Hummel helps Interboro survive a test from Penn Wood
GLENOLDEN >> In any season of any good football team, there will be the nights to frolic, to celebrate, to enjoy the moment. There will also be the nights to be quiet and just go to work.
Even before Interboro’s eventual 47-28 victory over Penn Wood turned entertainingly tense Friday, Chris Hummel had an idea that it might not quite reflect the Del Val League rivals’ records.
“Penn Wood is no joke,” the Bucs’ senior running back said. “They might have one win. But they are no joke. They have a great offense out there. We knew we would have a battle.”
Battle accepted, battle eventually survived, with Hummel and the 6-1 Bucs winning the no-frills way. Blocking well, running hard and not fooled by the 1-6 Patriots’ past performances, Interboro rushed for 379 yards, including 169 by Hummel, who mixed in two touchdowns and caught a two-point conversion pass.
Chris Thomas added 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as 11 Bucs lugged the ball. That included key senior Lamar Shaw, who left after two early carries with a leg injury. The balance enabled Interboro to survive the dangerous Penn Wood passing attack, led by Javon Lindsey-Terrell, who completed 27 of 37 passes for 298 yards.
The quarterback threw three touchdown passes and a completed a two-point conversion throw.
“They’re scary,” Bucs coach Steve Lennox said. “Last week, they should have been tied with Academy Park at half. They’ve had a tough nonleague schedule. They played some good people, including Haverford School. So I expected a battle for them.”
The challenge began early when Tyreem Welton scored on a 7-yard, first-quarter touchdown run. And after Thomas answered with an 11-yard scoring run and Jake Pfaff supplied the first of his three successful PAT attempts, the Patriots made it 12-6 on Lindsey-Terrell’s 18-yard toss to Tayvon Ruley.
Ruley would produce 88 receiving yards, rush for 92 more, score two touchdowns and fashion a two-point conversion run.
Hummel blasted 25 yards for a late second-quarter score, and after a Penn Wood drive ended at the Bucs’ 12 with 1:34 left in the half, the Bucs finally began to look comfortable. A 33-yard pass from Dan Mea to Chase Pattinson put Interboro at the Penn Wood one. Mea’s keeper with 14 seconds left helped the Bucs to a 21-12 halftime lead.
After Penn Wood closed within 27-20 on Lindsey-Terrell’s 29-yard pass to Damir Dawkins, who made an acrobatic, leaping catch, Pattinson again figured heavily, scooping Hummel’s fumble at the Penn Wood 14 and rolling in for a touchdown.
“I was just going down to do my blocking and the ball popped out and just flew,” Pattinson said. “I guess somebody kicked it. I just picked it up and the end zone was right there. We caught a break right there.”
Thomas and Matt O’Chuida each added a late rushing touchdown and Interboro led, 47-20, on its way to improving to 2-0 in the Del Val. But Penn Wood kept charging, and with 1:55 left, Ruley snagged a 32-yard touchdown pass from Lindsey-Terrell to provide evidence of the Pats’ gradual improvement, their 0-2 league record aside.
“We didn’t finish a few drives, but overall I am proud of my kids,” Penn Wood coach Nick Lincoln said. “We played four quarters. My guys are fighting for me. That’s all I can ask.”
Before, during and after the game Friday, Interboro noticed.
