Upper Dublin rolled to a 35-3 win over Garnet Valley in an opening round District One Quad-A game on Friday night. Check back for photos of the game.
By Scott Huff
Fort Washington – Next.
Upper Dublin (# 3 seed) dispatched visiting Garnet Valley (# 14) with unexpected ease as the Cardinals soared to a 35-3 victory in a PIAA District One Quad-A first round playoff game. Upper Dublin will host (# 6 seed) Upper Darby next Friday at Cardinal Stadium – the Royals advanced with an eye-popping 59-34 win over (#11) Council Rock North.
“We know that we have to potential to do something special this season,” said Upper Dublin senior Jack Rapine who played an outstanding game on both sides of the football. “There is a definite pride on this team in how we play defense.”
The Cardinal defense was exceptional against a Garnet Valley team that managed seven wins in the Central League this season. The run-oriented Jaguars were limited to just 154 yards total offense and only nine first downs against a swarming UD defense.
“I know when I’m on defense, I just want to hit people,” smiled Rapine. “But when I’m on offense, I just want to keep from getting hit.”
“That game was a typical Jack Rapine game,” said Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover. “It was Jack being Jack – making big play after big play on either defense or offense.”
If the Upper Dublin defense was terrific – and it was - the Cardinal offense was equally remarkable.
Senior quarterback Ryan Stover scored four rushing touchdowns – and passed for a fifth score – to fuel the high-octane offense. Stover finished with 128 yards rushing – which included a sensational 83-yard touchdown run – and completed 10 passes for 205 yards that included a gorgeous 27-yard touchdown pass to Cole Swiger.
The final numbers boasted 505 yards of total offense for the Cardinals – 300 yards on the ground – and another 205 yards in the air.
“We knew that I might have a chance to run the ball a little more tonight,” said Stover. “Sometimes you just have to do what the defense allows you to do.”
“Ryan did everything you would want a senior captain to do,” said Coach Stover – father of the QB. “We came into the game knowing we might have to pass to open up the running game – and in the end we could do both.”
The first score of the game came in the first period – and it was to be the most memorable play of the game. Stover rambled through the entire Jaguar team and jetted 83 yards for the touchdown. Todd Spirt – who would be a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points – added the PAT to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.
Upper Dublin would score a second touchdown before the close of the first quarter. Stover capped an eight-play, 84-yard scoring drive with the 27-yard touchdown pass to Swiger. Also in that drive, Stover fired a highlight reel 31-yard pass to Rapine along the Cardinal sideline.
Upper Dublin scored on its first possession of the second period. Stover capped the four play, 66-yard scoring march with a three-yard touchdown burst. The drive featured two Stover-to-Rapine pass completions for 60 yards. Rapine finished with three catches for 91 yards.
The Cardinal defense forced a Jaguar field goal of 31 yards by Jacob Buttermore - Garnet Valley missed out on a first-and-goal opportunity from the six yard line.
Upper Dublin tacked on another score before the close of the half. This scoring drive – which featured a 22-yard pass to Michael Sowers and a second Stover-to-Sowers connection of 30 yards – culminated with a two-yard sneak by Stover.
The lone score of the second half came in the third quarter. Upper Dublin scored on a nine-play, 58-yard drive that featured a 26-yard burst by Kaleif Lee (game-high 146 yards) and was capped by a one-yard sneak by Stover.
“One at a time,” said Coach Stover. “One of the biggest tributes to the seniors is that we don’t look ahead.
“We know that Upper Darby is a heck of a team with a great running back,” added the coach in reference to Isaiah Bruce who rushed for an astounding 343 yards and scored 7 touchdowns against CR North. “We will enjoy this until Sunday – and then we go back to work.”
The Upper Darby Royals are indeed next on the Cardinal to-do-list.
Garnet Valley Jaguars 0 3 0 0 - 3
Upper Dublin Cardinals 14 14 7 0 - 35
UD: Ryan Stover 83 run (Todd Spirt kick)
UD: Cole Swiger 27 pass from Stover (Spirt kick)
UD: Stover 3 run (Spirt kick)
GV: Jacob Buttermore 31 FG
UD: Stover 2 run (Spirt kick)
UD: Stover 1 run (Spirt kick)
Garnet Valley Jaguars Upper Dublin Cardinals
9 First Downs 12
106 Yards Rushing 300
49 Yards Passing 205
154 Total Offense 505
4-40 Penalties/Yds 10-90
4-42 Punts/Average 1-36
Garnet Valley
Rushing: Derrick West 15-48; Danny Guy 14-46; Jacob Buttermore 3-11; Nick Juliano 1-12; Ryan Washington 3-5; and Matt Hamby 4 (-4). Totals 41-106.
Passing: Matt Hamby 5-13-0; 49 yards.
Receiving: Jacob Buttermore 3-33 and Bobby Clayton 2-16. Totals 5-49.
Upper Dublin
Rushing: Kalief Lee 14-146; Ryan Stover 12-128 & 4 TD; Evan Scott 1-25; David Bryant 2-0; Naiim Huff 5-6; and Justin Horn 1- (-5). Totals 35-300 & 4 TD.
Passing: Ryan Stover 10-19-1; 205 yards & TD.
Receiving: Michael Sowers 5-75; Jack Rapine 3-91; Cole Swiger 1-27 & TD; and Evan Scott 1-12. Totals 10-205 & TD.
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