West Goshen >> A few minutes after the West Chester East football squad lost to visiting Downingtown West, 28-0, Friday evening, Viking head coach Scott Stephen spoke about his team’s never-say-die attitude.
“I’m really proud of our guys; West is a top three 6A team, and our guys battled from start to finish tonight,” said Stephen. “From that standpoint I think there’s a lot to build on with four games left in the season.
“We asked our players at the start (of the game), we’ve got to battle against a really, really, really good team, and we did that tonight. I’m really proud of our guys.”
The Whippets’ win improved their record to 6-0, while the Vikings are now 2-4.
One series that particularly displayed the grittiness of the Vikings was late in the second quarter, when the Whippets had the ball 2nd-and-goal at the East 2 yard line, holding a 14-0 lead. Thanks to the Vikings’ defense, three consecutive running plays by Downingtown West failed to get the Whippets into the end zone, and the half ended with the score 14-0.
Stephen said, “I think anytime you can hold a team from (a score) in three plays from the 2 yard line, it’s something that you’re going to highlight in the upcoming weeks, and certainly as we review film, I know the guys were excited about stopping them because it’s a tough ask, and to do it against a team of Downingtown West’s caliber was really good to see and is a really good step for us in continuing to build.”
The Vikings started off Friday’s game on a high note. On the first play from scrimmage, East senior running back Coby Jaramillo found an opening up the middle and ran for a 53-yard gain, down to the Whippet 27 yard line. But a Viking three-and-out was followed by an unsuccessful 38-yard field goal attempt, and the Whippets took possession.
East held the visitors to a three-and-out, and started its second series from its own 28 yard line. The Vikings quickly picked up a first down, moving the ball for small gains. A few plays later, the Vikings tried to convert a 4th-and-2 at midfield and did not get the first down, and the Whippets took possession.
D-West then drove 47 yards in four plays for a touchdown, capped by a 15-yard run up the middle by Mike Taraschi with 4:21 left in the first quarter.
Late in the first quarter, a Viking punt gave the Whippets the ball at midfield, and the visitors moved 54 yards in six consecutive running plays for a touchdown, with Kam Alex running 16 yards up the middle into the end zone to make the score 14-0 with 10:39 left in the second quarter.
Alex carried the ball 18 times for 103 rushing yards Friday evening.
“Kam’s been a great kid and a heck of a football player,” said D-West head coach Mike Milano. “He’s a (team) captain and a two-way player, we love him. He does everything for us, he plays fullback, running back, inside linebacker, strong safety.”
Toward the end of the first half, the Whippets began a 14-play, 65-yard drive that took them all the way to second-and-goal on the Vikings 2 yard line. The Vikings’ defense stiffened and the half ended with the score 14-0.
In the third quarter, D-West broke free for a few long gains – including a couple of touchdowns — that were called back due to penalties.
“We continue to get in our own way offensively,” said Milano. “Our defense has been playing great for a while – our defensive coaching staff has been outstanding. Jimmy Cunningham runs our defense, he’s been outstanding.”
Early in the third quarter, the Whippets lost a fumble at their own 12 yard line, which gave East new life, but the Vikings failed to score in four plays and D-West took possession.
Late in the third quarter, the Whippets put together a 14-play, 92-yard TD drive that was completed when Jordan Barry grabbed a 13-yard pass from Quinn Henicle.
The Whippets were driving for another score deep into East territory early in the fourth quarter, but on 4th-and-7 at the Viking 12, East sophomore linebacker Alex Chappell got a quarterback sack, which gave the ball back to the hosts.
On the following series, the Vikings failed to move the ball and were forced to punt out of their own end zone. The punt was partially blocked and the visitors took over at the East 8 yard line, and on the next play the Whippets’ Spencer Dunn ran to the right for an 8-yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 6:54 to play.
