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Head of the class: Whippets top Red Raiders for first time
By: DAVE ZEITLIN Staff Writer
10/28/2006
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DOWNINGTOWN -- Early in the fourth quarter of Friday night's Ches-Mont League football game against visiting Coatesville, Downingtown West quarterback Nolan Kearney ran into a train.
Or at least that's what it felt like after he had his bell rung by 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end Derrick Morgan and had to wobble off to the sidelines for a few snaps.
But soon after, Kearney's wooziness was long gone, having been replaced by a feeling of euphoria as Downingtown West held on for a thrilling 20-14 victory over the Red Raiders, marking the first win over Coatesville in the program's four-year history.
"I'm doing great," a smiling Kearney said. "I'm feeling fine. I'm so happy we won."
Thanks to Kearney's big-play ability, the Whippets set the tone of the game early, scoring on their first three possessions to take a sturdy 20-7 halftime lead.
With rain falling steadily throughout the night -- and with many fans probably expecting an offense geared for the run -- Downingtown West (4-1 league, 8-1 overall) took to the air early and often.
On the game's first play from scrimmage, senior Robert Gerlach made a sprawling 23-yard reception, which helped set up a 32-yard touchdown grab by senior Mike Beam.
After Coatesville (1-4, 5-4) -- which has lost three straight contests -- tied the game at 7-7 on a 13-yard plow by Morgan (17 carries, 89 yards), Beam hauled in another long touchdown catch, this one coming after a 41-yard run by Gerlach.
"Passing is part of our plan," Downingtown West coach Mike Milano said. "We didn't know what the conditions would be like later, so we decided to air it out early with dry footballs and see how it went."
It went well -- even when Kearney was catching rather than throwing.
On the Whippets' third possession -- after a blocked punt created great field position -- junior Jordan Boggs took a handoff on a designed halfback pass, and, after doubling back to the other side of the field, found an open Kearney for a 23-yard reception to the Coatesville 12.
One play later, Downingtown West running back Roshaan McCain -- who carried the ball for a game-high 184 yards -- made a nifty 7-yard run to pay dirt that gave the Whippets' a two-score edge at halftime.
"I've got a great football team that's playing with a lot of confidence right now," Milano said. "And that feels better than anything else."
The Whippets had trouble putting the game out of reach in the second half, fumbling away the ball twice in the red zone when they were threatening to score.
And to their credit, the Red Raiders played a strong second half, using their power rushing game -- fueled by Morgan and classmate Kieron Hutcherson (19 carries, 85 yards) -- to grind out a 20-play, 97-yard scoring drive that trimmed their deficit to 20-14 early in the fourth.
But after they got the ball back in the game's final minutes and drove halfway downfield, Red Raiders' quarterback Scott A'Hara threw an incompletion on a fourth-and-12 that ended Coatesville's hopes of a comeback and, probably, of a berth in the playoffs.
"I don't think there's much possibility now," Red Raiders head coach Tom Nichols said. "But I told the kids we owe these seniors to send them off with a win (next week)."
Downingtown West, meanwhile, keeps a firm hold on one of the top seeds in the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs. And although a win by West Chester East eliminated their chances of capturing a Ches-Mont title -- the team's No. 1 goal coming into the season -- the Whippets sill are excited about the prospect of an extended season.
"Winning Ches-Monts was our goal, so that's disappointing," Milano said. "But there are other things to play for."
10-25-2006, 10:12 AM
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