CHESTER — Chester’s players believed. Everyone else, apparently, did not. Social media has a funny way of spreading falsehoods, like how Downingtown West was supposed to smoke Chester High on a raw, rainy Saturday afternoon at the Chester Athletic Complex.
The Chester football team saw the posts and then heard with their own ears how it seemed the undefeated Whippets did not want to be there, arguing and complaining to each other.
Chester pulled off a shocker on Saturday beating Downingtown West, among the top seeds in District 1 Class 6A, 28-19, behind a stubborn defense that caused three fumbles, the brutal running of Dayshon Jackson, the constant pressure from Connecticut-bound Dominic Toy, the key plays made by Emohj Barrett and the Clippers’ physical dominance.
With the victory, Chester (7-1) surged to the top of the PIAA District 1 Class 5A ranks carrying a seven-game winning streak, while the Whippets (7-1) fell to No. 5 in the District 1 Class 6A point rankings.
The triumph also marked the most significant football victory the Clippers’ program has had since Howie Maxwell and George Jones ran over then-powerhouse Glen Mills in 1990.
“We believed in ourselves, we were confident, we didn’t back down one bit, we never stopped pushing,” said Toy, whose blindside second-quarter strip sack led to a touchdown and a Clippers’ lead that they would not relinquish. “I’m happy to be a part of this, happy to be a part of history. This was our last home game. They came to our city. They came to our field. We were way too strong up front.”
Chester’s offensive line of left tackle Jerry Young, left guard Zane Tillery, center Damon Moore, right guard Jailynd Johnson and right tackle Lameer Powell opened holes for Jackson to rush for 165 yards on 19 carries and the Clippers to amass 274 yards rushing on soggy, slippery turf.
Defensively, Chester used two fumbles in the first half to score its first two touchdowns. Barrett’s fumble recovery and 36-yard return led to Nahree Melvin’s four-yard scoring run, and Toy’s blindside strip-sack led to Dayshon Jackson’s fumble recovery in the end zone and a 14-7 Chester edge at halftime.
“They outplayed us, they were excited to see us, and I don’t know if we were excited to be here, and we continue to get in our own way,” Whippets coach Mike Milano said candidly. “Nobody was able to do that to us (rushing for over 200 yards) and they did. Some of that spirit, that mojo that they had going a little bit, they had belief and we certainly didn’t.
“I’ve been coming down here (to Chester) for a long, long time, with Unionville kids, with Penncrest kids, and it’s always different. Somebody said we were coming off of Coatesville, is that a deal? I don’t think so. We didn’t have a great week of preparation and it was pretty obvious. Give them all the credit. They were excited to see us. They played great.
“It’s a hard lesson. It’s a nonleague loss. We’ve been preaching the same lesson for a while: We need to get out of our own way.”
Chester, meanwhile, looks like it may have made an easier path to reach the PIAA District 1 Class 5A championship. The version of the Clippers that showed up on Saturday will be difficult for any team in the district to beat.
“They doubted us and they weren’t about to come in here and beat us,” said Jackson, a transfer from Ridley who became the first Chester tailback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Shaheer McBride in 2002. “Everyone played their part, especially our offensive line. When they first came out, we knew that they did not want to play. Their demeanor said it. We beat them off the ball, and we heard them complaining and yelling at each other.
“I think we can take this to the district championship. We have things to fix. We can’t be lazy in practice. This boosts our confidence a lot.”
Chester shut the door in the fourth quarter scoring on consecutive drives to open what had been a close game into a 28-13 lead with 3:10 to play.
“We need to maintain this and that starts in practice,” Barrett said. “I don’t really how much more we found out about ourselves today. All I really know is that we came to play today.”
Scoring Summary
Downingtown West (7-1) 7 0 6 6-19
Chester (7-1) 0 14 0 14-28
1st Quarter
DW – Quinn Henicle 24 run (Ben Mehan kick), 7:19
2nd Quarter
Ch – Nahree Melvin 4 run (Larry McDaniel run), 11:06
Ch – Dayshon Jackson fumble recovery in end zone (pass failed), 5:42
3rd Quarter
DW – Henicle 3 run (kick failed), 1:14
4th Quarter
Ch – Jackson 2 run (Jalen Harris pass to Dominic Toy), 8:23
Ch –Melvin 3 run (pass failed), 3:10
DW – Dean Hangey 12 pass from Henicle (run failed), :55
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall-of-fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.
