Owen J. Roberts tops Pottsgrove in neighborhood rivalry renewal
POTTSGROVE >> Those who bemoan the path of scholastic sports owed it to themselves to come out to Pennypacker Field on Friday night.
The game featured Owen J. Roberts and Pottsgrove, meeting for the first time since 2015 and hoping to keep their respective seasons alive in next weekend’s District 1 playoffs.
In the end, it was the Wildcats finding just enough offense to bolster a dominant defense in outlasting host Pottsgrove, 17-8.
But spectators came away with the feeling this game would’ve looked the same had both teams been 0-10. The fight and desire shown by both sides showed a passion unique to a throwback between two teams whose players grew up as teammates in youth leagues and now battle for neighborhood bragging rights.
Four quarterback sacks keyed OJR’s defensive effort, holding the Falcons off the scoreboard until Pottsgrove turned a fumble recovery into a score early in the fourth quarter, cutting OJR’s 11-0 lead to three points and forcing the Wildcats’ defense to recover quickly.
The Wildcats did just that, thwarting Pottsgrove’s next two possessions and forcing punts, then capping the evening with senior Mason Miller’s 26-yard pick six to clinch the crossover matchup.
For Miller, it was a bittersweet moment. The defensive back transferred into OJR before the season, and as such is ineligible for any potential postseason matchups. He knew Friday night would be his final time on the field with his teammates
“We were some dogs tonight!” said an excited Miller. “We had the right mentality to take it down to the wire, and we got the win.”
Miller’s big play gave OJR a response to the outstanding secondary play Pottsgrove received throughout the evening from Trenton Allen and Tre Cook, both breaking up numerous passes intended for PAC leading receiver Danny Cashman, who was limited to three catches and 31 yards on the evening.
“I felt like I had to play better than [Pottsgrove’s secondary],” said Miller. “They had a great game, so it was on us to match their intensity and playmaking.”
OJR had an 11-0 advantage midway through the third quarter and started to assert their will behind a power rushing attack that saw Mike Reed and Derek Hinrichs splitting snaps in the second half, mixing in with leading rusher Hunter Rhoads (65 yards on 16 carries). Just as the Wildcats attempted to embark on a decisive drive, Pottsgrove recovered a loose ball at the OJR 26.
Six plays later, Riley Delp (six catches, 78 yards) was in the end zone courtesy of a 13-yard pass from Gabe Rinda, and a two-point conversion moved Pottsgrove within a field goal at 11-8.
“We knew we needed to keep going, just keep doing what worked all night,” said Brandon Kelley, who led the OJR defense with a sack and three total tackles for loss.
Kelley and Pottsgrove’s Marc White staged a battle of the titans on both sides of the ball, perhaps the highlight of the game from a matchup standpoint. White scored a sack of his own in the second half.
“He’s one of the best tackles I’ve seen, and a great defensive end, too,” said Kelley. “I follow him on Twitter – I wish him all the best in terms of recruitment and the future.”
In the end, OJR held Pottsgrove to -17 yards of offense in the three drives that followed the touchdown, culminating in Miller’s pick six to seal the win.
The first half featured repeated punts and turnovers on downs, highlighted by one sustained drive per side.
The difference came in OJR’s ability to block a 24-yard Pottsgrove field goal attempt towards the end of the first quarter.
When the Wildcats embarked upon their own 12-play, 62-yard drive, QB Reed completed first-down passes to Justin Daubert and Cashman before finishing the drive himself, scrambling around left tackle for a five-yard score. Reed called his own number on the ensuing two-point conversion, going over to give the ‘Cats an 8-0 lead just 44 seconds before the half.
Earlier, Ryan Lewiski and Christian Gregory scored sacks on Pottsgrove’s Rinda to thwart a promising possession.
After the halftime break, OJR debuted a new look with Hinrichs taking the snaps and running repeated iso plays between the tackles. The strategy took the Wildcats deep into the red zone where the Pottsgrove defense stiffened, forcing a 30-yard field goal from Joey Kish and opening up the 11-0 lead.
In the end, OJR improved to 6-4 (4-2 PAC), and unofficially in need of a Lower Merion win over Haverford to qualify for the 6A playoffs. But coach Rich Kolka was willing to wait for official word, content that the ‘Cats had done their part.
“We took care of our end – we can only control that,” said Kolka. “Outside of that? Regardless of [playoffs], that’s eight consecutive years of six or more wins – a school record. That’s our goal.”
The Falcons dropped to 5-5 (3-3 PAC) and fell from the 4A playoff field. Delp led the offense with his 78 receiving yards, while Bryce Caffrey contributed 49 rushing yards and persevered through bumps and bruises – an appropriate symbol of this Pottsgrove team.
On Senior Night at Pottsgrove, the Falcons’ Class of 2023 spent several minutes on the field afterwards, their high school careers likely over with the results around Class 4A leaving them on the outside of the playoff picture.
The senior linked arms, walking the length of Pennypacker Field one more time. There won’t be any championships in 2022, but the group embodied the spirit of the Pottsgrove program like few before them.
“As a coach, you see these guys give blood, sweat, and tears for four years as they did,” said coach Bill Hawthorne. “These guys persevered through the pandemic and never gave up.
“This senior class endured a ton of injuries, and they kept fighting until the very last second.”
Notes: Before the game, Pottsgrove honored 28 football players, cheerleaders, and band members from the Class of 2023 for their contributions to the community and the program.
The school and the Falcons also honored the memory of Cy Driver, who played football and basketball and ran track while at Pottsgrove. Cy passed away in 2019.
BOX SCORE
Owen J. Roberts 17, Pottsgrove 8
Owen J. Roberts — 0 8 3 6 — 17
Pottsgrove — 0 0 0 8 — 8
SCORING
OJR — Reed 5 run (Reed run)
OJR — Kish 30 FG
PG — Delp 13 pass from Rinda (Mayes run)
OJR — Miller 26 interception return (kick missed)
TEAM STATISTICS
OJR PG
First Downs 11 8
Rushing Yards 113 63
Passing Yards 75 102
Total Yards 188 165
Passes C-A-I 6-16-0 10-21-1
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-55 4-40
Punts-Avg. 4-34.3 4-25.5
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Owen J. Roberts – Rhoads 16-65, Reed 9-2; TD, Hinrichs 9-45, Brower 1-1.
Pottsgrove – Caffrey 12-49, Rinda 5-(minus-7), Mayes 4-13, Rivera 4-10, Leibensperger 2-(minus-2).
Passing
Owen J. Roberts – Reed 6-16, 75 yards.
Pottsgrove – Rinda 10-20, 102 yards, TD, INT; Caffrey 0-1.
Receiving
Owen J. Roberts – Cashman 3-31, Daubert 2-35, Miller 1-9.
Pottsgrove – Delp 6-78; TD, Tibbs 2-17, Miller 1-7, Allen 1-0.
Sacks: Owen J. Roberts – Lewiski, Gregory, Kelley.
Pottsgrove – Jubilee-Scott, Demeno, White, Delp.
Interceptions: Owen J. Roberts – Miller.
