Marlyn Johnson has career night in Wissahickon’s loss to PW
WHITEMARSH >> Marlyn Johnson did everything humanly possible to help Wissahickon win Friday night against Plymouth Whitemarsh, but the Trojans came up three points short, 39-36, at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.
The junior wide receiver caught 12 passes for a career-high 240 yards and three touchdowns.
“Marlyn had an unbelievable game,” Wissahickon coach Randy Cuthbert said.
“He’s a special talent. He’s just figuring that out. He has a world of potential.”
He ran the entire route tree and was open all game.
His first touchdown was a 23-yard jump ball where he boxed out the defender. The second a 52-yard Hail Mary before halftime where Johnson caught the ball while surrounded by Colonials at the five yard line, kept his balance and got into the endzone. The third was a three-yard alley-oop pass.
“Coach put it in in these recent weeks,” the 6-foot-4, 185-pound receiver said of practicing the Hail Mary. “We tried it out as something to chuck up at the end of the game or halftime. I just tried to make a play.”
Johnson was on the same page as his quarterback, senior Mike Schoenleber, all night. Schoenleber was 18-for-32 for 291 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
“It’s real good,” Johnson said of the connection between the two. “We work after practice every day to get that extra chemistry.”
Johnson obliterated his previous career best of 135 receiving yards, which he set a week ago against Quakertown.
“I feel like I’m getting better and better each week,” Johnson said. “Ready to go next week, too.”
Defying the odds
Plymouth Whitemarsh overcame a lot of adversity Friday night.
It was the Colonials first game without top running back Christian Jones, who is out for the season with injuries to his ACL and MCL.
What did PW do without its top rusher? The team totaled 352 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 45 carries.
Joe Stoberl and Donate Wilson each ran for 99 yards, Khan Jamal totaled 80, Blaise Gravinese 68 and Jair Ross six.
The team also played without senior linebacker John McGinley and still held Wissahickon’s rushing attack to just 68 yards on 28 carries.
Stoberl, the senior starting quarterback, missed about a quarter of the game with what appeared to be a right leg injury. He left late in the third quarter and didn’t return until the middle of the fourth.
The Colonials didn’t panic. Backup QB Ross — a senior — stepped in and threw a touchdown pass to give his team a three-possession lead late in the third quarter.
“We try to teach our mental toughness,” PW coach Dan Chang said. “When things go wrong — and things are always going to go wrong in the game — people have to continue to fight and keep their head up.”
Stoberl does it all
Stoberl helped his team win in just about every way imaginable.
He got it done with his arm — going 4-for-10 for 116 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Both touchdowns were long throws right on the money to classmate Vince Martina.
He got it done with his legs — rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
He even contributed on defense. After throwing an interception, he grabbed one right back on the next play during a 10-point game in the fourth quarter.
Top Photo: Wissahickon’s Maryln Johnson carries the ball during the Trojans’ game against Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016. (Jeff Davis/For Digital First Media)
