October 25, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Undefeated Devils roll to 7th straight win
by JUSTIN GOLDMAN

CHA’s Rashad Campbell. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

What was supposed to be a clash of two storied Inter-Ac football programs turned into a rout when Chestnut Hill Academy asserted its dominance at Penn Charter last Friday afternoon. CHA used a familiar formula of hard hitting defense and a steady running attack to race out to a 28-0 lead in the fourth quarter of  Friday’s contest. Only a late touchdown from the Quakers’ Kashif Smith with 2:50 to play kept the Blue Devils from their second straight shutout and fourth overall this season.

The Blue Devils remain undefeated overall with a 7-0 record and a 2-0 record in league play. The Quakers drop to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Inter-Ac.

Though the score ended up lopsided, neither team could muster up much offensively in the early going with both quarterbacks struggling to find a rhythm in the passing game. The lack of offense put pressure on the defenses to make plays.

The Blue Devil defense responded, and responded in a big way. CHA forced three turnovers in the first half, one of which was a fumble that Mike Wismer ran back 54 yards for a touchdown. Wismer’s score came just 1:07 seconds before halftime and gave the Blue Devils a 14-0 lead with the two-point conversion. That late touchdown gave CHA the momentum it needed in the second half and it also took some of the wind out of the Quakers’ sails.

“The three turnovers in the first half were key,” said CHA Head Coach Rick Knox. “Sometimes in games you need a little luck and good fortune, and most teams make their good fortune by how hard they work during the week.”

The 14-0 lead at halftime was all that the Blue Devil defense needed. The CHA front seven continued to stymie the Quakers all game long. The gritty nature of the defense was relentless throughout the course of the game and refused to give Penn Charter an inch.

The CHA defense was led by three familiar faces. Henry Gilbert, the 5 foot 8 inch defensive end lead the team with eight tackles on the afternoon while Mike Lonergan chipped in with seven stops. Juan Gaskins contributed two pass deflections and forced the fumble that sprung Wismer.

“When you come out and establish yourself early, you are usually going to win the game,” Knox said. “Setting the tone with our defense early on was very key in getting this win.”

The second half was a bit of a different story for the Blue Devils, but it was much of the same for the Quakers. CHA fed the ball to running back Rashad Campbell. With Campbell running the ball affectively in the second half, CHA controlled the clock, making it impossible for the Quakers to mount any sort of a comeback.

“The game was really a tale of two halves,” Knox said. “The first half was more about getting after them on defense and forcing turnovers. The second half was really about technique on the offensive line and just pounding our running game.”

Campbell had two of his three touchdown runs in the second half on runs of three and four yards. He finished the game with 30 carries for 185 yards and those three scores. Campbell continued the brilliance that he has shown all season with his quick feet and elusive running skills.

“Running the ball is what we do,” Knox said. “We have one of the best, if not the best running backs in the City. When he is going well, we are going to keep feeding him the ball.”

This win continued CHA’s dominant season. It also avenges a 17-14 loss against the Quakers from a season ago that was lingering in the back of the player’s minds.

The Blue Devils are back in action this Saturday when they host league rival Haverford School. Penn Charter looks to regroup on Saturday also, when it takes on Episcopal Academy at home. Both teams are coming off losses, with the Churchmen dropping a 14-10 decision to Germantown Academy last Friday.