Upper Merion collects 2nd straight shutout, tops Methacton on new turf field

UPPER MERION >> Kevin Jainlett knows what is different with the Upper Merion football team this season.

“Huge commitment and passion for the game,” the Vikings senior offensive tackle/defensive end said. “The last year, we didn’t have a lot of guys who were really committed. Once when losing started happening, it’s like sometimes people just want to hop on the bandwagon when everybody’s going well.

“But this year, we all had each other’s back and I think that’s the biggest difference.”

And Saturday night, the UM went out and showed what is different about and this year’s squad Playing on the school’s new turf field for the first time, the Vikings posted the second straight shutout in topping Methacton 14-0 in a PAC non-division contest Saturday night.

“It says we’ve changed a lot,” Jainlett said. “Last year we’ve been blown out by how many ever points you want to say but we’ve turned it around and we stopped the moping mentality where whenever the other team scores we just sit there and let it keep happening.”

Zaire Savage added a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter while Anthony Swenda found the end zone on a five-yard run as Upper Merion (2-1) earn consecutive wins since beating Methacton and Norristown to end the 2015 season.

“It’s a great win for us. Once again, last week we wanted to be 1-0. This week we’re fortunately enough to be 1-0 again at the end of the night,” Upper Merion coach Victor Brown said. “These guys, just telling them, Methacton, this really wasn’t that much of a surprise because when you watch film against good team like Pottsgrove they making good teams work for everything that they have and I knew that’s what we were going to have to do as well.

“We definitely have things to work on on offensive side of the ball, but our defense has been playing great the past two weeks.”

Savage collected a game-high 70 yards and a score on 30 carries while quarterback Dale Clayton completed 6-of-15 passes for 70 yards for the Vikings, who over. 500 for the first time since 2015 when it sat at 2-1 after a Week 3 win over Sun Valley.

“I think we’re at a point right now because of our kids are buying in to what they are told,” Brown said. “We have good kids who have spent a lot of time – and when I say a lot of time I mean a lot of time – not only in the weight room, not on only in speed training but in leadership, in character development and things like that.  And you could just see our penalties are down, we’re doing a better job protecting the football.

“None of that is to be mistaken with we’re great at those things but we’re improving and they’re understanding that it’s a process.”

Methacton (0-3), meanwhile, was held scoreless for a third straight game as the Warriors struggled to slow down Jainlett and the Vikings’ defensive front. Methacton finished with just 29 total yards and twice threw interceptions – both to Ahmad Stone – in UM territory.

“There’s no doubt about it, we got to go back to the drawing board a little bit and figure out how we can put our kids in the best positions to make plays,” Methacton first-year coach Dave Lotier said. “We have to execute a little better. It’s a work in progress. We’re going to stay positive, we’re going to keep grinding.”

Both teams are on the road for PAC non-division matchups Friday. Upper Merion visits Owen J. Roberts while Methacton – which has now lost 14 straight games – is at Pottstown.

“Our motto is brick by brick. Our first week, it was ugly against Truman. Last week, we fought against Pottsgrove and took a step. This week, we played four full quarters,” Lotier said. “And like you said, Vic’s does a great job over here with his program, building them with his vision and we want to do sort of the same thing and we wanted to do it one brick at a time.

“We hope against Pottstown we can lay another brick and get over the hump and get a W.”

The Warriors kept Savage – who post 175 yards on the ground in the 10-0 win over Norristown in Week 2 – contained for most of the contest but the senior broke off a 35-yard run on the first play of the second quarter down to the Methacton 25.

Clayton connected with Taiyan Lobban for seven yards on 4th and 4 from the 19 to keep the drive alive and five players layer Savage scored from a yard out with 6:53 in the half to f a 6-0 lead.

Methacton punter Tonee’ Ellis went for 20 yards on a fake punt run to put the Warriors on the UM 42. But the series ended two plays later when Stone hauled in his first interception.

After forcing an Upper Merion three-and-out in the third quarter, Methacton began its second possession of the second half at the Vikings 30. But on the drive’s third play, Stone came up with his second pick and returned it to the UM 41.

The Vikings turned the takeaway into points, converting a trio of third downs on a 13-play, 59-yard drive capped by Swenda’s five-yard touchdown run at 1:11 in the third. Savage ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-0 Upper Merion.