Methacton wins low-scoring battle with Boyertown, 10-7
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FAIRVIEW VILLAGE >> It was a test of how stalwart the defenses were Friday.
It was a test on which Methacton got a higher grade than Boyertown. With scoring drives for both teams few and far between, the Warriors made their limited opportunities hold up for a 10-7 win to cap the school’s Homecoming Night festivities.
Methacton spotted Boyertown its lone score early in the second quarter, a lead that held up until the home team posted the go-ahead near the midway point of the fourth. A field goal in the first half kept the Warriors within striking distance of its guests in a Pioneer Athletic Conference pairing that had the Liberty Division members all even in the record department coming in.
“That team puts up a lot of points,” Methacton coach Brian Kennedy said on Boyertown, which led in total yardage (227-167), passing stripes (69-12) and first downs (11-6). “Our offense and defense — the same 15 to 18 kids — got the job done.”
A particularly stalwart effort for the Warriors (2-1 division, 4-3 overall) came from Ben Grove.
The junior linebacker recorded two sacks and, by his estimate, “a good couple tackles” in helping prevent Boyertown from sustaining drives on two of its final three possessions.
“I played my role, just like the coach said,” Grove noted. “I played my heart out on the field. I’m just glad we won.”
Another big individual effort came from Levi Borkowski, the junior linebacker’s number getting called frequently during the game — one of them for a drop of Bears quarterback Ryan Gehris for a loss. Senior defensive end Joshua Cancro had another sack in the third quarter.
“We all played our roles, with five down defensive linemen,” Grove said. “We play hard football … lockdown defense.”
“We were looking for a little spark,” Kennedy added, “and Ben Grove filled it in a couple roles. Borkowski plays hard every week, every single play.”
While enhancing its Homecoming festivities, Methacton also kept Boyertown (1-2, 3-4) from the 400th win in program history.
“We didn’t play up to our capabilities,” first-year coach Justin Konnick said. “Give the credit to Methacton. They came to play.”
The visitors’ big offensive star was junior Cole Yesavage, who accounted for more than half his team’s yardage. Yesavage covered a game-high 90 yards on 18 carries and another 25 on a pair of pass connections, scoring Boyertown’s lone touchdown with a 3-yard plow through left tackle at the 10:34 mark in the second quarter.
“(Methacton) did some good things to stop Cole early,” Konnick said. “We were able to get him some space in the second half.”
The Warriors answered Boyertown’s opening score with an 11-play drive on the subsequent possession that appeared to match the Bears when quarterback Mike Wolbers ran around his left end for a touchdown. A penalty nullified the scoring play, though, and after three more plays got them within two yards of the end zone on fourth down, Tyler Ready booted a 20-yard field goal 2:56 before the half.
Methacton’s game-winner came on a possession consuming almost six minutes of the fourth quarter. Anthony Perillo, with 47 yards on 11 totes, covered four through left tackle with 6:43 left in the game.
From there, the defense stopped Boyertown on two final series. Getting the ball back on downs with little more than a minute left, Methacton ran off the clock to secure the Homecoming victory.
“We’re hard on the kids in practice,” Kennedy said. “We expect perfection.”
It’s an expectation Konnick will also be seeking from his charges in upcoming practices.
“The kids are going to find out what it’s like to play old-school football,” Konnick said. “The way they’re playing is not what we want.”
NOTES
Wesley Conover came close to matching Perillo’s rushing yardage, chalking up 44 on just five carries thanks to a 30-yard run that got Methacton to the Boyertown five prior to Perillo’s TD run.
Kennedy on the Warriors’ attempt at a fake punt at their 43, one that lost it three yards around the game’s two-minute mark: “We felt it was there, but we couldn’t get it off. But we had confidence our defense could make plays.”
Prior to the game, Methacton presented key awards to two notable alumni. Brett Smith (Class of 1989), a standout as both a player and coach, was named the 2022 Legacy Award recipient, and Katie Hobson Niewinski (Class of 1997), who made a name for herself in field hockey and girls lacrosse, was added to the high school’s Athletic Honor Roll.
