Methacton breaks drought, bashes Boyertown 36-7

FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> Not since October 29, 2016, had the Methacton won a football game. But after 692 winless days, the Warriors were finally victorious Friday night, knocking off the Boyertown Bears, 36-7, in front of a raucous home crowd.

“It’s awesome to finally get this win,” first-year head coach Dave Lotier said. “We did so much work in the offseason to bring kids back and bring the excitement back to the program and this school. I’m happy for these players and the fans who came out to support us tonight.”

It seemed to be Methacton’s night from the get-go as Boyertown fumbled the ball on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Warrior offense only managed 5 yards on their next 7 plays, but a 22-yard field goal from Chris Meehan gave the home team a 3-0 lead.

It took two more offensive drives for the Warriors to score their first touchdown of the 2018 season, a 19-yard strike from Dylan Schultz to Larry Dickerson that pushed the Methacton lead to 10-0.

“It felt good finally getting the ball in the end zone,” Schultz said after the game. “We had been working so hard and came close earlier, but to finally see 6 points go on the board was huge for us.”

Déjà vu then struck as Dickerson made a slick, sliding catch in the end zone on the Warriors’ very next drive to give them a 17-0 lead right before the half.

Despite scoring with their pass game in the first half, Methacton’s plan in the third quarter was to establish the run as the team’s halfbacks rotated in the “wildcat“ for the first six plays of the second half before Mike Torcini broke free for a 47-yard touchdown and busted the game wide open.

“Mike’s long touchdown run was when I realized we were actually going to win,” Schultz admitted. “It’s great to see those guys rotate and pick up yards like they do.”

“We’ve been searching for an offensive identity all year,” Lotier added. “Having three guys who can take the snap and torment defenses is a huge thing for us.”

From there, the Warriors defense took over, forcing a safety later in the third quarter.

“We knew from the film, Boyertown wasn’t great at protecting the passer,” Lotier explained. “They’re a triple-option team, so if we got them in passing situations, I knew we would be able to get pressure.”

Methacton’s defense occupied the Boyertown backfield for the entirety of Friday’s game, recording 5 sacks and allowing just 67 yards of total offense on the night. Boyertown mustered some big plays in the first half, but with their leading rusher Jamie Moccia and starting quarterback Ayden Mathias sidelined with injuries, the Bears offense couldn’t string together a decent drive.

“We were a little short-handed tonight, but that is no excuse,” Boyertown coach TJ Miller said. “We knew Methacton was going to be a great team and they proved that tonight. Credit Dave for everything he’s done to turn that program around.”

Despite allowing a touchdown in the late stages, Methacton allowed just 20 yards of total offense in the second half. The Warriors also held quarterback Noah Segal to just 2 of 9 on his pass attempts for 38 yards and that lone score, while also forcing 2 turnovers.

“Our gameplan in the second half was to run the ball and shut them down,” Lotier said. “We knew we just had to work the clock once we got our big lead.”

Methacton’s rushing attack was led by Torcini and Michael Ciriello, who combined for 194 yards on 20 carries. As a team, the Warriors racked up 215 yards on the ground, averaging over 5 yards per tote.

“It nice watching those guys pick up tough yards,” Schultz gushed. “It takes so much pressure off the passing game.”

Now, as Methacton heads into next week winners for the first time in nearly two years, Lotier knows it is just the beginning for his young program.

“We know to win two games, you have to win one,” Lotier said. “Our goal now is to go 1-0 next week and keep this momentum up. These kids now know we can win and we have a lot of things to work on if we want to remain successful.”