Lennox happily soaks up 200th win with Interboro

GLENOLDEN >> Shortly after Matthew O’Chuida’s 40-yard touchdown run provided the icing on the cake of Interboro coach Steve Lennox’s 200th win at the school, his kids started plotting against him.

A handful of Bucs filled up one water cooler and waited out the clock. By the 90-second mark, they grew antsy and just went for it. The scoreboard read Interboro 26, Sussex Central (Del.) 6. But this Friday night belonged to Lennox.

His soaked polo explained why.

“Well, they hit me with the water,” Lennox said. “I was trying to run. They told me I’m too slow or something, (that) they’re going to catch me anyway. (They said) ‘Take it like a man’. I didn’t move.”

In his 23rd season at Interboro, Lennox has amassed 200 wins against 66 losses. He has 284 wins in his distinguished career, and is just two behind Strath Haven’s Kevin Clancy for the active Delaware County lead. But Lennox won’t show much of a reaction to that.

However, after the clock hit zero, after the bath of cold water, after alumni gathered on the field for hugs, handshakes and a photo, Lennox admitted that he felt it.

“Big time,” he said. “Sometimes you do this, you’re not always right. Sometimes they’re throwing stones at you. But, it’s cool. … I think I got the best job in Delaware County. I mean it. It’s been fun, it’s been super.”

It meant something to his players, too, to accomplish this for their coach. Chris Thomas, who led the Bucs (2-1) with 84 yards and two second-half touchdowns, knew what the deal was coming into the game. He knew what it would mean to do this — at home — for their coach.

“I love Coach (Lennox), I love him to death,” Thomas said. “It makes us feel like we’re proud to be part of the team. He earned it.”

Quarterback Danny Mea, who threw for 124 yards and a score, had a bright smile on his face.

“We’re living history,” he explained. “All for Coach (Lennox), it was a team effort.”

After over a quarter and a half of sloppiness, Interboro struck first, 75 seconds before halftime, on Mea’s 35-yard pass to Connor Adams. After Thomas fumbled on the opening play of the second half, Sussex Central (1-1) tied the game at 6-6 on KiAnte Sturgis’ 1-yard run.

Interboro, eventually, took it from there.

After the teams traded punts, Thomas got all 65 yards on a six-play drive, scoring on a one-yard run to give the Bucs the lead early in the fourth quarter.

Thomas scored again, this time on a four-yard run, midway through the fourth quarter to essentially put it away. O’Chuida’s burst up the middle, about three minutes later, set off the celebration and gave the Bucs the OK to douse their coach.

“It’s neat,” Lennox said. “The kids, they’re great kids here. They’re just super, super kids here.”

Defensively, Interboro yielded just 146 total yards — 125 came on the ground.

Thomas was very complimentary of his defense, as was Mea. With two games left before Del Val play begins, including the upcoming Pope-impacted Thursday clash with Penn Charter, the Bucs figure they’re close to where they want to be.
“Stuff’s clicking,” Mea said. “We just have to get the offense going a little more.”