Phoenixville Impresses in Football Opener

MALVERN—When a high school football team puts 43 points on the scoreboard, you have to presume a lot of things went right. Interestingly, Phoenixville’s Vince Nattle wasn’t among them.

Nattle didn’t go right. Nor left really. But up the middle, the Phantoms’ senior fullback raged like runaway locomotive (with a snappy goatee). Nattle shredded the Great Valley interior defense for 237 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns to power Phoenixville to a 43-27 road win over the Patriots Friday night in Malvern.

“I just keep my head up and keep pumping my legs,” Nattle said. “I wouldn’t have had anything without my line blocking for me. They did a hell of a job the whole game.”

Nattle was being a little humble. While the offensive line—chiefly tackles Tim Hunt and Alex McLemore, guards Brian Hyland and Jesse Gervasi, and center Thomas Allen White—produced the holes that started Nattle’s runs, many times Nattle was eight yards down field and dragging Patriot defenders, like ... well … like a locomotive would.

“He’s an outstanding back,” Great Valley coach Michael Choi said of Nattle. “I was here when his older brother [Anthony] played. I thought he was an outstanding back. It runs in the family.”

Friday’s game represented a comeback for Nattle, who had a strong opener against Great Valley last year before losing his season to a neck fracture.

“I was just trying to give my all,” Nattle said. “The first game, you’ve got to set the bar.”

Great Valley (0-1) got its big-play option offense rolling early when senior Mack Hasz raced 54 yards through the Phantom’s secondary to give Great Valley a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. Great Valley scored three touchdowns on plays longer than 50 yards.

Phoenixville (1-0) promptly responded with a six-play 65-yard drive, with Nattle doing much of his damage up the middle. He tied the game with 5:31 remaining in the quarter. Ian Harrigan’s kick gave the Phantoms their first lead.

The Patriots’ Reginald Williams proved himself faster than a minuteman, returning the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to put Great Valley back in front 13 seconds later. Hasz converted the two-point attempt to put the Patriots back in front 14-7.

The Phantoms tied the game early in the second quarter when quarterback Alec McQuiston tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Yenchick. McQuiston later ran for one.

“A couple years ago he was a back-up. Last year he played fullback at Great Valley and now … he’s a quarterback,” Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong said. “You can’t call him that utility guy any more. He does a good job with decisions, throwing the ball and running the ball. He’s a good quarterback."

After Phoenixville tied the game, Great Valley showed its inexperience. Three second-quarter fumbles led to two Phoenixville touchdowns—a 20-year run up the middle by Nattle and a 1-yard run for Travis Andrews—and the Phantoms led 28-14.

Great Valley battled back and scored just before the half on a one-yard run by quarterback Chris Geiss to give the Phantoms just a seven-point halftime lead, 28-21.

“If we take away those three fumbles and we have the opportunity to keep those balls, I don’t know how many more points we’d have put on the board,” Choi said.

Great Valley tried to mount a second-half comeback. Hasz returned the kickoff 35 yards and then the offense smoothly moved the ball into Phantom territory. But after earning a first down on the Phoenixville 13, a series of penalties and the stiffening Phantom defense pushed the Patriots backward and into a 40-yard field goal attempt, which fell short.

After taking over at the 20, Phoenixville promptly powered 80 yards, greatly aided by 23- and 34-yard runs by Nattle. McQuiston finished the drive with slippery 19-yard touchdown run and the Phantoms led 34-21.

Yenchick scored on 2-yard run early in fourth quarter to put Phoenixville up 40-21.The Phantom fans who made their way down Route 29 thought they might be able to relax. The break lasted less than two minutes until the ever-dangerous Hasz grabbed a screen pass in the left flat and bolted 86 yards for a touchdown, making the score 40-27 with 8:43 to play.

“Matt is an outstanding back,” Choi said. “He’s going to have huge year. I’ve been trying to tell people that he’s special, and he is. I think you saw that on the screen and the runs. It’s awfully hard to get him down one-one.”

Harrigan closed out the scoring with 24-yard field goal later in the fourth quarter.

Except for the three long touchdown plays, Furlong said the Phantoms played well in their opener. The Phoenixville coach noted that the team did not commit any turnovers and took advantage of the ones Great Valley provided.

“It was a good start, especially for the offensive line and for Nettle,” Furlong said. “The score is not quite indicative [of how close the game was],” he added. “Our guys have had a great attitude all year and I just hope they keep it up."

Phoenixville will host St. John Neumann Maria Goretti at 7 p.m Friday at Washington Field.

Game Summary

Phoenixville             7          21        6          9—43

Great Valley             14        7          0          6—27

GV—Mack Hasz, 54 run (kick blocked)

P—Vince Nattle, 3 run (Ian Harrigan kick)

GV—Reginald Williams, 97 kickoff return (Hasz run)

P—Ryan Yenchick, 13 pass from Alex McQuiston (Harrigan kick)

P—Nattle, 20 run (Harrigan kick)

P—Travis Andrews, 1 run (Harrigan kick)

GV—Chris Geiss, 1 run (Sean Cavanagh kick)

P—McQuiston, 19 run (kick failed)

P—Yenchick, 2 run (run failed)

GV—Hasz, 86 pass from Geiss (Cavanagh kick)

P—Harrigan, 24 FG