Friday night at A.G. Cornog Stadium, played Garnet Valley tough early, but eventually succumbed to quarterback Ryan Corkery and the Jaguars no-huddle offense. Garnet Valley improved to 9-1 on the season, while the Fords fell to 5-5.
1
Find out what's happening in Haverford-Havertownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
2
3
Find out what's happening in Haverford-Havertownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
4
Final
Haverford High
7
0
0
6
13
Garnet Valley
14
9
7
7
37
IN SHORT
To beat a team like Garnet Valley—who, at 9-1, sits atop the Central League standings—the Fords would have had to play near-mistake free football.
Friday night at home, they decidedly did not.
The Haverford Fords fumbled twice and gave up a safety before 20 minutes had been played and despite an admirable defensive effort, fell to the Jaguars 37-13.
On an evening full of mistakes, the Ford's first cut was the deepest. After driving down to the Jaguar goal line on the game's opening drive, Haverford halfback Mike Clancy lunged towards to the endzone, but lost the football. Garnet Valley's Joseph Taulane apparently found it: he emerged from the scrum with the ball and galloped 99 yards in the opposite direction for a Jaguar score.
It was a 14-point swing and the underdog Fords never quite recovered from it.
"Who knows what would have happened were it not for the fumble," admitted Haverford's coach Joe Gallagher. "We didn't take care of the ball."
And the opposing offense did.
Running a no-huddle option reminiscent of the Oregon Duck's attack, the Jaguars moved up and down the field easily against an active, but overmatched (and exhausted) Haverford defense.
In anticipation of the torrid pace the Jags impose, the Fords installed a new system of defensive signals to relay in plays during the preceding week, and while the communication was mostly effective effective, it was all for naught.
"The relays worked, and our defense was (positioned) fine. They just have big, strong, fast players," said Gallagher. "Their defense was better than our offense, and their offense was better than our defense."
"Against an offense like that, you have to play perfect defense for it to work," added Haverford linebacker Alex Drum.
On Friday, the Fords fell a little bit short.
FORD OF THE GAME
Dylan Hewitt—The junior halfback was effective on the ground and through the air for the Fords. He made people miss consistently, and contributed to a 37-yard fourth quarter reception that led to a Haverford score.
OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES
Mike Clancy—After the early fumble, the senior bounced back and played a strong game. He scored a one-yard touchdown in the game's final quarter and was effective as a kick returner.
Alex Drum—The feisty and vocal linebacker was the heart of a defense whose effort and performance wasn't necessarily reflected on the scoreboard. The sophomore was all over the field.
COACH'S TAKE
"You take big and fast kids and you give them good coaching, and this is what happens,"—Fords head coach Joe Gallagher, giving the Jaguars credit where credit was due
THEY SAID IT
"You see the scoreboard,"—Alex Drum, when asked to evaluate the defensive performance
UP NEXT—The Fords hosts Sun Valley on Nov. 18
