Takes a while, but Chester’s Harris-to-Brown connection too much for Chi
CHESTER — It was only a matter of time before Chester’s offense exploded.
The Clippers are the second highest scoring team in Delaware County at 39.1 points per game for a reason. But they found themselves locked in a bitter defensive struggle with Del Val League rival Chichester on homecoming day Saturday afternoon.
For three quarters the Clippers and Eagles were scoreless. It was a carbon copy of last year’s contest at the Chester Athletic Fields. The Eagles scored the lone touchdown on a special teams play and stunned the host Clippers on senior day.
This year’s Chester squad wasn’t about to let history repeat itself, not with a record-breaking freshman quarterback and a record-breaking senior wide receiver at their disposal.
Forty-nine seconds into the final period, Jalen Harris hit Cymeer Brown for the first of two consecutive TD connections and the Clippers ran away with a 24-0 victory. Brown, who had nine catches for 126 yards, broke the Chester High record for most receiving yards in a career.
“It’s great,” Brown said of breaking Emil Smith’s 1997 record of 1,279 yards. “It was (a goal) and I want to set them higher.”
Harris threw four TD passes in the fourth quarter and finished 19-for-29 with 213 yards. The freshman wunderkind has 29 passing touchdowns. He hooked up with Aqeel Austin and Dom Toy later in the fourth quarter to put the game to bed.
On the other side the Clippers defense feasted all day. Chichester managed only 19 yards of total offense including 10 yards rushing on 30 carries.
Malachai Holmes had an interception in the second half which helped spark the team. Jeremiah Gates and Noble Thompson (11 tackles) made life miserable for Chi’s offensive line and ball carriers. LaFenis Mays Jr. and Dom Toy got their big paws in the air to disrupt a handful of passing attempts from the line of scrimmage.
“Everybody needed to bring that energy up because we were down. We didn’t score and we are used to scoring a lot. We are used to making plays,” Holmes said. “I mean, I thought we was going to come out and blow them out. We just didn’t execute until the fourth quarter.”
The Clippers bludgeoned every team they faced before last week’s 34-19 setback at Ches-Mont League power Downingtown West. They needed to prove to themselves that they could turn the page and bounce back.
“It humbled us and taught us a lot of stuff,” Holmes said. “It got us better. All of the teams we played, we just dominated them. That was a challenge last week.”
Chester (8-1, 3-0) clinched at least a share of the Del Val title. It can claim the title outright with a win at home next Saturday against Academy Park (3-6, 2-1).
“I’m not one who believes in sharing a title,” Chester coach Ladontay Bell said. “When you go out and play, your goal is to be No. 1. I know the energy is going to be at an all-time high next week. We’ve got to do our very best to eliminate the distractions and stay focused.”
Chichester (1-8, 0-3) was excellent on defense for three quarters, but the Eagles’ unit ran out of steam in the fourth. Lineman Eyan Thomas made multiple tackles in the backfield and at the line of scrimmage and Avery Billops was a standout in the secondary.
