Shanahan outlasts Chichester to reach 4A title game
DOWNINGTOWN >> The site was the same as well as the teams, but the conditions were different and that made it a much different game that a week ago, but the fast track didn’t change the most important thing — the result.
Bishop Shanahan scored 21 points in the second half to break open a scoreless tie at halftime en route to a 21-0 victory over Chichester in the District 1 4A semifinals Friday at Jack Mancini Field.
The top-seeded Eagles (8-3) reach the championship game for the second time in three years and will host No. 2 Pottsgrove next Friday.
“That was our speech on Monday as soon as we hit the field,” said Shanahan coach Paul Meyers. “The first thing I said was to forget about that game on Friday.It would be a completely team. We know how good they are. They have some great athletes and had a great season. Their defense is tough, real tough.”
The theme of the first half was missed opportunities. Chichester took the opening kickoff and lost four yards on the first two plays, on third down, Idress Holloman was intercepted by Colin McGrory after being hit as he was attempting a deep ball. But, the Chichester defense held as they forced an incomplete pass on 4th-and-11.
Chi (5-4) was set up later in the quarter by a 41-yard pass from Holloman to Eddie Swinton that put them at the Shanahan 2. A penalty and a QB run that lost two yards had Chi facing a 2nd-and-goal. A Holloman pass was tipped in air and hauled in by Brendan Choi. Shanahan had to sweat a referee conference to determine whether Choi got a foot in. It was ruled he did and Shanahan took over.
“We needed a big play,” said Choi. “I saw the ball being tipped, I think it was by Kenny (DaKendrick Daniels). I went up, I tried to get my feet in. I got my right foot in. It was weird, I felt my right foot hit in, so I felt it was good.
Shanahan’s next chance came late in the second. They drove to the Chi 9, when on first down, Cooper Jordan was picked off by Walter Jones in the end zone to turn back the Eagles.
Chi tried to catch the Eagles napping by trying an onside kick to open the second half. Brendan McGrory recovered the attempt and the Eagles cashed it in as Jordan found a wide open Colin McGrory for a 29-yard score to open the scoring.
“The safety was to choose me or Simmi Whitehill. He chose Simmi and I was wide open. It was a good throw and a great play call,” said McGrory.
Shanahan almost doubled the lead when McGrory returned a punt 45-yards for a score that was wiped out due to a block in the back, with a unnecessary roughness penalty tacked on.
Undeterred, the Eagles went 55 yards on 11 plays. Choi punched it in from the five for a 14-0 lead. Choi barely ran the ball for most of the season and was happy for the chance.
“It feels really good not just to help the team on defense, but on offense as well,” said Choi.
Shanahan added an insurance score late in the fourth as Nick Romano caught a 24-yards TD pass from Jordan.
Shanahan held Chi to minus-13 yards rushing and 155 passing yards on the evening.
