FOOTBALL: Nazye Boggs, Plymouth Whitemarsh fight until the finish against West Chester Rustin

WHITEMARSH >> Fewer than 30 seconds remained in the third quarter when West Chester Rustin scored a touchdown to take a 16-point lead over Plymouth Whitemarsh in the District 1-5A quarterfinals Friday night.

The fourth-seeded Colonials didn’t hang their heads when they allowed a 62-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage and they weren’t going to hang their heads with 12 minutes left in their season.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, quarterback Caiden Leszczynski connected with wide receiver Nazye Boggs for a 73-yard touchdown with no time left in the third quarter. Running back Luke Winterbottom ran in the two-point conversion and the deficit was cut in half, making it a one-possession game going to the fourth quarter.

The Colonials got two possessions in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game. The first stalled after a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty before a 1st-and-10 at the Rustin 24-yard line. The second started with 1:09 left in the game and no timeouts at their own 9-yard line. They were intercepted on the first play and the fifth-seeded Golden Knights were able to kneel out the final minute of a 22-14 contest.

“It’s a credit to these guys and our senior class,” PW coach Dan Chang said. “They battled every single play down to the very end. I was proud of that – I was proud of how our guys continued to fight. Credit goes to Rustin – they were tough, very physical. They’ve got some guys who can run the ball, they’ve got a great system there. Coach (Mike) St. Clair has them going all the time. They beat us tonight in a good ballgame.”

Boggs was dominant in the second half. He caught four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown and had five carries for 26 yards after halftime.

“Go big or go home,” Boggs said of his second-half mindset. “What I kept telling my boys is, ‘I’m not losing. There’s no chance of us losing. We’re going to come out here and succeed.’ This is what we kept telling each other all week. We tried our best. It’s all I’ve got.

“Me being a captain, I’ve got to keep these boys going. I feel like even if we’re losing we shouldn’t just quit. We still have to give 100% every play, still have to work towards the ball, still try to work towards the score, work to win. Just give our all out there.”

Boggs’ 73 yard touchdown was a leaping grab 20 yards downfield. He immediately split a pair of defenders and was off to the races, sprinting 50 yards along the Rustin sideline and into the end zone.

“That kid is unbelievable,” Chang said. “He’s such a special player, kid. He’s going to do really, really good things at the next level. He’s a guy who is going to be sorely missed here. A leader, just so dynamic on the field in every way – physical as a defensive player, with the ball in his hands and we’re totally going to miss him.”

When PW got the ball back, Boggs grabbed a 24-yard reception on 3rd-and-7 to get the ball across midfield and ran for 18 yards on a 3rd-and-4 to set up 1st-and-10 at the Rustin 24 with five minutes left and an eight-point deficit. The unsportsmanlike conduct flag backed them up to the 39 and the drive ended with an interception.

The Plymouth Whitemarsh defense also toughened up against a strong West Chester Rustin rushing attack. After Ryan Loper scored a 62-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and a 30-yard fake punt set up a field goal on the next drive, PW’s defense didn’t allow much. Rustin’s two third quarter touchdowns came on short fields – the first after PW fumbled on the second play of the second half and the second after a four-yard PW punt gave Rustin possession just 14 yards away from the end zone.

“We stopped bumping and started being more physical,” PW linebacker Kevin Hegarty said changed after the first run.

PW’s season ends with a 9-2 record, Suburban One League American Conference championship and a District 1-5A quarterfinal appearance.

“Our first goal is always to win a league championship,” Chang said, “and we’re proud of that, happy that we were able to do that again. And our goal every year is to try and make noise in the playoffs. Obviously not the way you want it to end here, but proud of how our guys are battling every play.”

“It’s been a great one,” Boggs said. “I love these guys. I’m not going to lie, I was a little iffy. I’m not really a people’s person. I try to get stuff done. We were pretty immature at first, but we grew up a lot. I’m glad I changed these kids, helped them grow up to be a better person and them doing the same to me as well. They made me better.”

“It was amazing,” Hegarty said. “I love these guys. It’s sad that it’s done, but I’ve got next year.”