To view photos of the Hatboro/CB East game, visit the photo gallery.
DOYLESTOWN - Hatboro-Horsham had just handed Central Bucks East a 40-14 loss when senior Chris Black quietly made a declaration as he walked off the turf at War Memorial Field.
“Our defense is the best in the conference,” the Hatters’ defensive lineman said.
Whether or not that’s true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – this is a vastly improved Hatter squad from the one that stumbled to an 0-7 mark in SOL play last season while allowing an average of more than 38 points a game.
“It hurt,” senior defensive lineman Matt Schuck said of his team’s struggles last year. “There were a lot of different things we could have done better, and this offseason, I think our coaches really worked hard to prepare us and set us up for this year.”
In Saturday’s win, the Hatters’ offense amassed more than 450 yards of total offense against the winless Patriots, but perhaps even more impressive was the team’s stingy defense that allowed just over 200 yards of total offense with much of that coming after the outcome had been decided.
The key?
“Getting pressure on the quarterback,” senior defensive lineman Sean Black said. “We knew that they wanted to throw, so we were just trying to get pressure on them.”
The Hatters’ line was able to put all kinds of pressure on the Patriots after opening up 13-0 lead at the end of one quarter and taking a 33-7 lead into halftime.
“When you start beating up on teams, it’s more fun,” Chris Black said. “It’s like - we have the lead, you can’t stop us, we’re going to keep scoring and keep stopping you.”
That’s exactly what happened on Saturday.
“Getting an early lead is such a momentum booster – just getting out there, getting after it and putting points on the board,” Schuck said. “It makes playing defense a lot easier.”
Interestingly, the Hatters went into Saturday’s game with the exact same record as last year when they finished the preseason 2-1. Last year, however, the Hatters took a 42-20 thrashing at the hands of the Patriots in their SOL opener.
“Last year we were on the other side of this,” Sean Black said. “It’s not something you want to be part of.”
The players recognized the importance of coming out of the gate strong.
“Throughout this week, we really emphasized that this was our playoff game,” Schuck said. “This is our first conference game. We’re pretty much in the same position we were last year – we were 2-1 with a loss to Neshaminy.
“Coming into this game, we knew things were different, and I think we proved it.”
Ask the players the biggest difference this season, and they echo similar sentiments.
“I want to say the coaches and how much work they’re putting into it and how much more experience they have since last year,” Schuck said.
“I think the coaches too,” Chris Black said. “They spend their weekends in our locker room going over film, going over plays just for us.”
Coach Gary Pagliaro admits that things are different this time around.
“Last year it was like a big whirlwind,” the Hatters’ second year coach said. “We were in survival mode, but this year we started to work Jan. 1, and we were meeting as coaches on a weekly basis, trying to install this offense.
“We started bringing the kids in once a week in March. It’s an offense that you’re either all in and have to do 100 percent, or it turns into a bunch of slop. You really have to work hard in this split back veer offense. Jim McCrea, our offensive coordinator – I can’t say enough about him.”
On Saturday, the Hatters – led by the dazzling 205-yard rushing effort of junior Travis Young – ran their offense to perfection, but on this day, their defense also deserved a share of the spotlight.
“The defense has done a great job,” Pagliaro said. “They have worked extremely hard preparing each week.
“Ken Remaily, our defensive coordinator, had an excellent game plan put together. We had a great week of practice, and the kids worked extremely hard. These young coaches are amazing. They’re really smart, and they put the kids in the best position to be successful.”
Saturday’s win was the first step in what the players say is a building process.
“Now it’s just about proving that we’re here to play and getting people to respect us so they know Hatboro-Horsham comes to play,” Chris Black said.
“We’ll celebrate today,” Schuck said after the game. “By tomorrow, we’re getting ready for Quakertown. We know every game is going to be a four-quarter battle, so we’re not looking too far ahead.”
This week, the 3-1 Hatters will face a 3-1 Quakertown squad.
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