ANC taps into potential to beat Bristol
BRYN ATHYN >> When Academy of the New Church coach Ty Klippenstein looks at his team, he sees potential.
The Lions have experience and a host of guys who can make plays with the ball in their hands. Of course, having potential and maximizing on that potential are two very different things and ANC will have to prove it can do more than just look like a good football team.
Saturday, ANC got off to a good start as it downed visiting Bristol 28-3.
“We’re lucky enough to have a whole bunch of players I think that can make a difference in the open field,” Klippenstein said. “Jeb (Brenfleck) did a good job getting the ball out. Our line was excellent, our defense, we had a few missed tackles. We’re a week behind, but there’s a lot of cool stuff out there.”
Outside of the opening series of the game, the Lions played pretty well on both sides of the ball. After forcing Bristol to punt on the Warriors’ opening drive, ANC committed a major gaffe by muffing the punt and allowing Bristol to recover deep on the Lions’ side of the field.
The defense made a stand at the goal line and held Bristol to a field goal, then didn’t let up a point the rest of the game.
“I want to credit (Bristol), they played really hard,” Klippenstein said. “We have some good players this year, a lot of weapons and I thought they did a good job defending it and making us earn every inch.”
ANC would score on its next four drives, getting three prolonged marches down the field and one quick-strike while the defense continued to pin Bristol back. Leading the charge for the Lions was junior quarterback Jeb Brenfleck, back under center for the second straight season.
Brenfleck threw for 162 yards and a pair of scores and added 32 rushing yards including a nine-yard TD. He hit four different receivers and five players got at least on rushing attempt for ANC, which took the lead on Devin Bryant’s one-yard run in the first quarter.
Brenfleck’s best throw of the day came on a 64-yard TD pass to Glenn Sabb II in the second quarter on a one-play drive that put ANC up 21-3.
“A bunch of those plays are him deciding whether he’s going to give it or he’s going to pass it, he’s got some pretty high-level decisions to make and he’s getting better at making them,” Klippenstein said. “I’m sure if you ask him about the same game last year and put on the tape to compare to this tape, he’d say he’s a completely different player.”
Sabb led ANC with 97 receiving yards while Bryant had 42 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards.
“The kids want more, and one of the messages I’ve had is if we want to win, we have to be unselfish,” Klippenstein said. “I get it, if I were a kid in their place, I’d want it more too. We have to make sure the kids know when they do get their chance, to take it. There’s only so much we can do, we only run so many plays in a game.”
ANC’s defense was also very solid on Saturday. Defensive lineman Griff McGinley, linebacker Zach Anusky and lineman Caden Simons were relentless up front. Linebacker Tyrese Lesane recovered a fumble and as a whole, the Lions were able to get three, four or five guys in on a majority of their tackles.
Nearly half of the ANC roster is juniors, but many of them have been getting playing time since their freshman seasons. Klippenstein has seen a lot of trademarks of an experienced team this year, which he chalked up to all those reps and lessons of the past two seasons starting to take hold.
“It’s the same kids we’ve had the last two years, they’re just growing up,” Klippenstein said. “That’s part of it on defense, they know their jobs and a lot of the fundamentals we’ve had to emphasize, they have a much better handle on them.”
ANC has a tough test next week when it heads to New Hope-Solebury. Klippenstein noted that while his guys have been through a lot, things are different in the heat of a game. The test for ANC will be keeping their composure through the emotions that happen over 48 minutes.
“We could be good, if we stay focused,” Klippenstein said. “They need to stay grounded. We all do.”
