by Jonathan Vander Lugt

Heading into the fourth quarter Saturday, Germantown Academy had zero points—only 80 yards of total offense, and a waning chance to win their Inter-Ac opener.

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy scored early in the fourth to put the Blue Devils up 10-zilch with just under nine minutes left in the frame.

“There were some open things in the first three quarters,” said GA quarterback Kyle McCloskey.

The Pats just weren’t taking advantage of them.

Springside Chestnut Hill wasn’t playing lights-out either—the Blue Devils squandered a handful of chances inside GA territory throughout the game, and only had 10 points to show for it. Nonetheless, the defense was stout, and McCloskey and his Patriot cohorts couldn’t get anything moving for the better part of the game.

“I was feeling a little calmer,” McCloskey said of his play in the fourth quarter. “Everyone was getting in their spots.”

GA did—to the tune of a 64-yard field goal drive immediately after SCH scored, narrowing the deficit to a touchdown. After an SCH three-and-out, the stage was set for a Patriot takeover.

McCloskey held his end of the bargain, accounting for 53 of 57 yards on the Pats’ next drive—including a game-tying 22-yard rumble to paydirt. After Capone kicked in the extra point, GA had fresh life.

“We had great spacing between our receivers,” McCloskey said of his score. “Nick Picariello made a great lead block. I saw a little opening, and I hit it.”

He hit a few defenders along the way, but no matter.

“I’ve got a big body,” he said, “so I can be tough to bring down sometimes. I made a safety miss, and around the five-yard-line, I saw an opportunity to dive for the pie on. It was pretty awesome.”

That may have be true, but the Patriots’ work wasn’t done. They had a sterling chance one play later too, after they pooched the kickoff, caught SCH off-guard, and got the ball back—only to squander it on a fumble in their first snap.

In a wild turn, the Blue Devils gave it right back on Matt Rahill’s third interception of the day—an uncharacteristically poor performance for the QB who had been the Inter-Ac’s best through the non-conference season—but GA couldn’t seal the deal.

On to overtime.

The Blue Devils had the ball first, but Rahill continued to struggle. He ran all three snaps, losing 12 yards between them. Jack Myers knocked in the field goal to put the Blue Devils ahead, but if GA found the end zone, the game was done.

One play into the Patriots’ turn, it was. McCloskey rolled to his left and found Mike Reilly open to seal the comeback win.

“It was insane,” McCloskey said of the late-game back-and-forth. “It was a whole range of emotions.

“There was something calm. Once we got the momentum going, we weren’t going to give this one up. I had a feeling that this one was going to be ours.”

For Springside Chestnut Hill, Rick Knox and his Blue Devils can attribute this one to the dreaded specter that plagues many football losses: missed opportunities.

Two of Rahill’s interceptions (not the one mentioned above) came within Patriot territory, and overall, the Blue Devils set foot on Germantown Academy’s side of the field eight times (not counting the overtime possession), only to come away with 10 points in regulation.

Knox didn’t mince words.

“Matt missed a lot of open throws,” Knox said. “Why? I’m not sure—he just wasn’t himself. I can’t put my finger on it.

“Offensively, getting down the field three, four, five times and not coming away with any points, that’s what made the difference in the game. It let them catch up.”

SCH did have a few positives. The defense was stellar, keeping McCloskey and the Pats to just 225 yards of total offense. That’s no easy task, and for several weeks now, the Blue Devil defensive front has shown that it can hang with any team.

The rub is getting the offense moving, though. The Inter-Ac conference season is short, and before you know it, your hopes at a conference title can be dashed.

“It’s up to their character, to be honest,” Knox said. “As coaches, we can say stuff, be positive, and talk. Ultimately, it’s up to the leadership of the team. I can’t say ‘Here’s the magic potion.’ It’s a collective thing.”

Weekend Roundup

The entire weekend of Inter-Ac games was decided by just seven total points, and Penn Charter’s loss to the Haverford School Friday was by the thinnest of margins—a 21-20 defeat.

In a week that saw all three Inter-Ac games decided in overtime, Penn Charter took the defending league champs to the brink on the back of a good day from Edward Saydee (27 carries, 107 yards, and a touchdown) and quarterback Michael Hnatkowski (15-27 passing for 153 yards and a pair of scores).

The Quakers will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, which fell 16-13 to Germantown Academy in its league opener this past Saturday.

The La Salle College football Explorers kept the ball rolling Saturday with a narrow 17-16 win over Roman Catholic. La Salle’s ground game did the bulk of the work—Syaire Madden finished with 130 yards and a score on 30 carries. Manny Quiles had just one touch, but it went for 46 yards and a score to provide the Explorers’ other touchdown.

La Salle will face St. Joe’s Prep Saturday afternoon in what may be the game that decides the Catholic League Red Division’s champion. La Salle’s long-time rivals are nationally ranked, and arguably the top team in the state of Pennsylvania. If you plan to attend, be sure to arrive at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School well ahead of time, because the stadium and parking lot are sure to be packed for a tilt that may well draw four figures in attendance.