Upper Dublin won its first district game in program history, defeating Council Rock North 48-14. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Ben Reese
FORT WASHINGTON — The Upper Dublin football team has done something no other team in the history of the program has done.
The Flying Cardinals beat Council Rock North 48-14 at Cardinal Stadium Friday night for the program’s first ever District One Quad A playoff victory. The victory earned Upper Dublin a date with West Chester Rustin in a second round game next Friday night. Rustin beat Conestoga 47-13.
"What a feeling," Cardinal coach Bret Stover said. "I can't even describe it.
"I don't have words for it. I'm so proud of my players, my staff."
Cardinal fullback John Lee couldn't have agreed more.
"It's great," Lee said. "Senior year and there's nothing better.
"The first senior class to ever leave the nest with a playoff win. I don't even have words for the feeling."
The pride both felt was demonstrated on the field.
The Cardinals rushed for 395 yards and limited the Indians to 117 yards on the ground and 132 through the air.
"My staff put together offensive and defensive plans," Stover said, "and these kids went out here tonight and executed to a T."
Offensively, fullback John Lee and running back Kaleif Lee carried the load for Upper Dublin on the ground. John rushed for 169 yards, including 143 in the first half, and Kaleif gained 136 yards and scored four touchdowns.
"Our run game just went crazy," said Stover. "It's a night that you needed it because it was a little tough to throw the ball early (because of the wind).
"They do a lot of things aggressively defensively that we took advantage of. Our kids blocked well and Kaleif and John, the Lees, ran well."
John Lee had high praise for his offensive line.
"We're pretty undersized," he said of his blockers. "They weren't that big either.
"Even with teams like PW (Plymouth Whitemarsh), I think we had our best rushing game against them. I think we can hang with anyone size-wise.
"Our line does a great job."
That was proven in the first half especially. Cardinal quarterback Ryan Stover completed only one pass in the opening two quarters, but the team rushed for 244 yards and scored four times.
"They took it to us in all three phases of the game," Rock North coach Adam Collachi said. "They came out strong.
"We were reeling and didn't really recover. That was a well-coached football team over there that played a great game tonight and deserved to win a football game."
One of those four TDs in the first half came on a surprising play. Leading 21-0 in the second quarter, the Cardinals drove from their own eight to their 44.
However, two runs and an incomplete pass gave them a fourth down with nine yards to go for a first down. So they lined up in punt formation.
But that wasn't what happened. Stacy Gardner, one of the up blockers, took the direct snap and raced around left end for 56 yards and a touchdown.
"That fake punt was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back," Collachi said.
Stover said he couldn't take credit for the call.
"That was all done by Stacy," Stover said. "He was told 'If you're going to do it, you better make it,' and he made it.
"He was our backup fullback who took a bullet for the team to play center because John Lee is such a good fullback. Not that he's (Gardner) not a good fullback, but we needed him to play center this year.
"He'll probably be our fullback next year. He's been dying to get into the backfield. He made the call and then he finished the play."
Upper Dublin also did a standout job defensing Indian quarterback Brandon McIlwain. McIlwain has already thrown for more than 1,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season.
"We knew we had to take care of him," Stover explained. "He's a special player.
"He can do it with his legs and his arm. We wanted to contain his running and make him beat us with his arm, especially as windy as it was when the game started tonight.
"We knew it was going to be tough to throw the ball; he still threw it well. We wanted to take away the run game from him and make him beat us with the pass."
It worked well.
McIlwain threw for 132 yards, completing 18 of 34 passes, but he only ran for 12 net yards.
"They exposed some things that we struggle with," Collachi said. "That's the sign of a well-coached team to identify weaknesses and attack and they attacked.
"They were really aggressive (on defense). Their D line, they used some smaller, quicker kids that exploited some gaps and put some pressure on.
"They played tight coverage on us. Their game plan was spot on."
The Indians, after taking the opening kickoff, turned the ball over on downs in Upper Dublin territory. The Cardinals had to punt, but McIlwain threw an interception, which gave the ball to Upper Dublin at the Rock North 14.
Five plays later, Kaleif Lee went in from the two, and Cole D'Andrea kicked the extra point to give Upper Dublin a 7-0 lead.
The Cardinals held the Indians deep in their own territory, forcing a punt. Then John Lee took over.
He carried twice, gaining 22 and 21 yards to move the ball from the UD 35 to the North 22. Kaleif Lee stepped in from there, gaining six and then 16 for his second TD.
Ryan Stover got the next score, bulling in from the one. His touchdown completed an 80-yard drive highlighted by 61 yards on the ground from John Lee and 18 from Kaleif Lee.
The Indians looked to be getting things together in their next possession, They drove from their own 35 to the UD 23 before McIlwain was sacked and then punted from the 32.
That gave the Cardinals the ball on their own eight, a drive that culminated with Gardner's surprise rush to the end zone.
Upper Dublin received the second half kickoff, and on the first play from scrimmage, Kaleif Lee bolted 84 yards around right end for his third touchdown of the night. The Indians blocked the extra point try.
Council Rock North seemed to get its offense moving later in the quarter. The Indians recovered a fumble at the UD 41, and McIlwain drove his team to its first touchdown of the game with the quarterback going in from the five and also running in the two-point conversion.
At the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, Rock North kept coming on. It drove from its own 20 to the end zone as McIlwain ran in from the 14 but the two-point try failed and the Indians trailed 41-14.
Upper Dublin finished off the scoring. The Cardinals drove from their own 43 to a score, eating up over five minutes on the clock as reserve fullback Evan Scott scored from the 14 to put the finishing touches on the historic win.
Council Rock North 0 0 8 6 – 14
Upper Dublin 14 14 13 7 – 48
UD — Kaleif Lee 2 run (Cole D'Andrea kick)
UD — K. Lee 16 run (D'Andrea kick)
UD — Ryan Stover 1 run (D'Andrea kick)
UD — Stacy Gardner 56 run (D'Andrea kick)
UD — K. Lee 84 run (kick blocked)
CRN — Brandon McIlwain 5 run (McIlwain run)
UD — K. Lee 3 run (D'Andrea kick)
CRN — McIlwain 14 run (pass failed)
UD — Evan Scott 16 run (D'Andrea kick)
CR North Upper Dublin
First downs 17 18
Yards rushing 117 395
Yards passing 132 38
Total yards 249 433
Passing 18-34-1 3-7-0
Punts-ave. 2-35 3-38.3
Penalties-yards 2-10 8-65
Individual statistics
Rushing: CRN — Chris Welde 11-97; Brandon McIlwain 14-12, 2 TDs; Brian Choi 1-6.
UD — John Lee 18-169; Kalief Lee 16-136, 4 TDs; Stacy Gardner 1-56, 1 TD; Evan Scott 1-16; David Bryant 5-15; Ryan Stover 4-10, 1 TD; Nick Sonetto 2-4; Michael Cottom 1-(-)1.
Passing: CRN — McIlwain 18-34-1, 132 yards; UD — Stover 3-7-0, 38 yards.
Receiving: CRN — Devon Bibbens 7-26; Matt Chandlee 3-27; Welde 3-5; Tyler Nowmos 2-40; Mat Cabo 2-25; Sean Yoder 1-9;
UD — Matt Thompson 3-38.
About the Author
