Cox runs for 229, Kennett stun Rustin with ground game and defense
EAST MARLBOROUGH – The Kennett football squad made history on Friday, and shocked the entire Ches-Mont league in the process, by doing something that few even attempt. The Blue Demons out-Rustined West Chester Rustin.
For the first time since reinstituting football in 2005, Kennett knocked off the Golden Knights 12-7 in a defensive battle in the true sense of the definition. The Demons did not complete a single pass, but employed a punishing run-game – led by battering-ram runner Garrett Cox — and added a resilient defense, to stun the defending Ches-Mont American champs at their own game.
“This was a war, for sure. We knew (Rustin) likes to pound on teams and we just threw it right back at them,” said Kennett’s Sam Forte, who forced three Knights’ turnovers.
“I think we all knew coming in that Rustin’s a powerhouse and that we’ve never beaten them,” added Cox. “We were just amped up to play them because we knew in our hearts we had a chance.
“Heading into this game I never thought we would just run it down their throats. But our (offensive) line executed beautifully.”
A 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior, Cox gained more yards on the ground (229) than the Demons managed for the entire game (218). He carried the ball a career-high 30 times and had four runs of at least 25 yards, including both Kennett touchdowns.
“Kennett did tonight what we like to do,” acknowledged Knights’ head coach Mike St. Clair. “Up front they beat us up, they had better players than we did tonight, they played better and they deserved to win.
“Cox is a good, hard runner and he doesn’t give up. He’s a perfect runner for what they do.”
Under second-year head coach Lance Frazier, the Demons are 2-0 in the division and 3-0 overall. A year ago, Kennett started 0-4 and finished 4-7.
“Anytime you have Rustin on your schedule, it’s circled, and you try to scramble and figure out what to do,” Frazier said. “But to tell you the truth, they are so good at what they do, you kind of know what is coming.
“I credit the attitude we are trying to build. We had a tough edge in this game. We don’t have horses yet to do what we are doing, but the kids believe.”
The Blue Demons will face another team they’ve never beaten next week, and oddly enough it will take place at the same venue as Friday’s upset. Originally a home game for the Golden Knights, the site for Friday’s clash was moved to Unionville when neighbors complained following Rustin’s home opener a week ago.
As part of an apparent compromise with its neighbors, the Knights next scheduled home game on Sept. 20th against Avon Grove has been moved to West Chester Henderson. The remaining three home contests will take place at Rustin (2-1, 2-1 overall).
“It had zero effect. It doesn’t matter where we play,” St. Clair said.
“We need to learn that we have to practice better than we did. The lesson of this loss is that we are not all that.”
Trailing 7-6 at the half, Forte came up with the game’s biggest defensive play when he recovered a fumble by Knights’ star runner Nick Madonna early in the third quarter. He was injured on the play, and even though Madonna returned he wasn’t as effective. He finished with 93 yards rushing on 20 attempts, but his final five carries resulted in minus-eight yards.
“(Madonna) is banged up and didn’t practice all week,” St. Clair said. “He gave us everything he’s got and that’s all I can ask.”
On the ensuing possession, a key roughing the quarterback penalty on Rustin kept the drive alive and it ended with Cox going the final 25 yards. It was 12-7 after the failed two-point conversion.
“We’ve come a long way in the last two seasons,” said Forte. “We did not come into this game thinking Rustin was unbeatable. We’re the kind of team that others are going to have to take down. We were not afraid.”
The Knights started a total of four drives inside the Kennett 36 yard line and was unable to turn any of those into points. Two came down the stretch and were sabotaged by dropped passes.
“You can’t turn the ball over, and we did. And you have to make plays when plays are there, and we didn’t,” St. Clair complained.
With a chance to widen the lead with 1:16 to go, the Demons had a 29-yard field goal attempt blocked. Rustin then moved down the field as quarterback John Crispino connected on passes of 14- and 16-yards and eventually got to the Kennett 22. But with time for maybe two plays, Forte picked off his second pass of the game at the goal line preserve the win.
“We talked before this game about being legendary – doing something that hasn’t been done before,” Frazier said. “Our kids took that to the field.
“Defensively, it’s who we’ve been going back to last season. Our defense is accustomed to being in bad positions. They’ve bent and broken, but now they are able to stand up and keep teams out of the end zone.”
A turnover also contributed to the first score of the game when Tommy Patrissi picked off Crispino late in the first half. Four plays later Cox rambled 45-yards for the TD, but the extra point was blocked.
“(Cox) loves the weight room and he ran track this year,” Frazier pointed out. “You can see the difference in power and speed. Those were attitude runs. He is in the pile and he busts out, he is running around people, he is running through people – he is a workhorse.”
Rustin finally got untracked late in the first half as Madonna keyed an 80-yard march with 76 yards on six carries, including a 27-yard scoring run. He also converted a fourth and inched near midfield, to help put the Knights ahead, 7-6.
Rustin did a nice job of foiling the Demons’ passing attack. Forte did not complete a pass in five attempts, and was sacked four times, including two by Matt Montgomery.
“When you can’t get it one way, we are not afraid to go to Cox 30 times. I guess we out-Rustined Rustin,” Forte said.
“This isn’t a surprise,” St. Clair acknowledged. “Kennett is a very good team with athletes all over the place. They play hard and together as a team.”
