Collins’ grab keeps unbeaten Academy Park rolling

SHARON HILL >> Jawan Collins had never made a catch quite as sweet as the one he pulled in Friday night.

Academy Park’s playmaking wide receiver saved a potential interception when he grabbed a pass from Taylor Moors near the Academy Park sideline in the second quarter. Carter leaped in the air and made a one-handed reception. The highlight-reel play set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Knights, who remained unbeaten with a 21-7 decision over Lansdale Catholic.

The Knights are 4-0 for the first time since 2009.

“That was a great pass by 10 (Moors),” said Collins, who had three catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. Earlier in the quarter, Collins took a wide receiver screen 23 yards to the end zone to get AP on the board.

Moors appreciated the extra effort Collins put forth.

“I know he always has my back,” said Moors, who was 6-of-8 for 163 yards. “He’s one of the smartest players on the team. That was a designed play, a post-corner-post that I just threw it out there to him and he has to make the play.

“He saved me on that one.”

Collins complemented another solid outing for Jermaine Wesley, who gained 156 yards on 34 carries. Wesley was the leading rusher in Delco (436 yards) entering the night.

The Knights yielded the game’s first touchdown, but they proved to be too fast and too athletic for the gritty Crusaders (3-1), who entered play with the top rusher in the Catholic League, senior Ryan Quigley.

Quigley and the Crusaders struck in the first quarter. Quigley hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Mike Basilii

for the game’s first points, but the Crusaders (3-1) struggled to produce on offense the rest of the way.

“We stressed stopping No. 21 (Quigley) and No. 25 (running back Marlen Fenstermacher) all week,” AP coach Jason Vosheski said. “They’re their playmakers. Every team has one or two playmakers, so if you can shut down their playmakers, we knew they would be in trouble.”

The Knights avenged last year’s 20-14 defeat at Lansdale Catholic by dominating at the line of scrimmage. AP answered the call after falling behind early.

“That’s what happened last year, they big-played us,” Vosheski said. “I think (the early touchdown) woke us up.”

Moors took a quarterback sneak into the end zone to put the Knights in front for good late in the second quarter.

Davante Harris, Togba Porte and Teddy Wright all recorded sacks of Basilii and the Crusaders amassed just 13 yards on 24 carries. LC (3-1) had trouble moving the ball in the second half.

The Knights ran 14 plays and chewed seven minutes off the clock to start the third quarter, but the Crusaders

stopped them at the goal line. Whatever momentum LC hoped to gain from its goal-to-go stand dissipated when, on the ensuing possession, Jamar Dembry stripped the ball loose from Quigley. Wright recovered the fumble to put the Knights back in business.

Wesley, out of the Wildcat formation, scored from 3 yards out to give the Knights a 19-7 advantage in the waning seconds of the third quarter.

The Knights have outscored their opponents, 140-26. They look to keep the good times moving next week when they host Cardinal O’Hara (1-3).

“It feels great to be where we are right now,” said Moors, whose brother, Mike, was the quarterback for the Knights 10 years ago. “In the last several years, all kinds of great history has been made. We just want to add on to it.”