Back to PAC: Grinstead earns first win as Phoenixville head coach

His career took him away, but the pull of his community was ultimately too strong to keep him there.

Fresh off a two-year stint in Florida, former Pottstown head coach Don Grinstead returned to PAC football this year to take over Phoenixville’s program. Friday night, Coach Grinstead reaped the first on-field benefit of his return when his Phantoms upended highly regarded Philadelphia Public League contender Martin Luther King, 22-8.

For Grinstead, who came back from Florida in January to accept the role with Phoenixville, it was affirmation that brought him back to a place that’s attracted him for so long. After moving to the area from his native Dayton, OH in 2007, Grinstead had stints as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Great Valley before taking the top job at Pottstown in 2013.

All the while, Grinstead was raising his family in Phoenixville, and always found himself drawn to the community and specifically the football program.

“We competed against (Phoenixville) each year at Great Valley and Pottstown,” he explained, “and win or lose, I was always impressed by how tough Phoenixville’s players were. They worked hard, they played smart, disciplined football. That’s how I think, that’s how I coach.”

But after a breakthrough season with the Trojans in 2015, his career took him in another direction. He accepted a role within the YMCA that took him down to DeLand, FL. While living in Florida, Grinstead made friends within the high school coaching ranks, serving as an assistant in 2017. But when the opportunity at Phoenixville became available at the end of Evan Breisblatt’s tenure last November, Grinstead came back to his second home.

“The timing wasn’t perfect personally,” Grinstead admitted, “but professionally, [the Phoenixville job] was just too good an opportunity to pass up.”

As for the MLK contest, the Phantoms may have caught a break when the game was rescheduled to Friday night after excessive heat forced the closings of Philadelphia schools Thursday. By game time, a steady rain threatened to slow the Cougars’ dynamic passing attack led by quarterback DaQuan Robinson and WR Isaiah Allen.

But that wasn’t the case—MLK still attempted move the ball through the air repeatedly. It was the Phantoms’ defensive gameplan that ultimately slowed the Robinson-Allen connection, limiting them to a quiet 69 yards. In all, Robinson went 8-17 for 95 yards passing on the evening. MLK’s only points came on a first-quarter kickoff return for a TD.

“They’ve (MLK) got a couple Division One athletes on their team, and I think the elements helped us a bit,” Grinstead allowed. “But they still threw the ball quite a bit. We didn’t want to allow them to go vertical, connect on big plays. Credit goes to Travis Ford-Bey, our defensive coordinator—he had our kids prepared for their vertical game.”

When Phoenixville had the ball—which they did for a majority of the contest—it was the legs of Alex Washington carrying the Phantoms’ attack. Washington toted the rock 40 times for 188 yards and two scores, led by the blocking of the PAC’s leading returning rusher, Travis Pannella.

“We want to feature both running backs, Alex and Travis,” said Grinstead. “We want to mix them up. On Friday, it so happened that Alex got a bunch of carries. Next week, that could very well be Travis.”

Next week takes the Phantoms down to Kennett for another nonleague matchup. They’ll also travel to Chichester before beginning their PAC Frontier Division slate.

“I want people in our community coming to watch our kids,” said Grinstead, “and I want them leaving our games proud of these kids, proud of how we play—proud of who these kids are and how they represent this community.”

Offensive Player of the Week >> Phoenixville RB Alex Washington set the early-season standard for carries with 40 against MLK, and he made them count with 188 yards on the ground plus two scores.

Washington’s workhorse approach was the key to Phoenixville controlling the ball for the first nine minutes of the third stanza, and his 14-yard TD run ultimately put the contest out of reach.

Defensive Player of the Week >> Owen J. Roberts’ Aidan Hayward registered three sacks and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown on offense in the Wildcats’ (2-0) 28-7 win over Daniel Boone.

The QB takedowns moved him within five of the all-time school record held by Nick Duliakis.

