TWO MUCH: Coatesville finds groove vs. North Penn for 2nd straight District 1 title

November 24, 2018

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PERKASIE >> It is not how you start a game, it’s how you finish it.

After a shaky first half that saw Coatesville turn the ball over twice, the Red Raiders turned it on in the second half to defeat North Penn, 42-13, to claim their second straight District 1 Class 6A title. And it was the Coatesville defense that came up big in the first half to stuff North Penn until the vaunted Red Raiders’ offense got going in the second half.

Some great defensive play by Tione Holmes, Jimmy Limper and Nik Thompson held North Penn (13-1) to just six first half points as the Red Raiders (14-0) took a shaky eight point-lead into intermission.

“We were really fired up tonight,” Limper said. “We wanted this second district title and we really went after them tonight.”

Coatesville’s Aaron Young (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)

A 57-yard touchdown run by Aaron Young, who rushed for 175 yards and added an eight-yard halfback option pass to quarterback Ricky Ortega, gave the Red Raiders (14-0) a 14-6 halftime edge.

But, the second half was vintage Coatesville. The Red Raiders got a 65-yard kickoff return from Young to open the second half. One play later Bryant went in from nine yards out to make it a 21-6 game and the heat was firmly on the Knights.

“Aaron’s runback was huge,” Coatesville head coach Matt Ortega said. “He got us started and we have kids who really have bought in on special teams. Coach Damien Henry does a great job with those kids and this is the best unit we have had here since I have been head coach.”

Coatesville’s Aaron Young, Nik Thompson and Tione Holmes. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)

Coatesville broke the game open by scoring the next three touchdowns. A 53-yard run up the gut by Young, and another weaving, sensational 47-yard run by Ortega to make it a 35-6 game were enough to put the game out of reach. Young took another one in from four yards out to put the game into the mercy rule and send the Red Raiders into next Friday’s semifinal against Harrisburg, a team the Red Raiders defeated 31-6, in the opening game of the season. Coatesville rushed the ball 33 times and attempted just nine passes.

“We ran the ball more because they were not letting us beat them over the top,” Matt Ortega said. “And with our line we just imposed our will and got things down. Our defense kept us in it in the first half and I think this is as a good a defense as our 2012 club.”

Coatesville sacked North Penn quarterback Solomon Robinson seven times and held the Knights to 262 yards of total offense after a shaky offensive start of their own.

“We have to clean things up for next week,” Young said. “I dropped a punt and we had some penalties and things so it is back to work on Monday to get ready for Harrisburg.”