Jackson’s block the difference as Archbishop Wood edges La Salle in overtime
WARMINSTER >> For a guy who only started playing football a few months ago, Robert Jackson just looks like he belongs.
Looks are one thing, but actions are another and Jackson came up maybe the biggest play of the season Friday night when used all 6-foot-6 of his frame and all 7-foot-2 of his wingspan to get up and block La Salle’s extra point in overtime. The junior, who is a lifelong basketball player, was a force all game but his emphatic block was the winning margin.
Thanks to Jackson’s block and a special catch by Andrew McHugh, the Vikings outlasted La Salle 21-20 in overtime Friday night.
“I just used the technique our coaches gave us, I paid attention to the snap, came off fast and hard and got the block,” Jackson said as a convoy of teammates ran by slapping his shoulder pads. “I was just trying to win it for the team, man. This was a big game for us and I’m glad I could help us win it.”
Jackson never played organized football prior to this year, but he said the football coaches saw potential in him and asked him to consider trying. A starter for most of last season during Wood’s run to the PIAA 5A boys’ basketball title game, the power forward did have one thing the coaches really liked.
“I’m 6-6,” Jackson said laughing.
The junior had five solo tackles on Friday, including a nice play to track down a back a few yards up the field plus an emphatic pass breakup playing defensive end prior to his game-winning block. Jackson credited the coaching staff for making him a contributing player in such a short amount of time and thanked them for having faith in him.
Jackson said he ran the idea to play football by Wood basketball coaches John Mosco and Chris Roantree and both were all for him giving it a go. Adding a second sport hasn’t hindered Jackson from working out with his basketball teammates and he was posed a new question on Friday.
What feels better, blocking a shot in basketball, or blocking a kick in football?
“Both, man but I don’t know, that football kick was a little more intense,” Jackson said. “I think I liked that one more.”
Wood coach Kyle Adkins joked “you don’t draw it up like that,” but said Jackson has been a great addition to the roster this fall.
“You can’t teach 6-6, 245 pounds with a 7-2 wingspan,” Adkins said. “He’s a big, strong kid, he’s athletic and he’s just figuring out how to play football. He’s just an awesome kid and a pleasure to coach.”
Jackson admitted he was close to losing his head after the officials ruled La Salle’s Brad Vespe had scored on a fourth-and-goal run with 22 seconds left but praised his teammates for getting him and everyone else calmed down.
Given another chance to get his hands on a kick, Jackson was eager to make it count.
“I got the push and put my hand up like the coaches said,” Jackson said. “It definitely hurt, but it feels pretty good now that we won.”
ROAD TO OVERTIME
Friday’s game was a true slugfest with both defensive units shining at various times.
La Salle, which had scored 49 points in back-to-back weeks, was slowed by an amped-up Wood side while the Explorers were boosted by the return of Dillon Trainer in limited the Vikings. The first quarter ended without a score and the game was only tied at half thanks to a superb special teams play.
There’s no substitute for effort and Adkins felt that was a premium ingredient in Friday’s result.
“Honestly, I just thought our kids played hard and ran to the ball,” Adkins said. “There’s nothing magic about scheme defensively, it’s be fundamentally sound, get lined up, play hard and run to the ball. Our kids played with great effort and great emotion.”
La Salle scored first on a 13-yard run by Sam Brown but Wood answered right away when Bryan Kelly ran the ensuing kickoff back 99 yards. Kelly, who caught the ball a few inches from the endzone and an automatic touchback, got a lane up the right side and never looked back.
Wood turned its first drive of the second half into a score when Max Keller found senior Ryan DiVergilis for a five-yard TD on fourth down on well-designed play. The score put La Salle in a desperate mode the rest of the game, something Trainer wants to see his team start with next week.
“That starts with the senior leadership and captains and a lot of that blame should be on us,” Trainer said. “Our sideline was flat a huge majority of the game and I don’t think a lot of guys understand that yet, that they are a factor and the 12th man. I think a lot of them, we still have to get the message across they have a job and they’re not just here for a good view of a high school football game.”
