Donaghy, Fords sink Garnet Valley

CONCORD >> Haverford High’s football players will remember being told that they would not be playing a home game against Garnet Valley Friday night because of a sinkhole on their playing field.
That gave quarterback Jack Donaghy and receiver/defensive back Chris Trainor an extra day to think about the Fords’ 2014 loss to the Jaguars at Moe DeFrank Stadium.
“Whether it was the day after that game or 10 months later it was in the back of our minds,” Donaghy said Saturday night, after he was 17-for-28 passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns to help Haverford (5-1) enjoy a happy return to Garnet Valley by claiming a 29-21 Central League decision.
“That whole sinkhole thing could have had us down. But I know how big this was for the seniors and for everyone else to finally get a win over (the Jaguars).”
Donaghy was intercepted late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter. The second came one play after Derrick West’s short run had put Garnet Valley ahead, 8-0. The Jags’ first two points had come when Joshua Ciarrocci tackled Mike Romanofsky in the end zone on the first snap following a 45-yard Jacob Buttermore punt that was downed inside the Haverford 1-yard line.
“Last year’s game started with me throwing two interceptions,” Donaghy said.
But his scoring passes to Bobby McClure and Matt Corbett put Haverford ahead before Garnet Valley used a quick pass from Matt Hamby to Bobby Clayton, who pitched the ball to Buttermore, who completed a 74-yard scoring play that tied the score at 15 at halftime.
Haverford’s Vincent DeGidio fell on the loose ball at the 45 when the Jaguars muffed the second-half kickoff, and Donaghy wasted no time getting his team in the end zone again.
Kareem Bernard carried the ball 19 yards to set up Donaghy’s 13-yard scoring toss to Corbett. The Fords finished off a 72-yard scoring march in the third period, with an 11-yard scoring strike from Donaghy to Trainor getting six points.
“We came up to the field every Sunday and worked out for an hour and a half,” Trainor said. “We lost a tough game out here last year, and it was the last shot for our seniors.”
Donaghy credited offensive linemen Jack Farrell, Dennis Spaventa, Austin Pugh, Adrian Keeney and Connor Guilfoil with keeping the Garnet Valley defenders away from him on his passing attempts.
Trainor wasn’t done having a big impact on the outcome of the game. After his touchdown, Garnet Valley took 13 plays to get the ball over the goal line, with West covering the final four yards. But Trainor smothered Buttermore’s conversion attempt to keep Haverford eight points to the good.
“I almost got the one just before halftime,” Trainor said.
Garnet Valley’s last bid to get even ended with Trainor picking off a Hamby pass at Haverford’s 34.
“I was on the other side most of the game,” he said. “I read the quarterback and the ball came to me.”
Fords head coach Joe Gallagher said he felt something good was going to come out of the “sinkhole game,” which of course had to be moved to the visitors’ field.
No matter where it was played, though.
“That just made them want this game a little more,” Gallagher said. “But we want to get back to playing on our field. This was a big win for us, and we have some other big games coming up.”