Coatesville staves off Unionville comeback bid

EAST MARLBOROUGH—Unionville won the statistical battle over visiting Coatesville Friday night in a Ches-Mont cross-divisional match-up, but thanks to a few big plays at the right moments, the Red Raiders won the war. Despite Unionville holding an edge in total yards and time of possession, Coatesville (3-1) won the only place that truly counts—on the scoreboard—fending off a furious Unionville (2-3) comeback bid to hang on for a 34-21 victory.

“It was a long night, but we found a way to win,” said Coatesville coach Matt Ortega. “Dapree Bryant came up with some big plays the way he can, and we had some younger guys step in and fought through adversity and make plays. I’m just happy we could pull it out.”

From the outset, it looked like it might be along night for Unionville. After the Red Raiders forced a three-and out on the Indians’ first possession, Bryant came up with the first of three big plays on the night, fielding the punt and returning it 58 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead before three minutes had ticked off the clock.

But the Unionville defense dug in, and held Coatesville without an offensive score for the remainder of the period, and didn’t allow the vaunted Red Raider passing attack to get going. Quarterback Ricky Ortega didn’t have a completion until late in the second quarter, and finished 4 of 10 for just 67 yards and two touchdowns. 

But good teams find a way to get it done, and the Red Raiders did it on the ground, grinding out a 57 yard drive on carries from Dametrius McClain-Jackson and Ashon Wesley, and capped off by a 17-yard scamper from Ortega, who left the game late in the third with an injury, as a precaution.

Unionville answered right back with their first score, with Blake Charlton (13 of 22, 241 yards, 3TD, INT) connecting with Stefan Twombly (6 catches, 152yards) for a 76-yard score.

Bryant was held mostly in check as a receiver, pulling in just catch on the night. But the Red Raiders star made it count, hauling in a short pass, then weaving through the Unionville defense for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 20-7, tying a career record for touchdown receptions in SE PA with 43.. Bryant would find the end zone one last time, ending the game with a pick six from 32-yards out.

“The records are nice and mean a lot to me, but not as much as getting wins as a team,” said Bryant. “We all just had to dig deeper and do what we had to do to get it done.”

Once again, though, Unionville had an answer with the Charlton-Twombly connection, this time from 25, and it was 20-14 at the break.  

The Indians managed 365 yards of total offense, to just 212 for Coatesville, and chalked up double the number of first downs, 16-8. Because of that, the Indians were in the game until the end.

After Unionville recovered a fumble deep in Coatesville territory, and with plenty of time on the clock, the Red Raider defensive backs came up with a couple of big plays, with Artie Burgess breaking up a pass in the end zone, and then coming up with excellent coverage on a four and goal throw.

The Indians didn’t stop pushing, however, and when Charlton hit Luke Shriver for a TD late in the fourth, the Indians were within a score with over three minutes to play.

Unionville did get the ball back for one last ditch effort, but that ended with Bryant’s interception.

“We’re too good a team and too far in for moral victories,” said Unionville coach Pat Clark. “We didn’t win on the scoreboard. We made too many mistakes and had too many missed opportunities. They have some incredible players on that side, and we make a couple more stops of them in space, it’s a different game.”