Wissahickon used a last-second field goal by Greg McDonough to upset top-seeded Downingtown East 38-35 in Friday's District One AAAA opener.
By Mike Prince
To say the least, it was a shocker. It was unexpected. It was perhaps the upset of the year as far as local high school football is concerned.
Wissahickon senior kicker Greg McDonough, who had just kicked a 22-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Trojans the win, could barely speak when asked how he felt.
“I mean – I can’t – I can’t describe that feeling,” he said. “Words can’t describe what just happened.”
What had just happened was that Wissahickon, the district’s No. 16 seed, had upended not only the No. 1 seed in the district, but a team which was ranked as the sixth best team in the entire state by the Patriot-News.
Four touchdowns from senior Dave Stellato and the game-winning kick from McDonough led the Trojans to a 38-35 win over top-seeded and previously unbeaten Downingtown East in a PIAA District One Class AAAA first round playoff at Downingtown West High School’s Kottmeyer Stadium on Friday night.
In what was an absolute thriller from start to finish – a game which featured a number of lead changes, five turnovers and two separate players with at least three scores apiece – it all came down to one kick.
“We just knocked off the top team in the district,” McDonough said. “They didn’t know we were going to come out there tonight like that. We had nothing on our shoulders, we left everything on the field and we came out on top.”
And while McDonough and his team celebrated and could barely compose themselves, several members of the Cougars (10-1) were seen on the sidelines and lying on the field, unable to hold back a river of tears after watching that final kick go through the uprights.
“They’re one heck of a team,” said Wissahickon junior Dave Stellato, who scored four touchdowns on Friday night. “From the coaches to the players to everything – the scheme – they put up a great game. But this feels great. To win like that – there’s nothing better. To beat a one seed as the underdog and come out on top like that – there’s just no better feeling than that.”
Before the final kick, the two teams traded a flurry of touchdowns from start to finish.
Wissahickon (8-3) capitalized on its first drive of the game, as Stellato ran it in from 19 yards out on a drive which was set up by a Cougars’ fumble on their own side of the field.
After East tied the game at 7-7, senior tailback Dan Murphy scored from two yards out to put the Trojans back on top. The Cougars rallied, however, scoring the next two touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead going into the half.
Once the third quarter started, things got crazy for both teams. Wissahickon and East combined to score four touchdowns in only two minutes and 43 seconds. The first three, which all belonged to Wissahickon, came in a span of two minutes and 32 seconds, featuring Stellato scoring three touchdowns on three carries to put the Trojans back on top. He even added a successful two-point conversion to boot
Stellato’s touchdown runs came from one, 10 and eight yards out, with the first of the half coming shortly after senior Gordon Bentley returned the second half kickoff 61 yards to East’s 30-yard-line.
“Dave is a tremendous athlete,” Wissahickon coach Jeff Cappa said. “He’s a hard worker, which is number one. What you saw from him tonight out on the field is what we get from him every day. Whether it’s in the weight room or at practice, he’s going 100 mph and so is the rest of the team. There’s not a single person on this team that hasn’t paid the price all year in preparation for every game.”
Stellato finished with 22 carries for 155 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Trojans (8-3) to the program’s biggest win in years. Murphy added 111 yards and his one touchdown on 16 carries. Sophomore tailback Josh Smith ran six times for 47 yards.
Bentley added to his impressive special teams play with some solid defense, recording one sack and one interception.
East was led by the Michigan State-bound wide receiver/defensive back Jay Harris, who caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown, ran for a five-yard score and returned a kickoff 65 yards for a third touchdown.
The two teams were heavily penalized throughout, combining for 17 penalties for a total of 156 yards.
The upset victory was a historical one for the Trojans, who became only the third 16 seed in District One to knock off a No. 1 seed in in the postseason since the district adopted the 16-team bracket. In 2006, Abington defeated Council Rock North as a 16-seed, and in 2010, West Chester Henderson did the same thing when it defeated Ridley, 14-13.
“We started in January, and we said that we are not training and lifting weights to be the top team in the district,” Cappa said. “We’re training to be the best team in the state. They took that motto and demonstrated it tonight.”
Next up for Wissahickon is Coatesville, which defeated Unionville, 38-21, in another first round playoff on Friday night. The Trojans will play on the road again in a game which will be played at a time that is still to be determined.
Coatesville, like East, relies heavily on its offense. If Friday night proved anything, it’s that Wissahickon, despite inevitably being a heavy underdog against its next opponent, will not go down without a fight.
Wissahickon 7 7 21 3—38
Downingtown East 0 21 7 7—35
Team Scoring
W – Stellato 19 run (McDonough kick)
D – Angeline 2 run (White kick)
W – Murphy 1 run (McDonough kick)
D – Harris 43 pass from Lauletta (White kick)
D – Lauletta 19 run (White kick)
W – Stellato 1 run (McDonough kick)
W – Stellato 10 run (kick missed)
W – Stellato 8 run (Stellato run)
D – Harris 65 return (White kick)
D – Harris 5 run (White kick)
W – McDonough 22 FG
Team Statistics
Wissahickon Downingtown East
First downs 16 15
Rushing yards 303 153
Passing yards 36 149
Total yards 339 203
Passing 12-22-1 3-5-0
Fumbles-lost 4-2 3-2
Penalties-yards 10-86 7-70
Punts-Avg. 3-34.67 2-20.0
Individual Statistics
Rushing – Stellato 22-155, 4 TD; Murphy 16-111, TD; Frankenfield 8-5; Smith 6-47.
Wissahickon: Angeline 18-78, TD; Lauletta 10-74, TD; Harris 2-1, TD.
Downingtown East:
Passing –
Wissahickon: Frankenfield 3-5-0, 36.
Downingtown East: Lauletta 12-22-1, 149, TD.
Receiving –
Wissahickon: Stellato 1-19; Bentley 1-5; Smith 1-12.
Downingtown East: Harris 6-81, TD; Beals 3-35; Foley 1-4; Bovard 1-11; Kozlowski 1-18.
Interceptions –
Wissahickon: Bentley.
Downingtown East: None.
Sacks –
Wissahickon: Bentley.
Downingtown East: Hearns, Stevenson-Panchisin.
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