Cheltenham advanced to next week’s District One 5A title game, thanks to its 42-20 win over Kennett.
District One 5A
#1-1 CHELTENHAM 42, #1-4 KENNETT 20
The Panthers continue to make history, earning a win that propelled the team into the program’s first ever district title game.
“Our goal was a little bit ambiguous at the beginning of the year,” coach Ryan Nase said. “Our whole motto that we ran with during the offseason and during the season was to go from good to great, but I don’t know that we ever sat back and defined what is great.
“I think it would be hard-pressed to not call this season great so far, but at the same time, you get this far, you might as well win the whole thing. I don’t know that the district championship was something we had out there as a goal, but we said we wanted to be great. A lot of times greatness has no true definition, and I think that this season in Cheltenham football is a testament to that.”
If the Panthers’ coach was looking for a defining moment in Friday’s win, it could well have been on his team’s opening drive of the game. It looked like it was going to be a three-and-out for the Panthers on their own 43, but Nate Edwards raced 57 yards for a touchdown on a fake punt. The Panthers had a lead they would not lose.
“A lot of it had to do with the momentum we were able to gain on the first series when it didn’t look good – you go three-and-out to start the game and then you have a fake punt for a touchdown,” Nase said. “It just completely changed the momentum and just shifted the game.
“We actually had put the fake in last week and didn’t get a chance to use it. I had been saying all week, even in our personnel check today, that the first time we punt from our minus 35 or better we’re going to run it. It just so happened it was the first drive of the game. You get Nate Edwards past the first level, and there’s not very many people in the state that can catch him.”
A pair of Adonis Hunter one-yard quarterback sneaks for touchdowns gave the Panthers a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter before Kennett got on the scoreboard. Sam Sykes took it in from two yards out on fourth-and-goal as time expired to send the Panthers into halftime with a 27-7 advantage.
“We made a couple of big plays and, to be honest, a couple of lucky plays on that second series,” Nase said. “Adonis tried to squeeze it in, it got tipped and Sam Sykes didn’t give up on the play and was able to secure the tipped ball.
“Later in the half – I don’t know if you’d call it luck or trust – Adonis will tell you if he’s not sure he’ll throw it up to Nate (Edwards) or TJ (Harris), and they’ll go up and get it, and they both went up and got one in the first half – TJ on a slant and Nate on a go that kept drives going.”
Kennett scored on the opening drive of the second half to make it a 27-13 game, but Hunter got that back when he raced 17 yards for his third touchdown of the night and a 34-13 Cheltenham lead. Kennett scored to make it a 34-20 game, but a pick six by Edwards, who took it in from 44 yards out, gave the Panthers their final margin of victory.
“Nate Edwards made some monster plays,” Nase said. “We played really well in all facets. Our kicker/punter (Lou Liedtka) got benched last week and came out tonight and had the best game of his career. His kickoffs were great, his punts were awesome. He’s the starting goalie on the soccer team who plays football because he thought it would be fun.
“This is the first year he’s ever played, and he helped us get to a district championship tonight. The story of how Cheltenham football has gotten here just doesn’t make sense. That’s kind of who we are. I said to the guys before the game, ‘I’m an adopted Cheltenham kid from Northeast Philly.’ We just don’t do things pretty. That’s not how we do it, but we figure it out and we get it done.”
According to Nase, everyone played well in Friday’s win.
“Not just players but coaching-wise too,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Spentley Toran – I was riding him about special teams, and special teams have been great. You talk about overcoming adversity – this whole season is dedicated to his wife, who passed away of cancer in April or May of last year.
“There was about a quarter and a half where for the first time in my career I wasn’t calling the plays. I let Rob Carter, who’s our passing game coordinator, call the plays.”
Listening to Nase tell it – Friday’s win was the Panthers’ most complete performance.
“I think what I’m most happy about – and I talked a little bit about it before the game – there have been so many times when I not only think people on the outside but me as a head coach and some of our assistants and some of our players – something happens, and I don’t think we can overcome it, and we just figure out a way to do it,” Nase said. “Last week, even though we won that game (35-21 over Unionville), I made some big mistakes, and some guys on the team made some big mistakes, and I wasn’t sure where we were going, and then we do what we do and we band together. We’re a family and sometimes we fight and sometimes we hug. We figured it out.
“Honestly, I think this may have been the best game we played all year. Kennett is a really good team. I don’t think we really shot ourselves in the foot like we’ve done in other games. We took chances when it was smart to take chances, and I think we played to the situations when it was smart to play to the situations. This was one of – if not the most complete game we’ve played all year.”
Cheltenham (12-1, 6-0 SOL) will face third-seeded Academy Park in next week’s District One 5A title game. Academy Park edged second-seeded West Chester Rustin 21-20 in the other semifinal.
Kennett 0-7-6-7 20
Cheltenham 13-14-7-8 42
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