HAVERTOWN – All night the Haverford Fords used their ground game as their best shot at knocking off unbeaten Springfield-Delco. However, it was one pass and one completion that defined their Central League Saturday night showdown.
The Fords one completion was an 86-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Adam Kilpatrick to Jimmy Fusaro with 5:48 left in the third quarter that propelled Haverford to 21-13 win over Springfield-Delco at A.G Cornog Stadium.
“I saw them biting in on the line after the number of times we were running the ball and I wanted to try to pass over the top there,” Kilpatrick said. “Coach (Dougherty) and his staff do such a great job for preparing for times like that when we are able to complete passes like that.”
Haverford (6-1, 4-1 – Central) finished with 212 rushing yards as a team off 47 carries but early on it seemed that the Cougars, who entered the contest ranked second just barely behind Strath Haven in PIAA District 1 5A, had their plan figured out. The Fords went three-and-out to open the game and Springfield-Delco quarterback, Jackson Kennedy, put his Cougars in front 7-0 after finding Chris Dolan for a 23-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.
The Fords got its ground game going on its second drive and Will Hulea tied the game at seven with 3:11 left in the first quarter with a 31-yard touchdown run.
“It starts with our kids working our tails off at practice every day to be able to be resilient and patient when we find adversity,” Haverford head coach Luke Dougherty said. “We ask them to show up every day and they show up every day.”
The Cougars (6-1, 5-1 – Central) were in position to respond following a 56-yard kickoff return by Brian Delaney to the Haverford 17-yard line before Kennedy was intercepted by Fords defensive lineman Chase Russell after a deflection. The interception became a theme of the night for Springfield-Delco in which they missed many opportunities.
After getting a stop, Kennedy and Dolan hooked up once again this time for a 66-yard touchdown pass that put the Cougars ahead 13-7 in the second quarter. Springfield-Delco attempted a two-point conversion following a Fords offside penalty but was stopped on a rush attempt.
Haverford answered the call with a 14-play 65-yard drive which ended with a 1-yard run from Liam Taylor and gave the Fords their first lead of the night at 14-13 with just over a minute left in the first half. Taylor carried the ball on nine of those 14 plays which was a part of a 35-carry 136-yard effort.
“Liam is a beast,” Dougherty said. “We give him the ball a lot because we trust him, and we trust our offensive line plus our quarterback to make the right reads. 136 yards is a grind game for him and the fact he got that knowing they were going to take it away is a testament to these guys and to Liam.”
Even the final minute of the first half was entertaining with no points being scored. The Cougars attempted a hook-and-ladder play, but Dolan fumbled trying to exchange the ball and set Haverford up in Springfield-Delco territory. However, Delaney made a brilliant one-handed interception off a halfback pass from Taylor one play later. The Cougars moved down as far as the Fords 26-yard line before an incompletion to the end zone sailed wide on the final play of the first half.
Haverford forced a Cougars punt to start the second half which set the stage for Kilpatrick to find Jimmy Fusaro on 3rd-and-12 that extended the lead to 21-13 in the third quarter.
“Adam got great protection on that throw, and he waited just a second to let it fly.” Dougherty said. “Jimmy got under it and when you are backed into those 3rd-and-long situations you just have to trust the kids to make the plays.”
Springfield-Delco marched its way into Fords territory early in the fourth quarter, but once again a turnover plagued the Cougars. Dolan caught a pass on 3rd-and-6 and appeared to have enough for a first down before fumbling the ball back at the Fords 25-yard line. The Cougars got the ball back with 6:10 left in regulation and once again made it inside Fords territory. However, Dolan had a would-be touchdown pass slip through his hands at the two-yard line and two plays later Kennedy was intercepted by Jimmy Fusaro on 4th down.
“I passed the post off to my safety and I saw the wheel route coming in the corner of my eye,” Jimmy Fusaro said. “When the ball was in the air, I could tell it had enough hang time to where I could center myself under it and pick it off.”
Haverford got on the back of Taylor once again and rushed him eight straight times to run out the final 5:27 of the game to preserve the win.
The Fords win maintains their tie in the Central League standings with Garnet Valley and brings them within a half game of the Cougars. Haverford has little time to celebrate as they host Ridley on Thursday night, who sits just a half game back of them. Springfield-Delco also plays this upcoming Thursday and will take on Radnor.
“We have a good football team, and we have a brutal schedule,” Dougherty said. “Turning around and playing Ridley on Thursday night is no small task since they are a great football team. This is a strong league, and I am excited to see what our kids can do going forward.”
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| Springfield-Delco | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Haverford | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | SPR | Dolan, 23 pass from Kennedy (Barber kick) | 6:33 |
| 1 | HAV | Hulea, 31 run (Cunningham kick) | 3:11 |
| 2 | SPR | Dolan, 66 pass from Kennedy (Run Failed) | 7:38 |
| 2 | HAV | Taylor, 1 run (Cunningham kick) | 1:06 |
| 3 | HAV | Fusaro, 86 pass from Kilpatrick (Cunningham kick) | 5:48 |
Team statistics
| Springfield Delco | Haverford | |
| First downs | 15 | 15 |
| Rushes-yards | 26-104 | 47-212 |
| Passing yards | 203 | 86 |
| Total yards | 307 | 298 |
| Passes COMP-ATT-INT | 16-25-2 | 1-3-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-2 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 2-41.0 | 4-39.2 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-35 | 5-32 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Springfield Delco: Barber 11-45, Romano 10-44, Dolan 1-8, Coll 3-6, Kennedy 1-1
Haverford: Taylor 35-136, Kilpatrick 4-37, Hulea 5-36, Cunningham 2-5, TEAM 1-(-2)
PASSING
Springfield Delco: Kennedy 16-25-2—203
Haverford: Kilpatrick 1-2-0—86, Taylor 0-1-1
RECEIVING
Springfield Delco: Dolan 6-113, Coll 4-42, Barber 4-33, Francks 1-10, Delaney 1-5
Haverford: Jimmy Fusaro 1-86
INTERCEPTIONS
Springfield Delco: Delaney
Haverford: Russell, Jimmy Fusaro
