SHARON HILL — Bajzhiir Reese could see the script playing out, and the Chichester running back knew his power to stop it.
Away from home, leading Academy Park by 22 points at halftime only to see the edge reduced to two by the fourth quarter, Reese knew what the recent history indicated would happen next.
He also knew that he and his Chi mates wouldn’t let it happen.
“To have the momentum change and all of that, to see that our team can’t quit, it really proves that we’re not the same Chichester,” Reese said. “That’s something we live by. We’re not the same Chichester. No matter if the momentum is on our side or their side, we’re going to fight to the end.”
That new Chichester does something the old one hadn’t since 2006 – beat Academy Park, 34-26, sealed by a 50-yard Reese touchdown with 2:38 to play and a late defensive stand.
The Eagles (2-2, 1-0 Del Val) had stem the AP tide after the break. Chichester capitalized on a pair of AP turnovers in the first quarter to build a 14-0 lead, then drove steadily in the second quarter to stretch the bulge to 28-6.
But the Knights (1-3, 0-1) replied with three straight scores, all passing touchdowns by a valiant Kareem Moore, to get within 28-26 with 4:45 left.
All Chichester, in theory, needed then was a couple of first downs to seal the game. It got one when Danny Kelly found Jayon Harris for 12 yards on third-and-4. It appeared to put the game away when Reese took the next snap 50 yards off right end to paydirt.
“I felt as though I let my team down defensively,” Reese said. “I knew I had to make a play offensively. Once coach called my number, I knew that he had trust and faith in me to make a play. And once the ball is in my hands, I’m a playmaker, so I made a play.”
A botched extra point, though, meant AP still had a chance. Moore crammed in 11 plays in the last 2:32, including four first downs. The Knights got to the 21 with two seconds left, but on fourth-and-2, Chi’s high-energy edge rushers Eren Martin and Derrick Robertson got home, flushing Moore, who barely got off a fluttering toss out of bounds with Robertson draped all over him.
“We’ve just got to get back there fast, get off our guys faster and make a play,” Martin said. “Especially on that last time, just make a play and finish the game strong, like we started it.”
Having Moore wrapped up wasn’t always an impediment to him making plays. The throw that got AP going came with 15 seconds left in the third quarter, Moore slung by the shoulder pads but steadying himself and firing to Amir Thomas for a 61-yard score to breathe life into the Knights at 28-13.
A quick stop by AP allowed Moore to load up again and find Thomas for a 65-yarder 79 seconds later. The two-point conversion failed to keep it at a two-score margin, 28-19.
“I believed in my team,” Moore said. “I knew we were going to make that play. … It’s that one-on-one connection. We practice it every day.”
Moore was 18-for-36 for 286 yards. He found Thomas five times for 160 yards and Ibrahim Jabbar eight times for 52 yards.
Moore shook off a pair of first-quarter mistakes. His fumble at the eight, jumped on by Martin, set up Khaleef Best’s six-yard score. An interception on the next series, hauled in by Gyo Arroyo, led to Kelly sneaking in from the one.
Martin pushed the pile from the one early in the second, a drive powered by a 35-yard Best run. Kelly hit Harris for a 17-yard post pattern TD on third-and-10 with 3:35 to half, a drive extended by a third-down roughing the passer penalty on AP, one of 11 flags accepted for 109 yards.
Both teams topped 300 yards of offense. Kelly was 9-for-19 for 136 yards. Reese (eight for 74) and Best (20 for 70) helped Chi run for 170 yards.
It also helped them make a statement to the Del Val League about the changes new head coach Chris Craig has implemented.
“It feels extremely great,” Martin said. “Team effort, not just one player, not just defense. It was everybody as a team, we played as a family today, and we want to continue this.”