The Explorers forced a big stop when they had to, and aided by a personal foul on Wood, got the ball 15 yards away from tying the game. Vespe, who stepped up in the fourth running the ball after Brown left at halftime with a leg injury, powered his team down to the four.
Three downs later, with a yard separating La Salle from a tie, Vespe went at the pile and gave a second effort. After officials worked down to the bottom of the pile, they ruled the senior had gotten the ball over the line for the touchdown and the extra knotted it at 14-14.
“Our biggest thing is we did not play our game whatsoever and what we can take away is we’re not that good as of this point,” Trainer said. “All credit to Wood, they’re always a tough team, they were disciplined and very strong. I’m not saying the season is going to end with us being that way but until we prove otherwise, we’re just another mediocre team.
“This could have been a win for us and we came out flat. We’re not that great of a football team yet but we can be and that starts tomorrow by getting in the film room and back to practice on Monday.”
McHUGH MAKES THE GRAB
Andrew McHugh is only a sophomore but he showed the poise of a veteran with his overtime touchdown grab.
On third down from the four, Keller went McHugh’s way and the wideout had to make a diving grab, then hold on as a La Salle defensive back tried to wrestle the ball out of his hands. Holding on to the ball for dear life, McHugh thought the worst when he first heard the official’s whistle.
“I got an outside release, took it outside and saw the ball was a little short,” McHugh said. “The corner ran like an extra half-inch so I stuck my foot in the ground and dove backward diagonally then we started wrestling.
“The ref ran up to me, said ‘touchdown’ and my heart dropped.”
McHugh said Keller gave him a look before the pass, but he still had to make an adjustment.
“I actually ran the wrong route, my coach told me after,” McHugh said. “He said if I missed that ball, I would have been in trouble but the ball was there and I found a way to get it.”
The sophomore, who also plays basketball at Wood, said he hoped the play could be the start of something bigger for him as a younger player filling a big role. He also felt the whole win was emblematic of what his teammates have shown this season.
“We have grit,” McHugh said.
Robert Meyer, who split kicking duties with Ryan Morgan all game, made the extra point for what ended up being the winning margin.
La Salle scored on its first play of overtime when Jack Machita found Abdul Carter, but Jackson made sure the game wasn’t going any longer.
“In a big game, your kids have to go make plays,” Adkins said. “Andrew makes a huge play on the fade there then Rob gets the big play on the blocked extra point. That’s a character play. They scored, we’re down, do you have any character? Instead of putting your head down, are you going to go play with great effort and our kids did that.”
ARCHBISHOP WOOD 0 7 7 0 7 – 21
LA SALLE 0 7 0 7 6 – 20
Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter
L – Sam Brown 13 run (Jake Gandolfo kick) 1:01
AW – Bryan Kelly 99 kick return (Ryan Morgan kick) 46.5
3rd Quarter
AW – Max Keller 5 pass to Ryan DiVergilis (Robert Meyer kick) 5:18
4th Quarter
L – Brad Vespe 1 run (Gandolfo kick) 22.4
OT
AW – Keller 4 pass to Andrew McHugh (Meyer kick)
L – Jack Machita 10 pass to Abdul Carter (kick blocked)
Team stats
AW L
First Downs 9 13
Rushes-Yards 32-88 39-175
Passing 10-13-2-0 4-11-0-0
Passing-Yards 82 22
Total Yards 170 197
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 3-2
Penalties-Yards 4-40 2-15
Individual Stats
Rushing: AW – Ryan DiVergilis 6-(-3), Cardel Pigford 8-38, Max Keller 6-16, Bryan Kelly 1-1, Kaelin Costello 11-36; L – Sam Brown 12-85, Jack Machita 11-23, Mao Howell 6-17, Timothy Mehlmann 1-2, Brad Vespe 9-48
Passing: AW – Keller 10-13-2-0-82; L – Machita 4-11-0-0-22
Receiving: AW – Ryan DiVergilis 2-15, Ryan Woertz 4-44, Andrew McHugh 2-1, Shane Collier 2-22; L – Justin Machita 1-8, Vespe 1-11, Mehlmann 1-3, Howell 1-0
