CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. – Abington Heights’ senior back James Freuhan had the luck of escorting the lucky girl crowned as AH’s 2010 Homecoming queen.
Had the Comets not awoke in the second half from a slight scare from a capable North Pocono Trojan team, AH may have lost its crown as one of the top teams among the contingent of District 2 AAA prorgams.
Abington Hights (9-0) scored 14 quick first quarter points, then played to a draw with North Pocono (5-4) for the remainder of a 28-14 victory Saturday afternoon from The Pit in Clarks Summit. But the win was sloppy – the blue and white committed 8 penalties for 65 yards, threw two interceptions and allowed the Trojans to hang around a little longer than maybe they wanted to.
The Comets, who are ranked in many state polls this year, did move one step closer to a perfect 10-0 season and also avenged a 33-7 defeat at the hands of the Trojans in 2009.
Abington Heights made like gang busters for the first stanza, amassing 141 yards of offense (76 rushing, 65 passing), eight first downs and 14 points, courtesy of a Freuhan 1-yard run and a Mike Beamish 20-yard pass to Matt Bodamo (5 rec., 91 yards, TD).
But just as quickly as AH started, they faded. The Comets added only one additional score – a Beamish 10-yard run with 1:01 left in the half – and three more first downs to their first half totals. And North Pocono only found itself trailing 14-7 with 3:35 left in the half thanks to Nick Bell’s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Trojans, too, were able to find a little offensive life with senior tailback Marquill Eggleston. It was Eggleston who helped get the ball rolling forward for the red and black, finshing the first half with 31 of NP’s 33 total yards. Back-up quarterback Michael Craig, forced into action due to an injury to junior starter Jack Williams, only threw for 1 yard in the first half and completed just 2-of-6 passes. Craig finished the day 3-of-11 for 14 yards with two picks.
Eggleston’s 9-yard run with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter pulled North Pocono to within 21-14, but it was as close as the Trojans would get to the upset. On the Comets’ ensuing possession, battering ram Paul Gallagher had a direct role in eight of the 10 plays, crashing in from a yard out to double the margin to 28-14.
Gallagher saw extensive action in the second half as Freuhan appeared to injure his ankle late in the second quarter. Freuhan, who finished with 67 yards on 11 totes, was seen on the sidelines in the second half sporting an iced left ankle and a pair of crutches. In the absence of #4, who entered with nearly 1,100 rushing yards this year, Gallagher ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
Abington Heights did outrush North Pocono 226-78 and posted 20 first downs to the Trojans’ eight. Beamish finished with 126 yards of offense for the Comets (95 passing, 31 rushing), and Eggleston paced the Trojans with 81 yards on 17 carries.
One Response
Last years score was not 33-7 but 29-21
This years game, maybe close at times because of an interception and dumb penalties was not as close as the score indicated as A.H. out gained N. Pocono 342 yards to 92 for the game.
Week one of the District 2 playoffs may find both teams playing again at the “Pit”