Recap

By Jeff Stover

jstover@pottsmerc.com

RED HILL >> It was a change of plans that effectively changed the face of Friday’s Upper Perkiomen/Methacton football game.

The Indians, holding a tenuous 24-21 lead with 2:17 to go, had just punted the ball away to the Warriors after three plays left them at their 16-yard line. On first down from the UP 43, Methacton fumbled the ball and Tyler Whary recovered at the 50 for the home team.

That, however, wasn’t the capper for the Indians. The capper came on the next play, when Upper Perk quarterback Zeke Hallman planned to call a running play … but that changed, thanks to an assessment by wide receiver Ryan Kendra.

“He signalled me there was no coverage on him,” Hallman recalled. “So I changed the play to a throw.”

Hallman’s lofting throw was collected by Kendra, who ran unimpeded into the end zone with two minutes to go. Hallman’s subsequent conversion kick staked UP to a 31-21 lead that ended up being the final score, after it stopped Methacton on a three-and-out at its 48 with around a minute left.

In a game where both teams were in search of the season’s first win – a game that evolved into a shootout in the second half – the Hallman-to-Kendra connection took some people by surprise.

“Including myself,” UP head coach Tom Hontz said with a laugh. “But we trust Zeke to make that call. Kendra was uncovered, and it was a heads-up play by both of them.”