YEADON — It’s never too early to be thinking about retribution.
Glen Mills pummeled Penn Wood, 41-14, Saturday morning. And before his players had time to exit Kerr Field and head to the bus, Battlin’ Bulls coach Kevin Owens was already talking about next week — and, more specifically, the week after.
The Bulls (4-4, 3-0) know they cannot replay the nonleague games they’ve already lost. But they can keep an eye on the Del Val League schedule and which teams remain in the way of a repeat league championship.
Next Friday’s home date with Interboro looms. So, too, does a regular-season finale against visiting Academy Park (6-2, 3-0), with which Glen Mills shares first place in the league standings.
“We control our own destiny,’ said Owens, whose team beat Academy Park for last year’s league crown, before losing to the Knights in the District One Class AAA title game. “If we keep winning, we will win this league. … They got us in the district finals, and we’d like to get them back for that.’
Until then, Glen Mills can be satisfied with what’s helped them open the league slate with three consecutive wins — its defense. The Bulls haven’t allowed more than 14 points in any of those games, and only did so Saturday after having yanked their top-rotation players from the game with a 41-point lead.
The Bulls limited Penn Wood to 83 yards rushing on 27 carries and forced six turnovers.
“Just about maintaining our gaps and played hard every down,’ said Glen Mills defensive end Marquel McKay, who had two fumble recoveries, two tackles for loss and a quarterback sack. “It motivated us a lot, seeing the confusion on their O-line.’
Penn Wood (0-8, 0-3) missed an early opportunity to stop the bleeding.
The Patriots’ defense got a stop on fourth down and gave the ball to coach Nick Lincoln’s offense. On the first play, sophomore quarterback Javon Terrell scrambled backward before having the ball punched from his hands. McKay recovered the fumble, returned it to Penn Wood’s 3-yard line and eventually scored on a 1-yard lunge.
The fumble by Terrell, who finished with 125 yards passing, was the first of a half-dozen turnovers by the Patriots.
“We can’t turn the ball over six times and expect to win,’ said Lincoln, Penn Wood’s first-year coach. “And if you can’t stop the run in high school football, you’re not going to win.
“You have to hand it to Glen Mills because they handed it to us.’
Glen Mills spread the ball among its running backs, with Gregory Fuller (77 yards, one touchdown), Rahsaan Horsey (55 yards, two touchdowns) and Jaquel Rhodes (35 yards) all getting a healthy dose of carries.
On defense, it was McKay and sophomore left tackle William Portis disrupting Penn Wood.
It was an all-around effort that had Owens, the Bulls’ coach, grinning widely … and possibly looking into a crystal ball toward that Oct. 31 date with Academy Park.
“We respect each other, but we get after each other,’ Owens said of the two teams. “Me and Jason (Vosheski, Academy Park’s coach), we talk a lot, but we’re very competitive. He knows — I’m coming for him, and he’s coming after me.’
