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FORT WASHINGTON – The lights, except for a few to allow for some post-game field maintenance, had been turned off in Cardinal Stadium, but Josh Mastromatto was reluctant to leave the field after Upper Dublin’s exciting 42-35 win over Upper Merion.
“I just love it out here,” the Flying Cardinals’ star running back said. “I don’t even want to leave the field now.”
It’s hard to blame Mastromatto.
The field holds some pretty special memories, not the least of which was yet another stellar performance by Mastromatto – who had 200 yard rushing, 56 more receiving as well as a 95-yard kickoff return – and his teammates as they are just one win away from capturing at least a share of their second consecutive American Conference crown.
Not bad for a squad that was 0-11 when the seniors on this year’s team were freshmen.
“We never thought it would be like this,” Mastromatto admitted. “I couldn’t ask for a better season. The games are always close – it’s always a thriller at the end. It’s really what you play for every week. It’s just great. I don’t even have words to describe it.”
Standing not far away was Mastromatto’s teammate and close friend, Scott Hartman, in the midst of a post-game interview. The Flying Cardinals’ senior tight end had been sidelined three weeks with mono.
“It was horrible,” he said. “Now I know how Chot (Kelly) feels because he’s out with a broken collar bone. You just want to be in there with all your friends playing.”
Hartman made his return to the lineup a memorable one, hauling in a Derek Giannetti screen pass and taking it 33 yards for a touchdown that – after P.J. Seyfried’s extra point – put the Flying Cardinals on top 28-14 early in the third quarter.
“I finally got my touchdown,” Hartman said. “I’ve been wanting that – it’s my first one.
“It was a slow screen left. We knew they would be rushing hard, so we were going to let the left side go and hopefully just float it over their heads. Everyone went with Josh because he’s been our big playmaker. It was wide open for me.”
After a three-and-out for the Vikings, the Flying Cardinals marched 69 yards – a drive that included Mastromatto runs of 21 and 33 yards and was capped by the speedy running back taking it in from six yards out to give the Flying Cardinals a 35-14 lead with 3:41 remaining in the third period.
“He’s quite a football player,” Upper Merion coach Joe Powel said of Mastromatto. “He proved it to us tonight.
“We missed tackles and didn’t play our normal defensive game. I knew he would get his points and do some spectacular things. We kept fighting. We didn’t give up. I couldn’t be prouder of them and what they did.”
Powel had to like his team’s response to falling behind by three touchdowns. The Vikings needed just four plays to make it a 14-point game when quarterback Alex Phanthavong hit his favorite target – sophomore Dexter Bridge – for a 66-yard touchdown play to make it a 35-21 game after Sean Dugan’s extra point.
The Phanthavong to Bridge connection was magic all night long for the Vikings. Upper Merion’s senior quarterback threw for 253 yards and four touchdowns. Bridge – a 6-2 sophomore with soft hands – hauled in seven of those for 179 yards and three touchdowns.
“Those two boys are pretty special,” Powel said. “Alex is just a competitor. His will to win is probably the strongest I’ve seen in my years of coaching, and Dexter is a big-game player.
“He rises to the occasion. This is a young man who started varsity football this year. He’s only played nine football games, and he just keeps getting better.”
The Vikings weren’t finished yet, and after holding the Flying Cardinals on a big fourth down play, they took over with 11:06 remaining. Pete Panichi, who led the Vikings with 90 yards on the ground, carried it 34 yards on the first play of the drive. Moments later, a 15-yard penalty took the ball to the Cardinals’ 18, and James Brennan did the rest, taking it in for a score that – after the extra point – made it a seven-point game (35-28).
But not for long.
Mastromatto took the ensuing kickoff and ran it in from 95 yards out for a touchdown that put the Cardinals on top 42-28.
“That wasn’t (about) me,” Mastromatto said. “I just got the ball and ran.”
The Vikings tacked on another Phanthavong to Bridge touchdown with 6:45 remaining – this one for 20 yards, but it wasn’t enough as the Flying Cardinals ate up all except 14 seconds on their next drive, giving the Vikings time for just one last play and sealing their fate.
