Downingtown West 28 - CB West 23
Hard to win a district semifinal game against an 11-1 team with two turnovers and giving up a punt return TD. A couple of blown coverages and some great plays by Downingtown West finally sank the Bucks. CBW ended up outgaining DTW by around 80 yards, but the big plays through the air and the punt return couldn't be overcome. After running for 380 the previous week against OJR, CBW held DTW to 9 yards rushing (or 16 depending on which stats you use), giving up 240 through the air. CBW had a couple of shots at interceptions that they couldn't hold onto, one of them coming the play before a DTW TD pass. DTW fumbled once but the QB was able to get back onto it. DTW has a big o-line and some huge players in the "big-skill" category. Lots of 6'2" to 6'4" athletes running around. They did a good job getting off blocks and limiting the CBW running attack. Without McGowan to hurt them on the outside, they played a very tight box and it was tough going on the ground. Miller was able to hit some big pass plays, to Clemens for a TD and to Morelli inside the 5 to set up a FG right before the half. Going into the game I would have said that 4 scoring drives by CBW would have been enough, but the 4-5 big passing plays couldn't be overcome. A few blown coverages, a defender in man falling down injured on another play... just not the Bucks' night. A 10-3 season in another year with disastrous injuries (at least 8 starters not dressed for the game) is a great job by Coach Rowan and staff and a tribute to the upperclassmen who helped hold it all together along with the young guys and program players who stepped up to fill in.
Both teams deserved better from the officials. These all-star crews for playoff games can be wildly inconsistent, and they were... Drew Markol was openly critical of the crew on 1210 after the game, something I don't think I've ever heard from him. It was much more than just taking a down away from CBW on the final drive of the game. That said, DTW made more big plays than CBW and that was the difference.
North Penn 21 - CB South 19
Some similarities here, with South turning the ball over 4 times (consecutively) in the second half, and North Penn hitting the big plays they needed to edge South. South outgained NP by around 140 yards but just couldn't hold onto the football. Pinkerton fumbled twice in a row followed by Wade and Harmon, and all of a sudden South was down 21-13 and needed a long late 4th quarter drive to tie things up. They moved the ball right down the field to get it within 21-19, but their gadget play on the two point conversion fell incomplete. Special teams hurt South as the XP on their first TD was blocked, with NP players running right through gaps in the South line with almost no resistance, forcing the two point attempt late. NP had a great recovery of the onsides kick, but South got the ball back with one more chance that they couldn't convert. South finishes 12-1 while an 11-2 NP moves on to DTW for the final. When was the last time a 3rd place team in a conference played for the D1 title??
North Penn @ DTW
Keys: I expect DTW to have more success running the ball against NP then they had against CBW. But North Penn also has a better passing attack than CBW so DTW will have to be much more balanced defensively. North Penn has a stud kicker / punter in Bocklet who could be a difference maker in a close game. Bucksar is a very good QB with a strong arm who can make plays with his legs also. Ewes, Pownall and Johns-Wallace lead their skill guys. I look at this as a 21-20, 28-27 type of game. They're very similar teams in that they both have the ability to hurt you through the air if the run game isn't there, or vice versa. Should be an interesting chess match. The biggest difference is that NP will get under center with 2-2 or 3-2 personnel and pound it at you if you show any weakness up front. They forced South out of a 3 man front at one-point last week in that way. Can the DTW QB keep up his hot streak from last week? I expect him to have more time to throw this week than he did against CBW so NP will need to cover down on the back end. Let's hope it's a great game.
Hard to win a district semifinal game against an 11-1 team with two turnovers and giving up a punt return TD. A couple of blown coverages and some great plays by Downingtown West finally sank the Bucks. CBW ended up outgaining DTW by around 80 yards, but the big plays through the air and the punt return couldn't be overcome. After running for 380 the previous week against OJR, CBW held DTW to 9 yards rushing (or 16 depending on which stats you use), giving up 240 through the air. CBW had a couple of shots at interceptions that they couldn't hold onto, one of them coming the play before a DTW TD pass. DTW fumbled once but the QB was able to get back onto it. DTW has a big o-line and some huge players in the "big-skill" category. Lots of 6'2" to 6'4" athletes running around. They did a good job getting off blocks and limiting the CBW running attack. Without McGowan to hurt them on the outside, they played a very tight box and it was tough going on the ground. Miller was able to hit some big pass plays, to Clemens for a TD and to Morelli inside the 5 to set up a FG right before the half. Going into the game I would have said that 4 scoring drives by CBW would have been enough, but the 4-5 big passing plays couldn't be overcome. A few blown coverages, a defender in man falling down injured on another play... just not the Bucks' night. A 10-3 season in another year with disastrous injuries (at least 8 starters not dressed for the game) is a great job by Coach Rowan and staff and a tribute to the upperclassmen who helped hold it all together along with the young guys and program players who stepped up to fill in.
Both teams deserved better from the officials. These all-star crews for playoff games can be wildly inconsistent, and they were... Drew Markol was openly critical of the crew on 1210 after the game, something I don't think I've ever heard from him. It was much more than just taking a down away from CBW on the final drive of the game. That said, DTW made more big plays than CBW and that was the difference.
North Penn 21 - CB South 19
Some similarities here, with South turning the ball over 4 times (consecutively) in the second half, and North Penn hitting the big plays they needed to edge South. South outgained NP by around 140 yards but just couldn't hold onto the football. Pinkerton fumbled twice in a row followed by Wade and Harmon, and all of a sudden South was down 21-13 and needed a long late 4th quarter drive to tie things up. They moved the ball right down the field to get it within 21-19, but their gadget play on the two point conversion fell incomplete. Special teams hurt South as the XP on their first TD was blocked, with NP players running right through gaps in the South line with almost no resistance, forcing the two point attempt late. NP had a great recovery of the onsides kick, but South got the ball back with one more chance that they couldn't convert. South finishes 12-1 while an 11-2 NP moves on to DTW for the final. When was the last time a 3rd place team in a conference played for the D1 title??
North Penn @ DTW
Keys: I expect DTW to have more success running the ball against NP then they had against CBW. But North Penn also has a better passing attack than CBW so DTW will have to be much more balanced defensively. North Penn has a stud kicker / punter in Bocklet who could be a difference maker in a close game. Bucksar is a very good QB with a strong arm who can make plays with his legs also. Ewes, Pownall and Johns-Wallace lead their skill guys. I look at this as a 21-20, 28-27 type of game. They're very similar teams in that they both have the ability to hurt you through the air if the run game isn't there, or vice versa. Should be an interesting chess match. The biggest difference is that NP will get under center with 2-2 or 3-2 personnel and pound it at you if you show any weakness up front. They forced South out of a 3 man front at one-point last week in that way. Can the DTW QB keep up his hot streak from last week? I expect him to have more time to throw this week than he did against CBW so NP will need to cover down on the back end. Let's hope it's a great game.
