Kirk warms up, Conestoga peels past Springfield
NETHER PROVIDENCE — Liam Kirk was already on pace to run for over 100 yards. He had 63 yards at halftime but his Conestoga team trailed by two touchdowns. The focal point of the Pioneers’ offense had done his part but there were no points to show for it and the defense had struggled, allowing a 64-yard touchdown pass from Springfield’s Matt Ellison to Alex Williams.
The final 24 minutes for the Pioneers featured an offense that dictated the pace of the game, particularly around Kirk, and an opportunistic defense that put its offense in favorable field position time and again. Kirk rushed for 124 of his 187 yards in the second half to go with two scores as Conestoga rolled to a 33-14 Central League victory over Springfield at Strath Haven High School.
For Kirk, it was another dominant performance after running for 202 yards against Lower Merion a week ago. He says he has seen a change in this year’s group.
“Last year, if we fell behind 14-0, we would keep our heads down and already thought we lost,” Kirk said. “We know we’re a good team, so we came back and gave it to that team. We kept running the ball and we know 14 points is not a lot.”
The Pioneers scored 33 unanswered points on the Cougars after the half and were aided by a number of costly Springfield turnovers. Two plays into the Cougars’ opening drive of the second half, a snap went over Ellison’s head and Conestoga recovered. On the very next play, Chris McGovern found Scott Smith down the seam for a 31-yard touchdown.
It only took Springfield two more plays before Ellison bobbled a snap and the Pioneers fell on it. Conestoga (3-5, 3-4 Central League) picked up 52 of its 234 rushing yards on the ensuing drive and Michael Prestipino took a sweep 21 yards to tie the game at 14-14 with 6:57 left in the third.
Springfield (2-6, 2-5) punted on its third drive and the Pioneers, riding the momentum to begin the quarter, finished off the drive with a one-yard rumble by Kirk to take its first lead of the contest. On the previous play, Kirk took off for 35 yards to set up the score.
Conestoga head coach Matt Diamond pleaded with his players at the break to play with some urgency and they responded in a way he hadn’t previously seen.
“I really challenged the guys,” Diamond said. “I said, ‘Who are you going to be? Come out in the second half and show who you are because it takes one big play to go ahead and change that momentum.’”
The Pioneers’ defense got to Ellison as Chris Radina picked up a sack. Two plays later the Springfield quarterback was picked off by Matt Hamilton, who returned it to the Cougars’ three-yard line. McGovern closed out the drive with a sneak at the goal line to push the lead to 27-14 with 11:13 remaining. Kirk put the finishing touches on the win with a 40-yard touchdown on Conestoga’s final drive.
Springfield, which put the ball on the ground six times, couldn’t find any rhythm in the second half after scoring twice in the first half, one on a six-yard touchdown by Jack Clark (63 yards).
Head coach Chris Britton saw glimpses of success by his team but the third quarter displayed much of what he saw throughout the season.
“I thought we did some things and that there was some progress, but three turnovers in the second half is going to come back to bite you,” Britton said. “I think our youth got the best of us.”
