Pottsgrove backfield takes hits, downs West Catholic

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POTTSGROVE >> Like the saying goes, next man up. And when that man goes down, it’s the next one. Then the next one. You get the idea.

Pottsgrove took hits with key components of its backfield — upperclassmen running backs Amir Brunson and Bryce Caffrey — but fueled by a dominant second-half performance by Brandon Chestnut-Smith, the Falcons flew out to a 20-6 win over West Catholic at Pennypacker Field Friday.

Chestnut-Smith had just 15 yards on two carries the entire first half when in the mix of the rotation. By the end of the night, he rushed 21 times for 91 yards and capped off a 10-play, 42-yard drive with a 3-yard run up the gut to pull away with 7:28 left in the game.

“I just had to step up. Do it for my team, do it for Amir,” Chestnut-Smith said. “He went down, just had to turn up for my team.”

In his second career start, junior quarterback Gabriel Rinda threw 4-for-7 for 90 yards with a touchdown and interception, having been picked off by Amir Smith with three seconds left before halftime.

Rinda added 12 yards with his feet on nine keepers, including a QB sneak into the end zone from one yard out to extend Pottsgrove’s lead, 14-6 with eight minutes and a half minutes to go in the third quarter.

“I know the offense pretty well. I’ve been here two years. I’ve been the backup for two years, so it’s finally my time and we feel good,” Rinda said. “We came in with a good game plan, got new coaches, we feel great.”

 
Pottsgrove junior quarterback Gabriel Rinda warms up during halftime against West Catholic on Friday. (Evan Wheaton — MediaNews Group)
 

While the second half of the game was largely controlled by Pottsgrove (2-0), the Burrs (1-1) went toe-to-toe in the first two quarters. With 93 total yards of offense — just three more yards than the Falcons — West Catholic traded blows, a failed two-point conversion being the difference.

Caffrey picked up the initial first down for either side on a seven-yard connection from Rinda before the latter hit him once more on the very next snap for a 41-yard, go-ahead run to the house for the initial score at the 3:57 mark.

Brunson went down and exited the game on that drive, and the Burrs answered in the following quarter.

Two minutes into the second quarter, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave West Catholic a 3rd-and-7 situation on Pottsgrove’s 10-yard line. Senior running back K’saan Greene (15 carries, 43 yards) then took it the distance on a run to the outside.

The Falcons played up to Class 5A last week against Methacton, and on Friday, the 4A program may have played down, but did so against a loaded 2A squad coming off a District 12 title.

“We think we have to play the best out-of-league to be the best in the league,” Pottsgrove coach Bill Hawthorne said. “We always try to get us a nice, solid out-of-league schedule to make us better when we wanna be at our best and that’s at the end of the season.”

West Catholic sophomore signal caller Kal-EL Durham threw 6-for-16 and was picked off by Mark White early in the first quarter. The Falcons elected to keep things on the ground and control the game through the trenches coming out of its locker room.

“We just thought, ‘Let’s get back to Pottsgrove football.’ We aired it out in the first half and we knew they were tired, we knew we had better stamina than them,” Rinda said. “So we went back to Pottsgrove football, ground and pound.”

A week ago, Pottsgrove held Methacton to just 84 total yards of offense and one score. On Friday, the Falcons once again flexed its defense with just 125 yards against it.

And though its backfield is banged up, Pottsgrove was still able to control the line of scrimmage and win the game on its feet.

“I’d like to give all the credit to our offensive line. Once again, our defense played outstanding,” Hawthorne said. “It’s a hard-fought win. Gotta give credit to the Burrs, they fought to the bitter end, but it was a good win for us.”

 

Pottstown 20, West Catholic 6
West Catholic 0 6 0 0 — 6
Pottstown 7 0 7 6— 20
SCORING
First quarter
POT — Caffrey 41 pass from G. Rinda (Tice kick)
Second quarter
WC — Greene 10 rush (two-point failed)
Third quarter
POT — Rinda 1 rush (Tice kick)
Fourth quarter
POT — Chestnut-Smith 3 rush (two-point failed)
TEAM STATISTICS
POT WC
First Downs 9 3
Rushing Yards 113 57
Passing Yards 90 68
Total Yards 203 125
Passes C-A-I 4-7-1 6-16-1
Fumbles-Lost 4-2 3-2
Penalties-Yards 7-40 10-52
Punts 4 4
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
West Catholic – K. Greene 15-43, J. Greene 5-11, Durham 2-3.
Pottsgrove – Brunson 2-(minus-2), Caffrey 10-12, Chestnut-Smith 21-91, TD, Rinda 9-12.
Passing
West Catholic – Durham 6-16, 68 yards, INT.
Pottsgrove – Rinda 4-7, 90 yards, TD, INT.
Receiving
West Catholic – Suah 3-51, K. Greene 1-5, Thompson 2-13.
Pottsgrove – Caffrey 2-58, TD, Carter 1-13, Delp 1-18.
Interceptions
West Catholic – Smith.
Pottsgrove – White.
Sacks
West Catholic – Amaker.
Pottsgrove – Gale.

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Evan Wheaton

ewheaton

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