Archbishop Wood routs Maryland Freedom, gets to 2-0
WARMINSTER >> It’s just two games, but nevertheless a concisely written statement.
“Everyone’s kind of put us in the past,” Archbishop Wood quarterback Max Keller said after Saturday night’s non-league contest with Maryland Freedom. “Everyone’s doubting us. We hear it. Everyone hears it. ‘Archbishop Wood’s done.’
“And it’s nice to come out here, get to 2-0, and show everyone that we’re still state championship contenders. We can still come out here and play football.”
The kings of Class 5A fell in last year’s state semifinals, but this team is intent on finishing the journey.
The Vikings have been dominant in the early going. They put Saturday’s game into mercy-rule territory by the second quarter and rolled to a 46-0 lead by the break.
Winning 46-6, Wood had a shutout until just three seconds remained in the game, a deep, desperation pass finding its target in the end zone. Other than that, it was all Wood.
“You can’t ask for anything else,” Keller said. “We came out here, started off strong, finished strong. It’s amazing to be able to come out here, play with your brothers, and succeed like we did.”
Pass Happy
Keller was on his game, completing 8-of-10 passes for 157 yards and three touchdowns.
“I felt like the whole team was just clicking,” he said. “We played as a team. We played as one.”
The speedy Cardel Pigford hauled in four catches for 93 yards and the first two touchdowns of the contest. On the first play from scrimmage, Keller hit him down the sideline in stride for a 39-yard gain to help set up his first touchdown.
Game on.
“Our passing attack was set up by our run game last week,” Keller said. “Last week, we had 200 yards rushing so this week, we came out here and threw the ball. It’s nice to be able to do both.”
“He and the receivers were on the same page tonight,” coach Kyle Adkins said said. “They did a solid job.”
Ryan DiVergilis caught a pair of passes for 41 yards and Ryan Woertz caught Keller’s other touchdown throw, for 15 yards.
Wood also scored on big bursts in the ground attack — Kaelin Costello from 40 yards out and Andrew Minners from 35 yards away. Keller added a one-yard sneak.
The defense was so dominant on the turf at William Tennent that at one point, the Wood defense had scored more safeties (two) than Freedom had first downs (zero).
“We were getting pretty good pressure up front,” Adkins said.
Room to Improve
Wood saw some things to clean up though.
“We’re not playing how we want to but we’ll take a win,” Adkins said. “We just gotta take care of the ball. We had two turnovers in the first half and we can’t afford that.
“I wanna see us improve. That’s the goal, to improve every day. And hopefully we do. We’ll have another test next Friday (at home against Central Dauphin East) so we’ll see.”
