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WILLOW GROVE – This is the stuff dreams are made of.
With the outcome of Friday night’s SOL opener against Upper Moreland hanging in the balance and time about to expire, Upper Dublin quarterback Derek Giannetti and wide receiver Chot Kelly teamed up to create one of those magical moments that Flying Cardinals’ fans will be talking about for a long, long time.
It came when everyone least expected it – one play after Giannetti, with his team on the Golden Bears’ three-yard line, was sacked for the first time this season by linebacker Tom Knox, setting up second and goal from the 15.
“That sack – that killed it,” said Giannetti, whose team trailed 14-13 at the time. “They’re saying, ‘Throw the ball away if there’s nobody there.’ I tried to get it off, but I went down.
“They had the momentum now, but everybody was picking each other up. I’m just trying to get the line up for one more play because I know if they can block everybody off, I can make the throw, and we can make the catch.”
On second down, the Bears’ defense deflected Giannetti’s pass out of harm’s way, and with 10 seconds showing on the clock, the game came down to one or – if the Flying Cardinals were lucky – two plays.
Giannetti needed just one.
The senior quarterback dropped back and fired a pass that Kelly hauled in between a pair of defenders for a dramatic touchdown that gave the Flying Cardinals an electrifying 19-14 win, sending the players and their fans into a frenzy.
“I could not thank anybody more than Chot Kelly for catching that pass,” Giannetti said. “That was nowhere near perfect. That was an incredible catch by him.
“I wasn’t sure if he was going to catch it, and when he did, the only thing I could think of was just – that ref has got to put his hands up. It was a matter of inches whether or not he was going to be in. As soon as I saw his hands go up, my head just went blank. It was unbelievable. I’m at a loss for words right now.”
“I knew it was close,” Kelly said of his TD catch. “I was afraid they were going to call me down. I was half in and half out, but luckily it went our way.
“It’s right out of your dreams. It’s just a great feeling – coming down and finally getting a win. I couldn’t ask for a better throw from Derek, better blocking from the line. We knew it was now or never. It was all about who wanted it more. After Derek got sacked, we knew it was desperation time, but we still had that confidence we could get it done.”
The improbable ending – on a play that turned despair into ecstasy – put an exclamation point on stellar performances by Giannetti and Kelly. Giannetti (12-23, 259 yards) completed seven passes to Kelly for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
“We played together on jayvee, and if there’s ever been one person I have preferred to throw to – it’s always been Chot,” Giannetti said. “He’s got the speed, he’s got the hands.
“It’s just getting out on the field and seeing something and us thinking exactly the same way and him being able to make the play. All I did was drop back and throw the ball. It’s him running under it and catching it.”
“We just have a good connection,” Kelly said. “We have confidence in each other. It’s just getting together tonight. Hopefully, it will for the rest of the year.”
For one night, their connection was nothing short of magical, and they created the kind of fantastic finish that left fans on both sides shaking their heads.
“It’s something I have never been a part of, and to actually be there and to know this whole thing was on us – it’s just a huge experience,” Giannetti said.
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