Football: Pick six by Daron Harris swings momentum in Chester’s favor

YEADON – In the span of three plays late in the second quarter Saturday afternoon, the pendulum of momentum swung wildly between Penn Wood and Chester.

With Chester up a score, Penn Wood’s offense, which had done little, suddenly got going, thanks to a Kivaleon Clarke 46-yard run to get to the 27, with eight seconds until the break. After spiking the ball, Clarke dropped back and aimed for the end zone, only to see Daron Harris jump the route.

Ninety-two yards later, the Clippers headed into halftime with a two-score lead, on the way to a 54-8 Del Val League rout.

Harris’ dash up the Penn Wood sideline was the biggest swing in a deeply peculiar affair at Kerr Field. Chester scored on the final play of each of the first two quarters. It then scored on the first play of the third and fourth quarters. Penn Wood put together a scoring drive in which its offense moved the ball minus-3 yards. Chester had 19 penalties accepted for 176 yards.

All in a Del Val day’s work for the Clippers (7-0, 2-0) in extending their season-opening winning streak.

Harris’ moment turned the tide in Chester’s favor, coming a series after the game could’ve easily slipped decisively in Penn Wood’s favor.

“It gave us the energy to come out of half and take over,” Harris said.

Chester’s offense had just one first down when freshman quarterback sensation Jalen Harris got hauled down by Michael Keene off left end on second and long. The quarterback fell awkwardly, his head appearing to bounce hard off the turf. He wouldn’t return, finishing 3-for-8 for 14 yards with an interception and no additions to the 21 passing touchdowns he’s thrown, though he got Chester on the board with a three-yard rushing score to close the first quarter.

Chester didn’t miss a beat without its star signal-caller. Backup Cymeer Brown stepped in and promptly hit Daron Harris for a 25-yard touchdown to make 16-8 with 2:11 left to half.

“We work on it with everyone,” Daron Harris said. “It’s not just Jalen. We’ve got multiple quarterbacks that can throw it deep and get it to our guys to make plays in the field.”

Brown would add two more TDs in the second half. He found Daron Harris on an 80-yard score on the first play of the half, a reverse handoff throwback pass. He added an 18-yard scoring connection with Jabree Davis out of the backfield.

Dominic Toy added a 40-yard connection with Brown in the second half. Brown was 4-for-5 for 161 yards. The Clippers got 219 yards through the air.

Both of Chester’s first-half touchdowns were set up by defensive plays by Lafenis Mays. He blocked a punt in the first quarter, which started the Clippers at first and goal, then fell on a fumble ahead of Daron Harris’ first touchdown reception.

“It was a little spark for us,” Mays said. “Everybody on the sideline was hyped. The stands were hyped. The team built off the energy.”

Chester held Penn Wood to 64 yards on 37 carries and just 78 yards of offense. With Toy, Mays and Jerimiah Gates sealing the edges, running room was in precious short supply.

Penn Wood (0-7, 0-1) opened the scoring in the first quarter. Mohammed Bangura recovered a fumble to set the Patriots up in plus territory. They netted minus-3 yards of offense on the series, but four Chester infractions set up Clarke’s one-yard touchdown dive.

The Patriots contained Chester early, especially on the ground. Led by Keene on the edge, Chester had just 18 first-half rush yards. They didn’t break out until Noble Thompson dashed for a 25-yard score in the third quarter and Larry McDaniel added a 37-yarder in the fourth.

“It gives the team a lot of energy, to score against a team that doesn’t give up a lot,” Keene said of the early lead. “It really motivates the team, but as soon as we get down, the energy just drops off, and we need to work on keeping that energy up even when we’re down.”

The loss is Penn Wood’s 18th consecutive setback, a run started by Chester in the COVID-forced spring 2020 season.

For the Clippers, it’s a signal to others in District 1 that their success owes to much more than just a talented quarterback.

“Nothing really changes,” Daron Harris said. “Offense, it won’t go down. Someone else is going to step up. … It just shows that we’re a team and we can work with any quarterback we’ve got on the field.”