Kamagate finally hits pay dirt as Penn Wood notches another win
THORNBURY >> The countdown is over for Penn Wood senior linebacker Mohammed Kamagate.
“That’s my first time in the end zone,” said Kamagate, who made a juggling interception of a Tarik Bey pass early in the second quarter of the Patriots’ Del Val League game against Glen Mills at Jack Pearson Stadium Friday night.
When Kamagate gained control of the ball, he had only 10 yards to run to reach the end zone for a crucial first-half touchdown Friday night.
His teammate, junior Kennedy Poles, crossed the goal line twice Friday, matching his touchdown total from last week’s win at Interboro and helping Penn Wood claim a 20-14 decision over Glen Mills.
Despite his team’s second consecutive league win, first-year Penn Wood coach Ato Troop was anything but happy after the final whistle. He let his players know that they can’t expect to keep winning if they lose two fumbles, have a pass intercepted and get only 27 yards on the ground, 65 yards fewer than umpire Charlie Sheckler stepped off the 11 times he moved the ball back on Patriots penalties.
“That’s not the way we want Penn Wood football to be winning games,” Troop said. “I’m not happy with the fumbling, the way we gave them 30 yards on one of their drives with penalties, and the way we had guys thinking about themselves ahead of the team.
“Glen Mills has some players, and (Quadir) Gibson can run the football. We have to be better than this with some of the games we have coming up.”
The Pats (5-2, 2-0) held Glen Mills to three yards on three Gibson runs on the Bulls’ first possession, then drove 90 yards on 11 plays to open the scoring 3:31 before the first period ended. Sophomore quarterback Desman Johnson Jr. was dumped for a 15-yard loss to the Panthers’ 40 by Quadir Bollings-Simmons on a third-down play.
Johnson Jr. lofted a strike right into the waiting arms of Poles on the next play, and the two teamed up on the conversion.
A 38-yard Edmund Dennis punt pushed Glen Mills (2-4, 1-1) back to its 15 as the second quarter began, and Kamagate got in the way of a Bey pass on second down to add six points to the Penn Wood advantage.
“Before the play I told (Eugene Sheppard III) I had the feeling I was going to get the ball,” Kamagate said. “When (Bey) rolled to the left, I was ready.”
Penn Wood looked like it might be ready to put up more points late in the first half before William Dark picked off Johnson Jr. inside the GM 20.
The defenses took over in the third quarter, but a Penn Wood fumble in the opening minute of the final period and a 45-yard Gibson dash set up Gibson’s two-yard scoring carry.
It took the Patriots less than two minutes to answer that score, with Johnson Jr.’s second TD pass to Poles covering 57 yards.
“They were playing zone, and I knew I could beat my man before the play ever started,” Poles said. “Our offense coordinator (Kevin Williams) put together a great game plan. We saw that we could throw the ball.”
Gibson (158 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries) had six touches in a 12-play drive in which Glen Mills got its second touchdown. Penn Wood had to punt the ball away with 1:08 left, but Kamagate stopped Gibson short of a first down two plays before Rahiem Bowens picked off Bey with 8.7 seconds to play.
“Coach Troop put in the right position to make the play,” Kamagate, an outside linebacker, said.
Troop is hoping his players will make some better decisions in their three remaining Del Val League contests.
