Bruised but not beaten, Pottsgrove shuts out Upper Merion 14-0

POTTSTOWN >> Coming out of halftime Friday night, the most striking thing about Pottsgrove’s football team was the sheer lack of bodies.

Injuries have taken a toll on the 2019 Falcons, but after a couple more players went down in Friday’s first half, Pottsgrove was left with only 30 players in uniform for the last 24 minutes.

Adversity —both Friday and throughout the year — forged a unity in the team that was apparent as they held on to top Upper Merion, 14-0, on Pottsgrove’s Senior Night.

“At the start of the season, we were at 43 players, which is right about what we want,” said Pottsgrove coach Bill Hawthorne. “But we’ve had about a dozen guys out with injuries, so 30 seems about right. It hasn’t been easy.”

Pottsgrove made up for the lack of quantity with quality, finding heroes among both the celebrated seniors – PAC leading rusher Isaiah Taylor, who ran for 132 yards and both of the game’s touchdowns, and two-way lineman Darrian Seaman, leading the team in tackles – and youngsters – kicker/punter Luke Kaiser, averaging nearly 40 yards a boot, and Max Neeson, filling in at fullback and middle linebacker for injured starters.

The Falcons (4-4, 3-1 PAC Frontier) can’t control their own destiny en route to a potential fourth consecutive division title. Pope John Paul II can clinch the division by beating Pottstown on Saturday.

But Pottsgrove’s 2019 squad showed the same resilience of those past championship seasons in Friday night’s victory.

“This year, we spend a lot of time hearing about how we’re not that good, and we’re gonna lose this game and that game,” said Seaman, an All-Area performer for last year’s District 1-4A title team. “So now that’s serving as our motivation, but it doesn’t mean our goals have changed at all.”

A good portion of Upper Merion’s offense came on their first drive, as Ty Lobban’s 40-yard run put the Vikings in position for an early lead. But the big play was negated by Pottsgrove sophomore Kayden White’s interception later in the drive — the best chance for either side in the opening 12 minutes. The Vikings’ third drive took them deep into Pottsgrove territory, but ended in a missed 35-yard field goal.

An exchange of punts, including a 58-yard bomb from Pottsgrove’s Kaiser, gave the Falcons good field position at the UM 38-yard line, but a bobbled pass turned into a Brad Zielinski interception that ended the threat.

With two minutes to play until halftime, White’s punt return to Upper Merion’s 41 was extended by a personal foul. Three plays later, Isaiah Taylor rumbled 22 yards off left tackle for the game’s first points. Kaiser’s PAT sent the Falcons into the break with a hard-earned 7-0 lead.

Halfway through the third quarter, the two squads exchanged interceptions — Rylee Howard making the play for Pottsgrove right before Zielinski’s second pick for Upper Merion — but no points resulted for either side. With 12 minutes to play, Taylor’s touchdown stood as the difference.

He would double that difference as soon as the final quarter began, finding a cutback lane and scampering 44 yards untouched to double Pottsgrove’s lead to 14-0. The way the Falcons’ defense played Friday, it was more than enough.

The Falcons limited Upper Merion’s Anthony Swenda, the PAC’s second-leading rusher behind Taylor, to only 55 yards on 21 carries while intercepting Dale Clayton three times.

“I don’t feel like (Pottsgrove) has been getting enough credit,” said Upper Merion coach Victor Brown. “We knew how hard this game would be – Taylor’s one of the most explosive players in the area, and they are so consistent in their schemes. They had some very difficult games early on, and that’s a very good football team over there.

“That being said, we didn’t do enough to win tonight.”

Upper Merion (4-4, 2-2 PAC Frontier) takes on Pope John Paul II next week in King of Prussia.

The final interception by sophomore Neeson sealed the shutout and was somewhat poetic, in that it was the final of several contributions from the young Falcons on the evening.

Junior Kaiser alternated booming punts with well-placed kicks to restrict Lobban’s return abilities later in the game. The Falcons have been hard hit by graduation losses this year, but the converted (and still active) soccer player has certainly softened the transition from All-Area punter Michael Sereny.

“It’s different than punting a soccer ball,” said Kaiser, who plays goalie on Pottsgrove’s soccer team, “because of the drop and other mechanics. But I feel like I’m coming along in those areas.”

“He’s just a heck of an athlete, and we’re fortunate to have the relationship with Jay (Witkowski, the school’s soccer coach) to have him split time with the two teams,” said Hawthorne. “Last year, he watched Mike (Sereny) and got some little tips here and there.”

As for Neeson, he picked up 26 yards rushing at fullback, filling in for JaDore Colbert, and made the aforementioned game-clinching interception.

“The coaches come up with a great scheme every game,” said Neeson, “and the way our linemen block, and (QB Joe Silvestri) carries out the fakes and reads… it makes it easy. I have room to run, and when I’m blocking for Isaiah I can identify my assignment.”

If Pottstown can top PJP II on Saturday, the Frontier race is wide open. If not, Pottsgrove can turn its full attention to next week’s encounter with Phoenixville, followed by the Class 4A district playoffs, where the Falcons are also three-time defending champions.

A combination of inexperience in key positions and a particularly grueling non-league schedule contributed to a slow 1-3 start this year for Pottsgrove.

The schedule, which included Class 6A Souderton, Class 5A powerhouse Academy Park, and Christ the King, a top team from New York, was crafted with the intention of exposing the young squad to some of the best competition available before taking on their PAC and district foes.

Friday night’s victory gave Pottsgrove its first winning streak of 2019.

“I told our seniors that just because it’s Senior Night, I’m not even thinking of saying goodbye,” said Hawthorne. “We’ve still got a lot of work and a lot of fun ahead of us.”

 

PAC Frontier Division Game

Pottsgrove 14, Upper Merion 0

Upper Merion—    0   0   0   0  —   0

Pottsgrove —  0   7   0   7  —   14

 SCORING PLAYS

PG – Taylor 22 run (Kaiser kick)

PG – Taylor 44 run (Kaiser kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

                                   UM                PG
First Downs                 11                  8 

Rushing Yards           109               193

Passing Yards           126                 0

Total Yards                235               193
Passes C-A-I           14-32-3           0-5-2     
Fumbles-Lost             3-0                2-1
Penalties-Yards         7-53             5-42

Punts-Avg.               7-33.4           5-39.8

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Upper Merion – Swenda 21-55, Lobban 8-49, D. Clayton 3-9, Team 1-(minus-4).

Pottsgrove – Taylor 25-132; 2 TD, Neeson 3-26, Scarnato 2-7, Howard 1-10, Silvestri 1-7, K. White 1-1.

Passing

Upper Merion – D. Clayton 14-32, 3 INT.

Pottsgrove – Silvestri 0-5, 0 yards, 2 INT.

Receiving

Upper Merion – Lobban 6-27, M. Zielinski 2-43, Swenda 2-31, Anderson 2-14, B. Zielinski 1-8, M. Clayton 1-3.

Pottsgrove – None.

Interceptions – Upper Merion: B. Zielinski 2.

Pottsgrove: K. White, Howard, Neeson.