A win over Wissahickon in next week’s league finale would ensure the Cardinals at least a share of the conference crown.
“This is right where we want to be,” Upper Dublin coach Bret Stover said. “You can’t ask for any more.
“Good teams play important games in late October. When we went 0-11, we decided we wanted to rebuild the program. We wanted to be like a North Penn, Neshaminy and Abington – quality programs – we wanted to be playing meaningful games in October.
“My hat’s (off) to Joe. They have a great squad. They have a great quarterback, they have great receivers. I feel for his kids. His kids had tears, and that could very well have been my kids. My seniors went out, and they would not be denied.”
That much was apparent from the outset when – after Robert Swartz came up with a fumble recovery on the Vikings’ first play of the game - Mastromatto turned the corner on his first touch and took it in from 23 yards out for a quick 7-0 lead.
“The key tonight was just seeing where the holes were,” he said. “I have been having trouble with that in a couple of games, and for the last couple weeks, all I’ve been focusing on is beating teams with my speed and the line opening something up for me.
“I knew I had to be more patient.”
A defensive stop was followed by another Flying Cardinal scoring drive – this one covered 80 yards, and after Swartz had three carries for 20 yards, Mastromatto scampered 63 yards to the Vikings’ two-yard line. Two plays later, Mark Visco punched it in from one yard out.
A 12-yard touchdown pass from Phanthanvong to Bridge made it a 14-7 game, but the Cardinals had an answer – this time Giannetti found Mastromatto for a 56-yard TD pass and a 21-7 Upper Dublin lead.
Phanthavong connected with Jeff Saul for a 20-yard touchdown that made it a 21-14 game at the intermission, but the Vikings would get no closer the rest of the way.
The win upped the Flying Cardinals’ record to 4-1 in league play (7-1 overall) while Upper Merion dropped to 4-2 in the league.
“I think we just clinched a spot in the playoffs,” Mastromatto said. “Everybody has worked so hard since freshman year. No one thought we were going to be here, but we turned it around for ourselves. It’s just such a great feeling.”
UPPER DUBLIN 42, UPPER MERION 35
Upper Merion 0 14 7 14-35
RUSHING: 14 7 7 14-42
UD-Mastromatto 23 run (Seyfried kick)
UD-Visco 1 run (Seyfried kick)
UM-Bridge 12 pass from Phanthavong (Dugan kick)
UD-Mastromatto 56 pass from Giannetti (Seyfried kick)
UM-Saul 20 pass from Phanthavong (Dugan kick)
UD-Hartman 33 pass from Giannetti (Seyfried kick)
UD-Mastromatto 6 run (Seyfried kick)
UM-Bridge 66 pass from Phanthavong (Dugan kick)
UM-Brennan 18 run (Dugan kick)
UD-Mastromatto 95 kickoff return (Seyfried kick)
UM-Bridge 30 pass from Phanthavong (Dugan kick)
UM UD
First Downs 19 16
Rushing Yards 133 268
Passing Yards 253 133
Total Yards 386 401
Passing (C-A-I) 14-22-0 4-5-0
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 0-0
Penalties-Yds. 2-10 4-30
Punts-Avg. Yds. 2-27.5 1-34.0
RUSHING:
Upper Merion: Panichi, 14-90; Brennan, 3-23; Phanthavong, 11-20.
Upper Dublin: Mastromatto, 18-200, Swartz, 16-69; Visco, 5-3; Giannetti, 1-(-4).
PASSING:
Upper Merion: Phanthavong, 14-22-253, 4 TDs.
Upper Dublin: Giannetti, 4-5-133, 2 TDs.
RECEIVING:
Upper Merion: Bridge, 7-179, 3 TDs; Saul, 2-41, 1 TD; LeGendre, 2-21; Panichi, 3-12.
Upper Dublin: Mastromatto, 1-56, 1 TD; Hartman, 2-52, 1 TD; Visco, 1-25.
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