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DOYLESTOWN – Time was winding down in regulation as Council Rock South’s Hunter Shull burst through the line and into Central Bucks East’s backfield. The senior linebacker took down Patriot quarterback Josh Bernard for a sack that all but put the finishing touches on Rock South’s no-doubt-about-it 20-0 win.
For good measure, Anthony Alimenti intercepted his second pass of the afternoon to close out a stellar defensive effort by the Golden Hawks.
Shull’s sack was his third of the game and the ninth of the contest for the Golden Hawks, who spent the better part of the afternoon chasing Bernard and making life generally miserable for East’s offense.“Our coaches were making great calls,” Shull said. “Our D-line was doing great. They opened up holes for us, and it’s easy for us to read the plays when it’s that wide open.”
The Patriots were without star running back Justyn White, but that – according to Shull – didn’t factor into Rock South’s defensive game plan.
“We knew we were going to play the same way either way,” the senior linebacker said. “We knew they had really good backs, and the way we play defense – we play the same way no matter what.”
The way they played in Saturday’s win was applying pressure, pressure and more pressure.
“We just did not block up front,” East coach John Donnelly said. “We had a revolving door of guys – we were trying to change some different combinations and get the best five in there, but things we prepared for all week – they saw it, but we just did not execute. We just did not protect the quarterback at all.
“I credit Josh Bernard. He got hit and hit and hit – he was bleeding, he was sore, he was tired, but he kept coming at you and kept competing to the very end, so that’s something that was good to see.”
Bernard hit the turf nine times, losing 87 yards in the process, and he was hurried on countless other occasions. All told, the Patriots accumulated less than 100 yards of total offense.
Rock South coach Vince Bedesem was understandably pleased with his team’s effort.“You come with your basic philosophy and keep preaching getting more numbers to the ball, more numbers at the point of attack than they have, and that’s the basic philosophy we do take,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “On this turf, it is hot. This thing really draws up some heat.
“The kids needed to stay hydrated, and they’re working their tails off on both sides. I think both teams gave great efforts today.”
Early on, it looked as though points would come easily for the Golden Hawks, who needed less than three minutes and just seven plays to march 72 yards on their opening drive of the game. When Billy Fleming turned the corner for a nine-yard TD run, the Golden Hawks led 6-0 at the 9:33 mark. Ben Solis’ extra point gave Rock South a 7-0 lead.
The opening TD drive was highlighted by several big plays. It began with an eight-yard run by Ryan Whitely and included a 10-yard run by Fleming as well as a 23-yard tear by Brian Donnelly, who led the Golden Hawks on the ground with 67 yards.
Rock South tacked on another touchdown when Mark Damirgian took it in from two yards out with 11:38 remaining in the second quarter. The big play of the drive was an 11-yard run by Brian Donnelly on third-and-long.With 2:49 remaining in the half, Solis nailed his first of two field goals on the day – this one from 32 yards out to send the Golden Hawks into the intermission with a 17-0 lead.
The Patriots – who picked up a pair of first downs late in the opening half – picked up where they left off to open the third quarter. Bernard ran for 15 yards on the first play, and then he found teammate Connor Bednarzyk for a seven-yard pass completion. A four-yard pass to Brandon Sparks gave the Patriots another first down, but that’s when the drive stalled.
It was three-and-out for the Golden Hawks as the Patriots came up with a big defensive stand, but a fumble on the ensuing punt that was recovered by Tony Checchia on the Patriots’ 35-yard line set the stage for a 37-yard Solis field goal and a 20-0 Golden Hawk lead.
Those points turned out to be the final points of the game for either team as the respective defenses prevailed.
“Their defense tightened up,” Bedesem said. “That’s what we have to look at again when we sit down tomorrow. We have to analyze what they were doing because other teams are going to be doing it.
“I’m sure we’ll have answers. Our coaches work very, very hard, and they’ll find an answer to come up with something that can be an alternate play to what people are doing to us.”For the Patriots, it will be back to the drawing board for their offensive line before they take on a 2-0 Neshaminy squad on Thursday night.
“It all falls on the ‘O’ line,” Donnelly said. “There were times we had eight guys in to protect – they rushed five, and we still lost the matchup. Seven guys versus five, and we lost the matchup. You can’t lose those matchups when you have numbers advantages.
“They didn’t give us a look that we should have been blowing circuits over, but we did, for whatever reason, up front, so we’ll learn from the film and get a whole lot better very fast.”
The Golden Hawks will put their 2-0 record on the line on Thursday night when they take on a Pennridge squad that is also 2-0.
“I have high expectations this season – even for the young guys,” Alimenti said. “They’re stepping up and doing what they need to do.
“This shows what we can do, and we just want to keep it going.”
NOTES: When Donnelly was asked when White was expected to return to the lineup, he said simply, “No comment.” The Patriots’ first-year coach refused to use White’s absence as an excuse for his team’s offensive woes. “Going into the season with Justin, we have three pretty good running backs,” Donnelly said. “Him not being here today obviously didn’t help, but we still felt very good about the game plan we had going in.”
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 20, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
Council Rock South 7 10 3 0-20
Central Bucks East 0 0 0 0-0
CRS-Fleming 9 run (Solis kick)
CRS-Damirgian 3 run (Solis kick)
CRS-Solis 32 field goal
CRS-Solis 37 field goal
CRS CBE
First Downs 14 11
Rushing Yards 176 17
Passing Yards 35 70
Total Yards 211 87
Passing (A-C-I) 4-11-0 8-25-2
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-Yds. 7-60 7-40
Punts-Avg. 7-25.3 5-37.3
RUSHING:
Council Rock South: Brian Donnelly, 15-67; Mark Damirgian, 13-45; Ryan Whitely, 6-23; Billy Fleming, 14-40, 1 TD; Tony Checchia, 2-1.
Central Bucks East: Connor Bednarzyk, 12-58; Nick Chilson, 1-26; Sean Trymbiski, 1-9; Josh Bernard, 15-(-76).
PASSING:
Council Rock South: Billy Fleming, 4-11-35.
Central Bucks East: Josh Bernard, 8-25-70, 2 INTs.
RECEIVING:
Council Rock South: Mark Damirgian, 1-15; Brian Donnelly, 1-12; Dennis Chichkin, 1-7; Ryan Whitely, 1-1.
Central Bucks East: Ryan Pater, 3-35; Connor Bednarzyk, 5-31; Brandon Sparks, 1-4.
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