Owen J. Roberts bests Pottstown in reboot of former rivalry game

BUCKTOWN >> It was the Thanksgiving Day rivalry minus the post-game feast of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Two years after they discontinued Turkey Day football clashes spanning seven decades, Owen J. Roberts and Pottstown were back on the gridiron facing each other Friday. The reunion of the cross-river rivals at Wildcat Stadium went solidly in the home team’s favor, 35-0.

Granted, the game lacked the pageantry and bragging-rights anticipation of past encounters … not to mention the trophy awarded annually to the game’s winner, but with both playing either to improve their standing in the District 1 playoff rankings (OJR) or be set in the field (Pottstown), there was more to play for than just the bragging rights as the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s best third-place team.

“I know the Owen J. Roberts community was disappointed the Thanksgiving Day games were discontinued,” Owen J. quarterback Cooper Chamberlain said. “This game fueled the fire in us, something for our senior class.”

Coming into the game ranked 15th in a 16-team Class 6A field, Roberts (8-2) made the win-and-you’re-in scenario academic.

Dante DeNardo caught touchdown passes of 11 and 49 yards from Chamberlain and Matthew Cutrone while Joshua Jackson and Christian Grossi ran for two and one scores, respectively. Jackson went five yards around his left end with 5:04 left in the first quarter, then circled for a 22-yarder at 3:32.

Defensively, the ‘Cats had three picks of Pottstown quarterback Joneil Oister while limiting the District 4A playoff-hopeful Trojans (5-5) to 164 yards total offense.

“They have a good team,” Pottstown head coach Jeff Delaney said. “Their quarterback is outstanding.

“Three times, they stopped us when we tried to check in. They’re a nice team that stays disciplined.”

Roberts had particular success in the passing game. Chamberlain (12-for-19, 103 yards) connected a number of times on passes to DeNardo, Jonathan Hannevig and Grossi in the flat,

“We knew their defense played the cover-two soft,” Chamberlain said. “We knew there was the possibility of passing in the flat. I just watched the defense and made the decisions based on what I saw.”

Then there was Cutrone, taking a pitch from Chamberlain and throwing 49 yards to DeNardo for a big-strike touchdown that staked Owen J. to a 28-0 lead with 9:06 left in the third quarter.

“We practice plays like that all year long,” OJR head coach Rich Kolka said. “We don’t want to tip our hand too much, showing plays like that. It seemed like a decent time to call the play.”

Pottstown, by comparison, had the bulk of its success on the ground.

Dereck Darden had a game-high 65 yards on three carries, the longest a 60-yard sprint from his 20 to Roberts’ 20 on the next-to-last play of the game. Oister ran for another 50 on 17 tries, and Ezra Figueroa followed with 13 carries for 47 yards.

The Trojans’ aerial game finished with only one completion for two yards. Cutrone and Aston Shrum had Roberts’ picks.

“We played well on both sides of the ball,” Kolka said.

Now the waiting game begins for both teams. The district’s seeding meeting Sunday holds the key to their post-season lives.

“It’s a chance for our seniors to go back-to-back in the playoffs,” Delaney said.

NOTES >> Grossi’s nine-yard run, less than a minute into the fourth quarter, gave Owen J. the “running clock” for the remainder of the game. … Oister distinguished himself on the defensive side. The Trojan freshman intercepted Chamberlain midway through the second quarter, but the change of possession lasted only four plays before Shrum got the ball back for Roberts. … The Wildcats’ stretch run saw sophomore Avrey Grimm come off the bench and pick up 33 yards on six carries. “He’s a nice runner and a nice athlete,” Kolka noted. “He’s going to help us in the future.” … Friday was Owen J’s “Pink Out” game, the school showing its support for the fight against breast cancer with pink apparel and accessories sported by players and cheerleaders alike.