RED HILL >> After a scoreless first half in which the Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen offenses did more to stop themselves than the other team’s defense did, the Trojans finally scored on a big play late in the third quarter.
And that turned out to be enough when the Pottstown defense stopped the Indians inside the 10-yard line twice in the fourth quarter for a 6-0 Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division win at Bill Keeny Stadium.
Nahzier Booker caught a pass from Dillon Mayes and turned it into a 66-yard touchdown play and the defense for Pottstown (1-2 Frontier, 4-3) allowed only 140 yards on the night. Booker also rushed for 145 yards on 24 carries. Zach Schwartz ran for 80 yards on 20 attempts for the Indians (0-3, 1-6).
Mayes rolled out and tossed a short pass to Booker, who reached high to grab it, bounced off a pair of defenders and broke into the open for a run into the end zone with 3:45 remaining in the third. A run attempt for two points was stopped.
“We run the waggle play,” said Booker. “Get open, catch the ball and get as many yards as you can.”
Right after that, the Indians put together their longest drive of the contest, marching 70 yards from their own 27-yard line. A 12-yard run by Schwartz gave the hosts a 1st-and-goal at the seven. But they lost five yards on a running play and gained none on another and faced fourth down after a hurried incomplete pass. Then quarterback Logan O’Donnell kept the ball up the middle, but came up three yards short after a 9-yard run.
Upper Perk got the ball back with just over four minutes remaining in the contest and Schwartz ran 25 yards to the Pottstown 15. But the Trojan defense stopped the threat again as Schwartz was knocked off balance by Mayes and tackled by Ezra Tribble for a 2-yard loss on a 4th-and-3 play from the eight with 2:16 to go.
“We were just stopping the run,” said freshman Tribble. “We just didn’t give up. We stayed as a unit and kept our heads up.”
The Trojans ran out the clock from there as Booker ran nine yards for a first down on a 3rd-and-4 play and the Indians could not do anything to stop the clock after that.
Earlier, Pottstown was called for nine penalties for 70 yards in the first half. But the Indians were whistled for four infractions for 40 yards and gained only seven yards and no first downs before the halftime break.
“I know we’re more disciplined than that in different aspects,” said Upper Perk coach Dan Heinrichs. “That was not Upper Perkiomen football.”
Upper Perk finally gained its initial first down in the third quarter when the Trojans were called offside on a 4th-and-2 play. Then O’Donnell hit John Renzi for a 25-yard gain, but Upper Perk eventually lost the ball on downs at the Trojan 25. Pottstown quickly countered with the long pass play on 3rd-and-11 and the Trojan defense took over from there.
“Everyone stepped up,” said Booker. “People did their job perfectly. They read their keys. That’s how we stopped the run. No. 5 (Schwartz) is a good running back.”
Booker caught three passes in all for 90 yards. The Indian defense held the visitors to 257 total yards.
But Heinrichs was disappointed with another close loss, the third by seven points or less.
“We’re very young,” he said. “But we can’t use that as an excuse. Close is not enough. We drive down the field and can’t punch it in. That’s been the story all season.”
Pottstown 6, Upper Perkiomen 0
Pottstown 0 0 6 0 – 6
Upper Perkiomen 0 0 0 0 – 0
PT-Booker 66 pass from Mayes (run failed)
Team Stats
PT UP
First Downs 11 7
Yards Rushing 170105
Yards Passing 8735
Total Yards 257140
Passes C-A-I 4-7-02-9-0
Fumbles 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yds 15-110 6-65
Punts-Avg 3-26.7 3-40.3
Individual Stats
Rushing
Pottstown: Booker 24-145; Joseph 5-19; Mayes 6-11; Majors 3-3; Robbins 1-(-1); Tribble 3-(-7); Totals 42-170
Upper Perkiomen: Schwartz 20-80; Krier 2-10; O’Donnell 1-9; B Weiss 4-6; Void 1-0; 28-105
Passing
Pottstown: Mayes 4-7-87, 1 TD
Upper Perkiomen: O’Donnell 2-9-35
Receiving
Pottstown: Booker 3-90, 1 TD; Robbins 1-(-3)
Upper Perkiomen: Renzi 1-25; Krier 1-10
