Wortham runs wild in West Catholic’s victory over Pottsgrove

POTTSGROVE >> He came, he saw, he conquered.

For West Catholic’s Calil Wortham, it was quite the way to start the 2016 season.

Wortham ran through and past Pottsgrove for much of the contest, finishing with a game-high 122 yards on the ground on 17 carries as the Burrs hung on for an 18-13 victory over Pottsgrove on the Falcons’ Military Appreciation Night Friday. 

“You just have to be on the mindset that you’re unstoppable, especially when you’re rolling,” Wortham, a four-year starter said. “You just have to be like ‘you can’t take me down.’ Every time I was running I was like ‘they can’t tackle me, they can’t tackle me.” I felt it, ran the ball well. It was a good feeling.”

Wortham averaged nearly seven yards per carry in the win, his two touchdowns giving the Burrs a sizeable 18-0 lead before they weathered a Pottsgrove comeback in the waning minutes.

Da’vion Kidd-Jackson finished the game 7-for-12 for 77 yards and a score while Amadou Barry hauled in a game-high four receptions, his 25-yard touchdown grab giving the Burrs a 7-0 lead on the game’s first possession.

“They (West Catholic) are a very talented team and we knew that going in,” Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker said. “We had no film on them so we couldn’t gameplan for them, but we knew that their athletes were going to be a terror for us.

“I wasn’t proud of the way we played. Our fundamentals were bad, and that’s on me. We didn’t quit, we kept hanging in there, kept fighting back. We have some issues that we have to take care of, and we’ll get them taken care of by next week.”

Pottsgrove quarterback Ryan Finn finished with 81 yards passing and a touchdown. Malik Garner finished with 29 yards receiving, his highlight-reel catch coming in the fourth as he came away victorious in a one-on-one battle, outjumping a Burr defender to pull in a Finn pass in the corner of the end zone to make it 18-7. Javon Colbert (17 yards rushing on seven carries) plunged in from one-yard out two drives later to make it 18-13 with under a minute remaining but the Falcons couldn’t recover the onside kick, effectively sealing the deal for the Burrs.

MALIK GARNER with the sensational catch for TD. @PGFalconsFB trails 18-7. 8:14 left. pic.twitter.com/Scz1bxoxQ1

— Sam Stewart (@Samuel_Stewart7) August 27, 2016

Start Slow 

The first half is one Pottsgrove won’t want to think about … ever. The Falcons fumbled on the second play from scrimmage before following that up with two punts, another fumble and a punt to close out the half. Pottsgrove had -2 yards of total offense in the first quarter, only 21 after the first half.

Finish Fast

Avery Grant had 68 yards rushing on 29 carries, leading the Falcons to a resurgent second half. The Falcons finished with 171 yards of total offense and nearly overcame an 18-point deficit. “There’s so many kids out there,” Pennypacker said. “That was the first varsity game for like 16 of them. We have to build and keep working. As long as we keep working we’ll be fine.”

Seeing Yellow

West Catholic committed 23 penalties for 157 yards. That effort described by Wortham: “Sheesh, just bad. We’ll make sure we get on that at practice and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

What Sealed It

Pottsgrove’s failed onside kick with less than a minute remaining sealed the deal for the Falcons after they scored 13-unanswered second-half points.

Playing with the Big Boys

Despite its Class AA status, West Catholic isn’t afraid to schedule up. After Friday’s win over 4A Pottsgrove, the Burrs face Roman Catholic (6A) in Wildwood. It’s a two-game stretch that will be an invaluable learning tool for a team trying to win its first PIAA-AA title since 2010.

“We need that (these games) on our schedule,” Wortham said. “This is the work we need to get to where we need to be.”

Honoring the Military

Before Friday’s game, the Falcons ran out with three American flags between a ‘Wall of Valor.’ Friday marked the Falcons’ annual Military Appreciation Night, a night to commend those who served or are serving in the nation’s armed forces.

“This night means a lot to us,” Pennypacker said. “I have kids who played for me that our in the military. A lot of my family was in the military. I think it’s a tribute to them and I think we do it right here. We were one of the first schools to do it, and we’ll keep doing it every year. I just think it’s something that’s a tradition at Pottsgrove that we all enjoy.”