Haynes helps Upper Dublin hold off Academy Park, reach District 1-5A semifinals

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SHARON HILL >> In a game jam-packed with mistakes, Upper Dublin’s Selvin Haynes wanted to make sure he did what he was supposed to do.

“Just don’t give up the catch. Just knock it down,” the Cardinals junior said. “Don’t even worry about getting the pick, just get it out.”

With Upper Dublin clinging to a five-point lead in the final minute of Friday night’s District 1-5A football quarterfinal with host Academy Park, Haynes leaped with Knights receiver Tahriq Marrero in the end zone and knocked Skylor Fillis’ 4th-down pass away from Marrero’s grasp.

“That ball goes either way — it’s a 50/50 ball,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “We lost that ball at Quakertown, we won the ball tonight and then we won the game. So here we are.”

Academy Park’s 4th down pass to receiver Tahriq Marrero, right, was broken up by Upper Dublin cornerback Selvin Haynes, left, during their District 1-5A quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 (Rick Kauffman/Digital First Media)

Haynes’ pass defense allowed Upper Dublin to survive a pair of late miscues and advance to the district semifinals for the third time in four seasons as the No. 5 Cardinals came away from a bitterly cold Friday night with a 17-12 upset win over fourth-seeded Academy Park.

“Got to fight the cold,” Haynes said. “It’s cold for both sides, you know you got to prepare, you got to layer up, whatever you got to do, you got to fight hard.

Quarterback Julian Gimbel’s 4-yard touchdown run with 10:29 in the fourth quarter gave Upper Dublin (8-3) a 17-6 lead and Mike Slivka’s end-zone interception of Fillis with 4:14 remaining appeared to have sealed the victory. But UD fumbled two plays later, with Devon Golds scooping up the loose ball and racing 23 yards for a touchdown at 3:57 — a missed two-point conversion leaving the Knights down five.

Upper Dublin recovered the onsides kick but went three and out and a high snap on the punt resulted in Academy Park (7-4) taking over at the Cards’ 25.

The Knights converted a 4th and 1 to reach the 15, but UD got to Fillis for a seven-yard loss. Fillis reclaimed three yards on a second-down run but then threw two incompletions — the later due to Haynes’ breakup — and Upper Dublin had hung on to reach the semis.

“The defense went out — nobody pointed a finger — they went out picked him (long snapper Jared Pollock) up and finished the game. And that was the key, we finished the game,” Stover said. “We didn’t finish a game against Quakertown (a 34-28 overtime loss Sept. 23) but we learned from that which is what out of anything, I loved about this group. They learn from it and I said it in the paper this week, they just keep chopping the wood, they just keep going at it.”

The win had Upper Dublin proclaiming itself the King in the North — a phrase from Game of Thrones — a moniker that fits the Cardinals due to them being the last Bux-Mont side left in the 5A field after Suburban One League American Conference rival Upper Moreland was upset by Marple Newtown.

“I don’t know, (assistant) coach (Dave) Pring said they from the south, we from the north. It’s cold out here — we’re the King in the North,” Haynes said.

Upper Dublin visits top-seeded Springfield-Delco — the Cougars beat No. 9 West Chester Rustin 28-7 — in the semifinals next week with the winner facing either No. 3 Unionville or No. 7 Marple Newtown in the final.

“We want to play the No. 1,” Stover said. “You’re going to win the district, you’re going to beat the No. 1 eventually, we did it a couple years ago. So, we’re certainly going to come ready to go.”

Gimbel finished 17-of-26 passing for 175 yards, connecting with Haynes four times for a team-high 56 yards. The senior QB also paced the Cardinals with 55 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

“He did some things out there that were just next level kind of things that you expect out of your senior captain. And we’ve been kind of waiting for it, waiting for it, waiting for it,” said Stover of Gimbel. “But he did a lot of checking tonight which was unusual for him. He made a lot of adjustments at the line of scrimmage for us and made reads and pulling the ball out and throwing it up or giving it, he did a nice job.”

Academy Park quarterback Skylor Fillis breaks into open space on the quarterback keeper with Upper Dublin defenders in hot pursuit during their District 1-5A quarterfinal on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017. (Rick Kauffman/Digital First Media)

Nathaniel Holmes had 18 carries for a game-high 151 yard and a touchdown for Academy Park, which was trying to win a third-straight District 1 title after taking the 3A crown in 2015 and the 5A championship last year. Fillis ran 12 times for 80 yards and went 10-of-19 passing for 42 yards and one interception.

The teams combined for eight turnovers Friday night — Academy Park giving away five, including four on fumbles. All 17 of Upper Dublin’s points came off takeaways.

The Knights capped the game’s opening drive with a Holmes 8-yard touchdown run for a 6-0 lead at the 9:46 in the first quarter. But after forcing a UD punt, Academy Park fumbled on the fist play of its next series and Cards senior Adam Jefferson-Jones corralling it up for a 20-yard touchdown to put Upper Dublin up 7-6 at 7:08 in the opening quarter.

“Adam Jefferson-Jones picked up that fumble recovery and I think that kind of settled us in,” Stover said. “Cause they went right down the field on and us and we were kind of like “Woah.” Then we had a few couple penalties, we had to punt and then all of sudden there we where.”

The Cardinals took a 10-6 lead after recovering an Academy Park fumble at the UD 20. On a 3rd and 16 from the UD 29, Gimbel broke up the middle for 61 yards down the Knights 10. The drive stalled there and as time expired in the first quarter, Chris Barbera hit a 27-yard field goal.

Upper Dublin came away empty on two chances to add to its lead before the half. UD could not kick a 26-yard field goal after a high snap with 2:28 in the second quarter. The Cardinals had the ball back on the Academy Park 21 seven seconds later after recovering a fumble but ended up turning the ball over on downs.

A fifth fumble recovery lead to Upper Dublin’s second touchdown. Gimbel hit Haynes over the middle for 32 yards down to the eight — a personal foul penalty moving the ball four yards closer to the goal line.

“It was wide open over the middle just found a soft spot, caught the ball just took off,” Haynes said.

Gimbel went around the right side into the end zone on the next play for a 17-6 UD lead with 10:29 left in regulation.

Academy Park drove to the UD 9 on the next series, but turned the ball over on downs after an incompletion on 4th and 6 from the 14. A Cardinals fumble, however, gave the Knights back possession at the Upper Dublin 40. Two plays later, Slivka intercepted Fillis in the end zone while two plays after that Golds picked up a UD fumble for the 23-yard TD return.

Mike Cabrey

Mike Cabrey
Mike Cabrey is the Assistant Sports Editor for The Reporter and Montgomery News. Email him at mcabrey@thereporteronline.com.

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