Rustin’s Madonna, Gallen an explosive duo in win over Avon Grove
WESTTOWN — Senior Nick Madonna is enjoying his new role as bell cow in West Chester Rustin’s backfield.
While averaging almost 10 yards a carry, it’s fair to say Madonna is succeeding in that spot, as well.
Even still, he’s more than happy with the emergence of speedy junior Drew Gallen, who is making a name for himself after missing the first two games to injury.
In Rustin’s spread wing-T offense, the tandem combined for 389 yards of offense and all four touchdowns as the Golden Knights staved off visiting Avon Grove, 28-14, in a non-league contest, Friday.
“We’re working a lot together in practice,” Madonna said. “We know if we’re both hitting our stride we can take over on offense.”
It took some time to find that stride, for both teams. Neither team sniffed a scoring chance in the first quarter, but as it would figure in a game between two grind-it-out, hard-nose teams, the first opportunity came from an unexpected source.
After a false start on first down, Avon Grove (1-4) tried a screen to make back the lost yardage, but big defensive tackle, Gabe Walsh, got in the way and came down with the interception.
“It must’ve hit him right in the face for him to catch the ball,” Rustin coach Mike St. Clair said with a laugh. “He made an athletic play and picked up a couple yards and that made his career. It turned the tide for us, too.”
Madonna went to work, carrying it seven out of nine plays, the last going for six yards for the opening score.
A long kick return by Sean Glatts set up the Red Devils at the Rustin four, and Colby Riddell punched it in on the next play. Rustin (4-1) came right back, this time with Gallen, who blew by defenders for a 45-yard touchdown run.
After little action for over 16 minutes of game time, there were three scores in 2 minutes, 8 seconds, and the Knights led 12-7.
“They do really well at getting guys to the perimeter,” Avon Grove coach Harry O’Neill said. “Before Rustin was a between-the-tackles team, but with Madonna and Gallen on the edge, they really spread you out. We do well playing in a box, but they spread us out and exposed us.”
In the first half, Rustin outgained Avon Grove 210-46. The Knights received the second half kick, and on the fourth play, John Crispino hit a streaking Gallen, who breezed in untouched from 50 yards.
Avon Grove, who only ran 14 plays in the first half, went on a 20-play, 10-and-a-half minute drive, ending in a one-yard TD by Glatts, to respond, but in a game that ended in under two hours thanks to 71 combined carries and only 15 passes, the Red Devils lacked opportunities.
Madonna, who ran for 237 yards to give him 882 on the season, reached pay dirt for the second time on the ensuing drive.
“At the start of the season we were an unhealthy team,” Madonna said. “The healthier we are, the better we are.”
Gallen finished with 99 yards on 10 carries, and he now has 302 total yards and four scores on 18 touches.
“It’s awesome having both of them in the backfield,” St. Clair said.
Avon Grove only had six drives the entire game, and on its finale, JT McDonald was picked off by Kevin Freas to ice it.
“We played hard and we played physical, but we made too many mental mistakes,” O’Neill said. “I thought we did fairly well against the run. Madonna is very good and he got his, but we didn’t play well mentally.”