Around the Area

Friday night’s weather conditions didn’t lend themselves to wide-open aerial attacks, and many area rushers took advantage, racking up big nights on the ground. Among the leaders:

• Boyertown QB Ayden Mathias (208 yards, 3 TDs in a 48-27 loss to Exeter)
• Phoenixville RB Alex Washington (188 yards, 2 TDs in a 22-8 win over Martin Luther King)
• Owen J. Roberts RB Marcus Martin (178 yards, 2 TDs plus a 30-yard TD catch in a 28-7 win over Daniel Boone)
• Upper Merion RB Zaire Savage (175 yards and a TD in a 10-0 win over Norristown)
• Upper Perkiomen RB Malachi Duka (119 yards, 2 TDs plus a 10-yard TD reception in a 34-0 win over Kutztown)
• Pottsgrove RB Isaiah Taylor (116 yards, 3 TDs in a 34-0 win over Methacton)
• Daniel Boone’s Chase Lacey (107 yards, TD) and Tanner Vanderslice (104 yards) in their loss to Owen J. Roberts
• Pope John Paul II QB Kamal Gray (102 yards and a TD on the ground, plus another 163 yards and three TDs in the air in a 39-27 win over New Hope-Solebury)

Boyertown’s Mathias was dynamic in amassing 228 yards on his TD runs of 61, 85, and 82 yards at Exeter. His only other three carries, however, resulted in losses, and the Bears (1-1) were unable to find any answers for Exeter QB Kolby Haag, who put up a total of 339 yards and five scores on the evening in the Eagles’ 48-27 victory.

Pope John Paul II (2-0) was the picture of offensive balance, racking up 193 rushing yards and another 163 in the air in topping New Hope-Solebury 39-27. Kamal Gray and AJ Natale picked up 102 and 94 yards on the ground respectively, while Gray connected with five different receivers through the air, including two scoring strikes to Steve Skarbek.

It’s been a tough start to 2018 for Perkiomen Valley after banner years in 2016 and 2017. This week, Downingtown East’s ground-and-pound approach got the better of the Vikings, 33-21, at Kottmeyer Stadium Saturday night. The Cougars carried the ball 56 times for 255 yards, running out to a 26-0 advantage before Cole Peterlin (259 yards, 2 TDs) was able to throw the Vikings (0-2) back into the contest.

It won’t get any easier when Pennridge—who handed the Vikings their only two losses on 2017—visits Friday night.

Spring-Ford (2-0) recovered from a somewhat lackluster first half to outlast Wayne Valley (NJ), 31-21.

QB Ryan Engro was every bit the dual threat coach Chad Brubaker hoped for, passing for 125 yards and two scores while picking up 75 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. The Rams committed only four penalties on the evening to Wayne Valley’s 18 flags.

Mike Sereny averaged 45 yards per punt, as a driving rain turned the Pottsgrove-Methacton contest into a battle for field position in the first half. Jimai Springfield made that field position pay off when he opened the scoring on a 38-yard TD off a punt return at the end of the first quarter.

Once the rain slowed, it was Isaiah Taylor leading the charge for Pottsgrove (2-0) with 119 yards rushing and a trio of TDs. The defensive front dominated, registering four sacks, forcing three turnovers and limiting the Warriors (0-2) to 91 yards of total offense.

Upper Perkiomen’s defense was similarly dominant, holding Kutztown to 118 yards of offense in a 34-0 victory for the Indians (1-1). The Indians registered a pair of interceptions by Max Kratohwill and Andrew Carducci.

Upper Merion and Norristown played a late-afternoon contest during which passing was an exercise in futility. It led to a big day on the ground for the Vikings’ Zaire Savage, and an even bigger day for the Upper Merion defense, who limited Norristown to 50 yards of offense. The Eagles (0-2) haven’t managed to establish their running game yet in 2018, while the elements negated Daniel Watson’s effectiveness through the air.

A week after announcing himself as a force to be reckoned with in a season-opening win over Octorara, Pottstown’s QB Josiah Wiggins and his offense found the sledding considerably tougher against West Chester East in a 26-0 setback Thursday evening. The Trojans (1-1) were called for 12 penalties and the defense surrendered 384 yards on the ground to the Ches-Mont League representatives.

Up Next

A rematch between two 6A District quarterfinalists in Perkiomen Valley and Pennridge is sure to grab the attention of many fans, but a non-league rivalry quickly becoming one of the area’s best is also renewed when Spring-Ford visits Wilson West Lawn.

Two division crossover matchups will feature Methacton traveling to Upper Merion, while Pottsgrove tries to remain undefeated at Boyertown.

PJP looks to remain unbeaten when they host Chichester, and OJR looks to do the same in a visit to Oxford.

Pottstown and Upper Perk, both sitting at 1-1, head out on the road to face Kutztown and Upper Moreland respectively.

Saturday’s lone contest sees Norristown welcome Plymouth-Whitemarsh.