Plymouth Whitemarsh senior quarterback Caiden Leszczynski fires a pass on Thursday night against Springfield Twp. (Photo: Owen McCue/For EasternPAFootball)
PLYMOUTH MEETING — The Plymouth Whitemarsh football team rode its ground attack in its first three Suburban One League American Division games.
Behind the dominant offensive line of senior Jared Thomas-Payne, senior Shi-Nobi Morffiah, senior Max Vizza, junior Cole Ashbridge and senior Eddie Moyett, the Colonials ran for more than 300 yards in three straight wins to start conference play.
In a battle of the Suburban One League American Division’s top two teams on Thursday night against Springfield Twp., the Colonials showed they can get it done through the air as well.
Senior quarterback Caiden Leszczynski completed 6-of-11 throws for 155 yards and a quartet of touchdowns to lead an explosive aerial attack that also got some help from a big-lay defense in a 42-0 victory that kept PW at the top of the SOL American standings.
“They were really focused on defending the run, so we were able to launch it,” PW senior quarterback Caiden Leszczynski said. “Now, next week, the team is probably going to play a little bit further off and we’ll be able to run again. It’s just what teams see on film, how they defend us, we can do both.”
During last week’s win over Wissahickon, Plymouthe Whitemarsh (6-2, 3-0 SOL American( senior running back Everett Baker rushed for four touchdowns to spearhead a 400-yard rushing day for the offense. Baker was effective again with nine carries for 86 yards, but with Springfield Twp. (6-2, 2-1) focused on taking him away, the passing game was open.
The Colonials’ first score was a Leszczynski 11-yard touchdown pass to Chase Rarrick with 1:03 left in the first quarter. Not long after Leszczynski connected with Chase Smith for a 55-yard bomb that made it 14-0 with 10:22 left in the second quarter.
“He trusts us,” Smith said. “We practice that route all the time. Every single route we practice before practice, during practice and after practice.”
With both defenses stepping up, it remained a two-touchdown game until late in the second quarter. Immediately following an interception from Leszczynski by Springfield quarterback and defensive back Jack McGuckin, PW junior Michael Bongard picked off a McGuckin pass and took it 55 yards to the house to put the Colonials ahead 20-0 with 2:30 left in the half.
PW got the ball back and Leszczynski continued to pull his team away when he tossed a 54-yard touchdown to Marcus Laffredo, who he has been throwing balls to since elementary school.
“It’s a big momentum booster getting a defensive touchdown,” Leszczynski said. “Getting a touchdown when the offense doesn’t have to touch the field is great.”
Springfield Twp. came into Thursday with a potent offense of its own, scoring 35-or-more points in five of six games during a six-game win streak after a Week 1 loss to PJP. McGuckin completed 15-of-28 passes for 136 yards with Bobby Hartman the top target (five catches, 67 yards), but the Colonials defensive front kept the Spartans from breaking off any big plays on the ground.
They also kep McGuckin under pressure throughout with the likes of senior Jadon Joseph (sack), senior Shi-Nobi Morffiah (sack), senior Kevin Hegarty (sack, forced fumble), senior junior Amir Butler (sack) and Andrew Iannozi (0.5 sacks) some of the main culprits chasing him around the pocket.
“It’s always fun to rush the QB and make him run around,” said junior defensive lineman Jaydon Lockhart, who helped bring down McGuckin one time himself.
Christian Diciurcio caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Leszczynski to finish off the PW offense’s scoring in the third quarter. Butler scooped a strip sack by Hegarty for a 51-yard touchdown return to give the Colonials defense its second score of the game in the fourth.
Springfield Twp. has games against William Tennent (3-5) and Wissahickon (4-4) to regain its footing before the District 1-4A playoffs.
Plymouth Whitemarsh finishes against Upper Moreland (7-1) and Tennent. A win over Upper Moreland next week would give the Colonials their fourth straight SOL division championship.
“It’s really a team effort really,” Smith said. “We couldn’t do anything without our quarterback, our receivers, especially our linemen really. We came out early. … We thought it was gonna be a dog fight, but we executed.”
The Colonials tested themselves in the non-conference and came out of the first four weeks of their season with a 2-2 mark. But Leszczynski said a 20-18 loss against Manheim Twp. (7-0) gave PW confidence that it has been riding in four straight wins since and hopes to continue to carry toward a league title and into a deep playoff run. The Colonials currently sit at No. 9 in the District 1-6A power rankings.
“I think that’s when we kind of realized as a team the potential that we had,” Leszczynski said of the Manheim Twp. game. “Since then, we’ve really just been working incredibly hard, pushing through and being incredibly focused.”
Springfield Twp. 0 0 0 0-0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7 21 7 7-42
Individual Scoring
First Quarter
PW: Chase Rarrick 11 pass from Caiden Leszczynski (Max Peterson kick) 1:03
Second Quarter
PW: Chase Smith 55 pass from Caiden Leszczynski (Max Peterson kick) 10:22
PW: Michael Bongard 55 INT return (pass fail) 2:30
PW: Marcus Laffredo 54 pass from Caiden Leszczynski (Chase Rarrick pass from Caiden Leszczynski) 0:24
Third Quarter
PW: Christian Diciurcio 9 pass from Caiden Leszczynski (Max Peterson kick) 4:40
Fourth Quarter
PW: Amir Butler 51 fumble return (Max Peterson kick)
Team Statistics
………………………..SF………………PW
1st downs………..10…………………11
rush-yds……….25-13……….22-136
comp-att-int….16-29-1…………..6-11-1
pass yds……….133………………155
total yds…………146……………….291
fumb-lost……..4-1………………1-0
pen-yds…………5-56…………..1-5
Individual Statistics
Rushing- Springfield: Logan White 3-17, Theo Ferragame 7-14, CJ Johnson 4-11, Caden Bronson 1-(-4), Jack McGuckin 10-(-25).
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Everett Baker 9-86, Devin Spruill 1-25, Christian Diciurcio 3-10, Andrew Iannozzi 2-8, Caiden Leszczynski 3-5, Edward Coleman 1-2, Donald Boone 1-2, Cole Reilly 2-(-2).
Passing- Springfield: Jack McGuckin 15-28, 136 yards; Logan White 1-1-0, -3 yards.
Plymouth Whtiemarsh: Caiden Leszczynski 6-11-1, 155 yards, 4 TDs.
Receiving- Lower Moreland: Braden Campbell 2-36; Thomas Maloney 1-18; David Rietzen 1-8.
SpringField: Bobby Hartman 5-67, Mekhi Paschal 3-27, CJ Johnson 5-22, Zymir Small 2-20, Ronan Moran 1-(-3).
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Marcus Laffredo 2-79, TD; Chase Smith 1-55, TD; Chase Rarrick 1-11, TD; Christian Diciurcio 1-9, TD; Michael Bongard 1-1.
Interceptions: Springfield: Jack McGuckin; Plymouth Whitemarsh: Michael Bongard.
Sacks: Plymouth Whitemarsh: Andrew Iannozzi, Amir Butler, Kevin Hegarty, Jadon Joseph (0.5), Jaydon Lockhart (0.5)
