Minott, Bruce make it a Royal uprising
By Harry Chaykun
PHILADELPHIA >> Before Upper Darby and Frankford kicked off at Frankford Stadium Saturday morning, the players, coaches, officials and fans stood for a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack in New York City.
After that, the stadium, which was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets when they were the city’s National Football League representative from 1924-31, was anything but quiet. The teams combined for 708 yards of total offense, 15 penalties that were marked off, six fumbles and three interceptions.
When the final whistle blew after two hours and 30 minutes of elapsed time, the visiting Royals (2-0) had held on for a 40-34 decision over the Pioneers (0-2).
It marked the first time since the 2007 season that Upper Darby has won its first two games.
“We know a win is a win,” said Upper Darby quarterback Christoff Minott, who accounted for 111 yards rushing and 111 yards through the air. “But we were too relaxed and had a lack of focus in the second half.
“We all know what our assignments are. We have to make sure we keep doing them.”
Minott kept handing the ball to Isaiah Bruce in the first two quarters, and the result was 133 yards on 15 carries, including scoring runs of 54, 14 and 36 yards. The QB also mixed in a 44-yard touchdown carry and a 54-yard scoring pass to Brandon Morton as the Royals built a 34-8 halftime advantage.
“As good as things were in the first half, we played badly in the second half,” Upper Darby head coach Rich Gentile said. “We knew that team had some good athletes, and that No. 5 (senior Ralph Hyland, who picked up 123 yards on 19 carries, including a 54-yard scoring run, and also grabbed a touchdown pass) was a good back.
“We kept turning the ball over in the second half, and we gave them 14 points. We can’t be doing that.”
The gift points came on a 55-yard interception return for six points and a punt that was blocked and run in from midfield early in the fourth quarter. Bruce fumbled the ball away right after the interception TD, then he got off a 25-yard punt return after a UD defensive stand to set up the final Royals scoring drive.
In the five-play march, he had runs of 15 and 11 yards before he banged over from a foot away with 3:42 left.
“My teammates did what they could to pick me up (after the fumble),” said Bruce, who finished with 207 yards on 31 carries and had a pair of receptions for 59 yards. “And the (offensive) line kept at it to keep me going. I love our fast, up-tempo offense.
“We said when we come up here that we would do whatever worked for us And we did have things working in the first half.”
What Gentile would like to see is that his offensive, defensive and special-teams units work hard in both halves when the Royals pay a visit to State College High Friday night.
