Henderson shuts down Rustin, moves to 2-0

 

WEST CHESTER — After a thunderstorm forced West Chester Henderson inside during heat acclimation week in August, coach Steve Mitten crammed his team into the film room and started showing old footage from recent years.

He showed some from the Warriors’ run to the Class 3A District 1 title game in 2012, from the 2011 Ches-Mont National Division championship season and when the Warriors knocked off top-seeded Ridley in the first round of the 2010 Class 4A playoffs.

Coming off a 1-9 season a year ago, Henderson’s challenge was obvious, and Thursday night at home, the Warriors responded in a major way.

Led by a stifling defense, Henderson knocked off West Chester Rustin, 13-6, for its first win in the rivalry since 2012. Rustin leads the series 8-4, but is 0-2 on the season for the first time in its 11-year history and the back-to-back losses are its first since the inaugural season in 2006.

Henderson, which erased a 14-point deficit last week against Oxford, all of a sudden has some mojo back.

“The kids really responded and want to be part of something like that,” Mitten said of his team’s film session. “I told them before the game, this was an opportunity to do great things on the football field and they definitely did. Any time you win against Rustin it’s a significant win. They’re the most dominant program in Chester County the last 10 years.”

Henderson held to 72 rushing yards on 36 carries, just the second time the Golden Knights failed to eclipse 100 since 2009. It was also the first time Rustin was kept out of the end zone since 2012, also against Henderson.

“I told the team after the game how important this win was for us as a program,” Mitten said. “With everything that happened last year, these kids responded with everything we’re trying to do and played hard. When you play good defense you always have a chance to win, and our defense was outstanding. It was a great job by defensive coordinator (John) Lunardi, and this was one of the sweetest wins we’ve had in the last few years and put these kids on the map for our program.”

Senior linebacker Ryan Brida is quickly etching his name on a long list of excellent defenders for Henderson, and he was all over the field on Thursday. He and the Warriors set the tone early, stopping Rustin on a fourth-and-one attempt on its first drive.

“We got outhit, outworked and outplayed,” Rustin coach Mike St. Clair said. “We need to regroup and find our what we’re made of and come out against West Chester East (next Friday) ready to play football.”

Henderson allowed just two first downs in the first half and forced its only turnover of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter when Mark Rizzo recovered a fumble by Ty Pringle.

“This is huge for the team,” Brida said. “Our first home game, and we had a great crowd and we worked hard all week and knew what (Rustin) was going to do. We delivered and it was all about heart.”

Rizzo followed up his fumble recovery with a 34-yard reception on the ensuing drive, to the Rustin

three. Two plays later, junior quarterback Joe Saulino converted a botched handoff into a three-yard plunge for the game’s only touchdown.

Saulino also handled the punting duties and picked up a high snap that went all the way into the Henderson end zone, dodged a couple defenders and managed a 23-yard punt to evade major trouble.

“That play (Saulino) made with the punt out of the end zone saved a touchdown for sure,” Mitten said. “He found a way to do what the team needed him to do to get the win.”

Bryce McElhiney, who joined the team after trying out for the soccer team, made 34 and 31-yard field goals in the first half, continuing his fast start after booting the game-winner last week in Oxford.

“He’s been tremendous,” Mitten said of his kicker. “He had a huge role in this game, and he was the difference last week. He’s a smart, composed kid and he’s a pretty good kicker.”

A week ago, Rustin passed for more yards than it rushed for in a loss to Garnet Valley. Thursday the Knights could only muster two yards per carry on the ground. One of the worst two-game stretches in the lineman-rich history of Rustin has caused more questions than answers.
“At this point, I don’t know,” St. Clair said of his ground game. “I just know it needs to get fixed and soon.”

West Chester Henderson 13, West Chester Rustin 6

W. C. Rustin 0 3 0 3 — 6

W. C. Henderson 3 3 0 7 — 13

First Quarter

WCH: McElhiney 34 FG

Second Quarter

WCR: Gallagher 36 FG

WCH: McElhiney 31 FG

Fourth Quarter

WCH: Saulino 3 run (McElhiney kick)

WCR: Gallagher 36 FG

TEAM STATISTICS

WCRWCH

First downs 7 11

Rushes-Yards 36-72 36-109

Passing yards 69 76

Total yards 141 185

Passing 9-14-0 5-12-1

Punts-Average 5-44 6-38.8

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0

Penalties-Yards 5-49 5-26

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Rustin — Pringle 14-37; Frazier 10-36; Rosser 4-9; Benoit 2-4; Aloisio 1-(-1); Durant 3-(-13). Henderson — Preston 26-86; Saulino 5-13, TD; Palmer 4-11; team 1-(-1).

Passing: Rustin — Durant 9-14, 69 yards. Henderson — Saulino 5-12, 76 yards, INT.

Receiving: Rustin — Pringle 4-31; Register 2-19; Frazier 2-14; Benoit 1-5. Henderson — Rizzo 2-62; Preston 2-6; Calhoun 1-8.

Interceptions: Rustin — Aloisio. Henderson — none.