Pottsgrove Holds On For Homecoming Win

In a game that saw the Pottsgrove defense surrender critical passing plays, it is ironic that the Falcon's biggest play of the game was an interception. Marquis Barefield came down with Brandon Bossard's two point conversion attempt with 15.9 seconds to play, and the Grove (4-2, 4-1 in conference play) came away with a narrow 21-19 homecoming night win over Methacton (4-2, 2-2). The victory took an emotional toll on the Falcons, as a subdued squad carried itself somberly off the field following the game.

"They played great, and we didn't," said Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker.

The play was the last in an over three-minute Methacton drive. Following a 35-yard touchdown pass from the Grove's Tory Hudgins to Johnny Fowler -- his only completed pass in a two throw outing -- the Falcons seemed to finally be in control of the contest, leading 21-13 with 3:39 to play. Undaunted, Methacton coach Paul Lepre put the ball in his quarterback's hands. Bossard responded, orchestrating a 10-play drive to put the Warriors in position to score. The quarterback utilized his legs and wideout Kevin Bauer to maneuver Methacton to Pottsgrove's 4-yard line, where running back Davonte Fung found the end zone. Following Barefield's pick, Hudgins recovered the onside kick to finally seal the victory.

"They played well," Pennypacker said of Methacton. "They played great. My hat's off to Paul and his team. If we don't start playing better defense … we're going to have our hands full."

The Warriors defense managed to cut one head off of Pottsgrove's monstrous, Hydra like running game, stifling Falcons back Mark Dukes. Dukes was held to 34 yards rushing in the game, with two of those yards coming on a fourth quarter touchdown. With Dukes locked up, Hudgins and fullback Robby Curtin picked up the pace on the ground. Hudgins rushed for a team high 120 yards, often converting drive continuing plays with his legs. Curtin was quiet until the last frame, when the Grove finally got the power game on track in an attempt to chew clock and score.

Hudgins opened up scoring with a 43-yard scamper in the second. The Warriors responded, converting a fourth-and-3 play at the Pottsgrove 47 en route to a 36-yard field goal from Nick LePerche, making the score 7-3 at the half. Methacton struck first after intermission on another kick by LePerche, this one from 32 yards out, to close the gap to one. The Falcons responded with Dukes' 2-yard plunge, but the Warriors' Cooper Given blocked the extra point to keep the game within a touchdown. A 28-yard pass from Bossard to Kyle Lowery brought the Warriors past midfield, and Fung handled the rest. Breaking right through the teeth of the Falcons' defensive front, Fung raced 42 yards to the touchdown and the tie.

The Pottsgrove offense found the onus on them once again. Facing fourth-and-1 on their own 48, the Grove looked to Curtin for the crucial first down. The fullback obliged, bruising his way inside for the yard. That play eventually led to Fowler's go ahead score.

Curtin was instrumental on the other side of the ball as well, combining with fellow linebacker Sean Figueroa and defensive backs Barefield and D.J. Ludy to lead the Falcons defense. They held the dangerous Bossard to 129 yards passing on a 10 for 21 night, but could not prevent the big plays and shut the door on a scrappy Warriors side.

Despite the win, Pennypacker knows his team has a long way to go if they want to compete for another PAC-10 title.

"I'm disappointed," Penypacker said. "I thought we had a great week in practice. We've got to get better. And we will get better."

Pennypacker blamed himself for the Maroon and White's sometimes flat performance.

"I don't blame the kids--I blame myself," Pennypacker said. "That's not their fault … it's my job to get them ready to play, and they weren't ready to play. That's my fault. That's why they put coach in front of my name."

Despite the somewhat doleful atmosphere, Pennypacker allowed himself to see the positive, not a minor task for a coach.

"It's not all doom and gloom," Pennypacker said. "I don't want it to sound like that. We won the game; we're still in the race. But to do what we want to do and get to where we want to be, we've got to play better. And everyone knows that."