Defense backs up strong offensive showing, Pottsgrove wins 47-6
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> Given the numbers Pottsgrove’s offense compiled Friday evening, the temptation to overlook its defensive play could have been strong.
Pottsgrove’s Eric Bodolus nearly intercepts a pass intended for Upper Perkiomen’s Austin Bittenbender Friday.
But while there was no denying the Falcons’ “O” was at its power-packed best against Upper Perkiomen, there was also no overlooking the contribution the “D” made toward a 47-6 roll over the Indians at Pennypacker Field. Together, they put a pleasing cap on the school’s “Pink Out” event on a rainy, precipitation-chilled night of Pioneer Athletic Conference play at Pottsgrove Stadium.
While the offense rode the twin 100-plus rushing and combined seven-touchdown point production of Tyrell Barr and Wyatt Porter, the defense limited UP to 154 yards for the game – 54 in the first half – and three-and-outs on six of its eight possessions at the start. The visitors’ only score of the night came late in the third quarter, by which time both teams started going to their benches and Pottsgrove (3-1 league, 3-2 overall) had put all its points on the scoreboard.
“The kids played well,” head coach Rick Pennypacker said afterward. “Getting up 45-0 … we were able to have our young kids get in.”
The 11 Falcons who got touches on the ball on the offensive side owed much to what the starters did in the early going.
Barr, whose game-high 162 rushing yards all came in the first half, had touchdown runs of one, eight, six and 27 yards. Porter, who finished with 105 yards on just eight carries, scored on runs of three and six yards in the first quarter before ripping off a 60-yarder less than a minute into the third quarter.
Conversely, the defense’s effort boasted no individual standing out from the crowd … other than Michael Dickey, who recovered a fumble on the final play of the third quarter, and quarterback sacks from Blake Strain and Joe Paolucci late in the fourth. That fact seemed fine with several of the Falcon seniors who toiled on the defensive side.
Pottsgrove’s Wyatt Porter (5) races in for a first quarter touchdown as Upper Perkiomen’s Jacob Votta chases Friday.
“We looked to play hard, come out and smack them in the mouth,” linebacker Eric Bodolus said.
“I thought we played well,” lineman Chris DeFrancesco added. “We worked together, and came out strong.”
And Madison Kelsey, another key in the linebacking corps, credited DeFrancesco and his mates in the trenches with their play.
“We were trying to play hard, make them (UP) come across,” Kelsey said. “The defensive line had the opportunity to turn them back to us.”
A big chunk of UP’s offense came in the air, quarterbacks Zeke Hallman and Tyler Keyser covering 101 yards on their combined 8-for-20 passing.
Hallman (7-for-18, 91 yards) hooked up with Kevin Loose on a 32-yard pass play with 4:54 left in the third, producing all the Indians’ points. Hallman’s top target was Ryan Kendra, who pulled down four passes covering 34 yards.
But the running game had little more than Mike Felix’s 21 yards on 12 carries, Keyser gaining another 15 on six totes and Austin Tutolo running four times for 12 yards. By comparison, Pottsgrove quarterback Deyon Doctor – he had 47 yards on three carries – came close to single-handedly matching their combined outputs himself, as the Falcons’ number-three runner of the night.
“Jake Adams was big on the (defensive) line,” Bodolus noted. “Wyatt (free safety) was in the right place, and Tyler Smith (defensive line) showed heart. He had been hurt previously.”
Pottsgrove scored on its first six possessions, and seven of its first nine. It finished with no turnovers, no penalties and 14 first downs – 10 of them in the first half – and punted just once the entire night.
Upper Perkiomen’s Mike Felix takes a carry in the first quarter against Pottsgrove Friday.
With that performance in the books, the Falcons now look to facing unbeaten (4-0, 5-0) Spring-Ford on the road. They’re facing the reality the Rams will be a more formidable opponent.
“I’m proud of our kids, the coaches … the offensive line, Barr and Porter,” Pennypacker said. “But we have a lot of work to do before we face Spring-Ford next week.”
“We can’t look past any team,” Kelsey added. “In the back of our minds, we knew we have Spring-Ford coming. This coming week is going to be intense.”
NOTES >> All but one of Pottsgrove’s offensive plays were runs. … Upper Perk had 10 different players get touches on the offensive side.
