Downingtown East holds off strong Spring-Ford rally

DOWNINGTOWN- At the beginning of Friday nights District 1 6A opening round playoff game between Downingtown East and Spring Ford, the fourth seeded Cougars looked like they were going to blow out the 13th seeded Rams. The Downingtown East running game behind Bo Horvath and Josh Asante were gashing the Rams defense and after 15 minutes of play the host Cougars held a 21-0 lead.

 

But, Spring-Ford decided to make it a game and what a game it was. Behind a superlative 364 yard passing night from Ryan Freed and a late fourth period blocked punt the rams had a chance to pull even with the Cougars the game’s final minute. But the cougars defense held fireman Freed’s fourth and seven pass sailed high and incomplete and the Cougars survived a very stiff challenge, 21-14. Downingtown East will now host undefeated Quakertown next Friday at 7 pm at Kottmeyer Stadium while the game Rams season is over.

 

Downingtown East (9-2) scored 14 first period points on two short runs from quarterback Jay Jenkins to take a 14-0 lead. Horvath and Asante did the leg work all night. Horvath finished with 170 yards on 36 caries while Asante chipped in with 85 yards.

 

“We were running all over them at the beginning of the game,” Horvath said. “But, then they started to stack the box and I know they picked up the intensity and we started to not get as many yards. But, we held on and won and now we go to next week.”

 

After Horvath capped a 65 yard Downingtown East drive early in the second period with a three yard plunge, the Cougars lead was 21-0 and it looked like Spring-Ford (6-5) was going to get blown off the field.  The Cougars received a short field courtesy of a Sean Conlon fumble recovery in Rams territory.

 

But, the Rams passing game started to click and click it did. Freed was sensational for the Rams, completing 22 of 36 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Receivers Payton West and Zach Zollers had big nights, with West hauling in a 54 yard touchdown pass to make it a 21-7 Downingtown East lead at halftime. Zollers hauled in nine basil for 147 yards and a fourth period touchdown pass.

 

“I just want to say that number 4 (Zach Zollers), made some incredible catches,’ Downingtown East head coach Mike Matta said. “And the QB was getting the ball out fast and he had a great game.”

 

The teams went scoreless in the third period with the Cougars running game seemingly held in check and a big Spring-Ford fumble inside the Cougars 20 yard line, killing a Rams drive. But a seven yard strike that was tipped, from Freed to Zollers in the corner of the end zone capped a 95 yard Spring-ford drive and the rams closed the gap to 21-14 with 5:27 to play in the fourth period.

 

“Ryan is five foot nothing and 100 some pounds nothing,” Spring-Ford head coach Chad Brubaker said. “But he knows the plays and makes great throws. we had our chances inside the 20’s but we could not get it in late. We came very close but not good enough.”

 

Downingtown East controlled the ball after the Rams fourth period touchdown but the drive stalled with 1:01 to play in the fourth period. The Cougars went into punt formation but the Rams Gage Swanger blocked the punt and the Rams had the ball at the Cougars 29 yard line.

 

Freed hit Zollers down to the seven yard line but that is as far as the Rams could get. Spring-Ford had to hurry because they were out of timeouts and when Freed’s fourth down pass sailed high and wide, all that was left was for the Cougars to take a knee and move on to next week.

 

“They really played a lot harder in the second half,’ Asante said. “And we lost a little bit of our momentum in the second half. They really started to crash down on the run but we got away with the wind that is all that matters.”

 

A relieved Matta talked about his team’s penchant for getting out to fast starts and then struggling in the second half.

 

“That has been us all season,” Matta said. “We let teams hang around and do not finish them off when we have the chance to. We need to play a whole game.”

 

Downingtown East 21, Spring-Ford 14.

 

Spring-Ford              0 7 0 7-14

Downingtown East   14 7 0 0-21

 

                               Scoring

D-Jenkins 1 run (Marks kick)

D-Jenkins 2 run (Marks kick)

                          Second Period

D-Horvath 3 run (Marks kick)

SF-West 54 pass from Creed (Herman kick)

                           Fourth Period

SF-Z.Zollers 7 pass from Creed (Herman kick)

     

                            Team Totals

                      SF              D

First downs   20              23

Yards rushing 81            285

Yards passing 381           93

Total yards      462          378

Passing          25-46-0      6-13-0

Fumbles-lost      3-2           1-0

Punts-avg          4-32.0      4-36.5

Penalties-yds      11-65         2-13

 

                            individual Statistics

Rushing: SF: Kqira 1 (-5); M.Zollers 2-6; Freed 5 (-8); Adieyefeh 14-88. DE: Horvath 33-170, TDF; Asante 16-85; Jenkins 11-18, 2 TD’s.

 

Passing: SF: M.Zollers 3-10-17; Freed 22-36-364, 2Td’s. DE: Jenkins 6-13-93.

 

Receiving: SF” Z.Zollers 9-147, TD; Adieyefeh 2-8; Swanger 4-38; Kqira 4-88; West 6-110, TD. DE: Leo 2-30; rossetti 2-17; Giordino 2-46.

 

Sacks: SF: Owens, Z.Zollers 2. DE: Conlon, Barton.

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