Wissahickon’s defense comes up big in win over Central
LOWER GWYNEDD — The Wissahickon football team was able to claw out a 7-6 victory over Central in Paul Noon’s first game as head coach Friday night
After a scoreless first half, the Trojans were able to take the lead with 2:28 left in the third quarter. After a nice scramble, senior quarterback Mike Marino found senior halfback Tre Holcomb down the right sideline for 26 yards to get the ball to the Central 5.
On the 11th play of the drive wildcat-quarterback Michael Schoenleber punched in the first touchdown of the Wissahickon season to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead. Marino was the offensive leader for the Trojans on the night, throwing for 70 yards and running for 32 more.
As in any low-scoring game a big defensive play can be expected, and that’s exactly what happened for Central with 9:45 to go in the fourth quarter. After a Collin Washington interception gave the Lancers the ball at the Wissahickon 19, their senior quarterback — Jeffery Coplin — found Ron Simpson in the flat for a touchdown to cut the lead to 7-6.
The lack of a kicking game hurt Central, as they failed to convert a 2-pt conversion and Wissahickon’s lead was safe.
That lead proved to be safe for good after Schoenleber came up with a big tackle for loss from the safety position.
Running back Darryl Baldwin then forced the only Central turnover of the game, picking off a Coplin pass with 1:23 to go to essentially end the game.
Despite a 0-0 score, the first half saw Central dominate throughout. The Lancers controlled the ball for better than two-thirds of the time in the first 24 minutes, holding possession for 16:57. Coplin was the dominating force, totaling 81 yards through the air and adding 44 on the ground.
Luckily for Wissahickon the biggest play of the first happen was one that won’t show up in the box score. With two minutes left in the first half Coplin found wide receiver Gerrit Roscioli down the sideline for a 76-yard touchdown, but the play was negated by a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Central coach Richard Drayton. In all Central outgained Wissahickon 151 to 73, but were constantly hampered by penalties and lack of a kicking game.
Wissahickon found their momentum on the second drive of the game, which opened with a 14-yard completion to Donovan Hartsock and was followed by a 16-yard pass-and-catch to Antuan Lloyd. That drive fizzled out however, after the Trojans failed to convert on 4th and 7 deep in Central territory.
After a nice scramble, Marino found Tre Holcomb down the right sideline for 26 yards to get the ball to the Central 5. On the 11th play of the drive wildcat quarterback Michael Schoenleber punched in the first touchdown of the Wissahickon season to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
Wissahickon travels to Norristown next on Sept. 11.
