Oh baby, it was a strange night at Knight Park as Academy Park outlasts Chichester

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SHARON HILL – The play was simple and, with Chichester driving midway through a third quarter that would produce 40 total points, came out of nowhere.

Pick up a block. Slip into the second level. Get up the field.

The only problem? It wasn’t one of the Eagles carrying the ball. Actually the ball wasn’t involved at all. Instead, it was a toddler who had broken free from the stands at Knight Field Friday night and made a dash onto the field, gaining about 20 yards to midfield before being corralled, luckily far behind the play and out of harm’s way.

Chichester quarterback Nate Decenzi looks for an open receiver in the second quarter against Academy Park. Decenzi threw for four touchdowns and 317 yards in a 52-39 loss to Academy Park. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

It took a moment like that to register on the weirdness scale Friday, as Academy Park and Chichester slugged out a 52-39 Del Val decision that featured precious little defense on either side but plenty of entertainment.

In light of the baby-on-the-field moment, other oddities paled in comparison. Like the Gatling gun pace of scoring in the third quarter. Or Academy Park quarterback Skylor Fillis making way on a drive with an open gash on his hand only to see receiver Barry Brown, who caught a touchdown from Fillis earlier, lead the team to pay dirt with a six-yard run. Or AP defensive end Tyree Estes falling on a Nate Decenzi fumble in the end zone for a score.

Part of the magic was the imperviousness of Academy Park’s offense. It ran for 420 yards on 50 totes and 562 yards of offense. Fillis was efficient as well as prolific, hitting 12 of 19 passes for 142 yards to six receivers. He connected on touchdowns of eight yards to Brown, four to Zion Bradley and a 29-yard score to Jarrick Wilcox on fourth-and-10 in that bonkers third period.

Fillis added 98 yards on 17 carries and a score. Bradley augmented his 141 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown. And once Chi drew a bead on that, Edward Soloku picked up 86 yards on a pair of reverses, the latter covering 54 yards to the end zone in the fourth quarter to reinstate a three-score edge.

“The line was doing great,” Bradley said. “Great blocking. It was like everything was in slow motion.”

But perhaps even more surprising was what Chichester’s offense was able to do against perennially one of the stingiest defenses in Southeastern Pennsylvania. A week after scoring just three points in a loss to Glen Mills, Chi (3-3, 0-2) opened it up, mostly on the arm of Nate Decenzi. The junior quarterback threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, going 17-for-37 without an interception.

He hit Jamese Lundy-Byrd with 24-yard scoring passes in both the second and third quarters (there’s that weirdness again), and hooked up with Calvin Church on touchdowns of 65 and 50 yards. He found seven receivers in all.

“I think a lot of people stepped up today,” Decenzi said.

Decenzi made plays with his legs, too, including a 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-10 in the second quarter to set up his one-yard score that briefly got Chi with 13-12 with 5:24 to half.

Bradley provided the riposte for AP (6-1, 2-0). He stepped up with a 49-yard run to the eight, setting up the Fillis-to-Barry score that answered Chi’s touchdown within 43 seconds.

PHOTO GALLERY: Chichester at Academy Park

“It was a big moment,” Bradley said. “I just wanted to show out.”

“It’s really difficult because everybody has different emotions, and trying to keep their emotions in check is really difficult,” Decenzi said. “But I think my guys held up.”

Bradley added his scoring touchdown on a wide open flat route with 13 seconds left in the first half, capping a nine-play, 90-yard drive in just 2:35.

Academy Park’s Isaiah Rogers, left, wraps up Chichester’s Shaheem Pleasant Friday night. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

Academy Park’s defense did just enough to stem the Chi tide. Estes and defensive tackle Isaiah Rogers batted down two passes apiece at the line of scrimmage. When Chichester proved it wouldn’t go away with Decenzi hitting Church for the 65-yard score 96 ticks into the second half to claw within 26-19, Estes offered breathing room. Twenty-seven seconds after Wilcox’s touchdown, Rogers stripped Decenzi on a sack in the end zone, Estes pouncing on the ball for the score.

“It was big today,” Estes said. “We came out slow in the beginning, but we picked it up a little bit in the second half. We were going back and forth. They kept on hitting us with the slants, so we got our hands up.”

It wasn’t the kind of taut win that Academy Park’s defense usually backstops. But with two wins from two Del Val outings, they’ll take it. For now.

“We got a little bit too excited,” Estes said. “Next drive they came down and scored. We’ve just got to learn how to settle down after touchdowns.”

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Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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