive and a 4-yard Reid Andrush plunge — put Parkland firmly in control with a 35-0 lead with 1:45 to play in the first half.

“We were able to attack the middle of the field with our passing game, and we also were able to work the curl routes as well. I also want to give credit to our offensive line. They did a great job tonight in pass protection. But we need to shore up the run game. This is the second week in a row where we didn’t run the ball very well,” said Parkland head coach Tim Moncman.

“The triple option is unique, and we had a short week to prepare for it. We made some mistakes jumping offsides early. We just seemed a little out of it, but then we settled in, but still a lot to work on, with our next opponent being Nazareth.”

The Trojans tacked on two more touchdowns in the second half, as Caleb Corsa and Julius Silva each scored on 12-yard touchdown scampers.

SETTLING IN … PV (0-4) rushed for 76 yards in the first quarter. But the Parkland defense settled in after that, holding the Bears to minus-10 yards rushing in the second quarter.

AIR ATTACK … The Parkland offense threw for 197 yards, with just three incompletions and two passing touchdowns.

GAUNTLET … The Bears schedule has been brutal so far this season. PV started off the year with Governor Mifflin, faced off with a highly-touted and undefeated Exeter Township team last week, and took on Parkland this week. It doesn’t get any easier for the Bears next week either, as they will play a very good East Stroudsburg South squad.

Parkland 52, Pleasant Vy. 0

Parkland 14 24 7 7 - 52

Pleasant Vy. 0 0 0 0 - 0

Scoring Summary

P - Diaz fumble recovery in the end zone (Bell kick)

P - Mertz 65 pass from Guzman (kick failed)

P - Mertz 20 pass from Guzman (Lawrence pass from Guzman)

P - Lawrence 2 run (Bell kick)

P - Andrush 4 run (Bell kick)

P - Bell 38 FG

P - Corsa 12 run (Karrat kick)

P - Silva 12 run (Karrat kick)