Usually high-flying Coatesville keeps it on the ground, runs away from Garnet Valley

CALN >> Coatesville has spent all season showcasing pretty much every skill you could ask for in a football team.

On Friday night, the usually high-flying Red Raiders showcased their versatility, attempting just five passes, yet still dominating Central League foe Garnet Valley, 42-7, to hand the Jaguars their first loss of the season in the District 1 Class 6A semifinal.

Senior Aaron Young gashed the Garnet Valley defense for 227 yards on 20 carries to propel Coatesville into next Friday’s District 1 final against top-seeded North Penn, a 35-21 winner over Downingtown West in the other semifinal.

Coatesville scored on its first possession of the game as the Red Raiders (13-0) went on an eight-play, 53-yard drive that ended with Young bursting through the middle of the Garnet Valley (12-1) line like he was shot out of a cannon for an early 7-0 lead.

“Tonight I got to carry the ball a lot and I like that,” Young said. “I like a lot of work and I have to give the credit to my offensive line. They made it all happen tonight.”

Garnet Valley’s triple option veer attack was going nowhere against the Coatesville defense. After another Jaguar three and out, Coatesville struck again. This time it was a two-play drive, as Young burst 70 yards for the score, leaving the Garnet Valley defenders in his wake for the score.

“Give all the credit to Coatesville,” said Garnet Valley head coach Mike Ricci. “They are a great football team and are coached really well. We fumbled and threw two interceptions tonight and you cannot do that against a great team like they are.”

The runaway continued in the second quarter as Red Raider quarterback Ricky Ortega went back to pass and could not find an open receiver, giving some hope to the Garnet defense. But Ortega then tucked the ball down before weaving 57 yards to the end zone, breaking at least four tackles on his way to the end zone, and Coatesville was in full command at 21-0.

Then, the Coatesville defense came up with a big play of its own. A Cole Palis pass was picked off at the Coatesville 9-yard line by Dapree Bryant, who scampered 91 yards to the end zone, and Coatesville had a 28-0 halftime lead.

The Red Raiders, who rushed the ball for 324 yards on the night, only threw three passes in the first half and five for the game, a far cry from their usual free-wheeling offensive play. Young had 15 carries for 164 yards at halftime, and Coatesville head coach Matt Ortega said the Red raiders took what was given.

“They were dropping back and trying to take away our vertical passing game,” Ortega said. “And we decided the best thing was to run the ball more. Aaron had a great night. And our offensive line does not get enough credit. The job they do week in and week out is outstanding. This is our best offensive line since 2012.”

Garnet Valley showed some heart as the Jaguars took the second half kickoff and marched down the field on a six-minute, 22-second drive that lasted 15 plays, before Adam Oldrati hauled in a five-yard pass from Palis to make it a 28-7 game.

Just after the ensuing kickoff, Coatesville showed off more of the explosiveness that has suffocated every opponent this season.

It only took the Red Raiders two plays, and 17 seconds, to make it a 35-7 game when Young burst through a big hole in the middle of the Garnet Valley line for a 43-yard touchdown run, ending any doubt on the outcome.

Coatesville put the game into the mercy rule early in the fourth quarter when Ortega bullied his way in from seven yards out to make it 42-7 and secure Coatesville’s place in the final. A win next week would put Coatesville in the PIAA semifinal, against either Harrisburg (who the Red Raiders already beat this season), or Central Dauphin.

“We studied a lot of film and we just repped a lot this week on what they do,” Coatesville linebacker Nik Thompson said. “The defense does not get talked about a lot because of how good our offense is, but we are a close unit and we played well tonight.”

Ortega gave his defense credit for its performance and said it took a veteran group to shut down the Garnet Valley option offense.

“The gameplan was good and the kids really executed,” Ortega said. “It is a veteran group and they studied a lot for film and did the job tonight like they have all season.”