This match up was billed as the most anticipated game of the 2017 season in the Ches Mont league. The contest between Downingtown East and Coatesville lived up to its billing. Both teams were clearly the best two teams in the league (by a wide margin). Coatesville made two more plays than Downingtown East did, and made them count, in a 38-27 win at Kottmeyer Stadium. The game was about as evenly matched as it could be, as every time one scored, the other answered.
Downingtown East got on the scoreboard first, as Garvey Johnassaint broke free for a 25-yard score. The lead was short lived, as Red Raider receiver Dapree Bryant broke free on an option play on Coatesville’s first play from scrimmage after East’s early score.
Neither team could break away from the other, as the Cougars squandered two opportunities in Coatesville territory, by way of a tip drill interception, and a lost fumble. Coatesville cashed in on the interception, when Aaron Young scored from 11 yards out. This time, Downingtown East answered back, on another Johnassaint touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14.
Downingtown East took a 21-20 lead going into the fourth frame as Johnassaint scored his third and final touchdown, and Ricky Ortega answered on a sneak for Coatesville. The difference was a missed extra point. Special teams on both sides were not so special, as both teams were starting around their own 30-40 yard lines.
Coatesville took a 26-21 lead in the fourth on a Dapree Bryant three-yard run, but with five minutes left, the fun began. Downingtown East forced a punt and drove down the field aided by both clutch plays. Another one of Coatesville’s calling cards (besides their high octane offense), was dumb penalties. Brassir Stocker put the Cougars up 27-26, on a three-yard run on fourth down and one with about 55 seconds left.
55 seconds is an eternity for Coatesville’s offense and a kicker who struggles to kick it deep. Ricky Ortega led a drive which culminated in a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dapree Bryant with 3.5 seconds left to re-take the lead 32-27. Aaron Young returned an errant pitch on the ensuing kickoff to seal the deal.
Despite holding Aaron Young to 101 yards of total offense (82 rushing) and Avery to 36 total yards (on 1 catch), the Cougars let Dapree Bryant have a big game (95 yards receiving, 74 rushing). Ricky Ortega threw for 180 yards, and ran for 106.
Garvey Johnassaint ran for 108 yards and 3 scores. Kyle Lauletta threw for 134.
As strong a team as Coatesville is, they still have one Achilles heel, the tendency to commit a high amount of penalties. Among the 13 penalties called on the Red Raiders for 145 yards, SIX were personal fouls. Two were charged to Rutgers bound Avery Young. One for a helmet to helmet hit and another for arguing a call then removing his helmet on the field. One was on head coach Matt Ortega for arguing a call.
3 Responses
Great game and one of the hardest hitting games I have ever seen. Despite winning CVille was still complaining about officials. I agree that one hit was not helmet to helmet but bad calls went both ways despite the CVille whining. Ortega is a beast but he is old enough to be a senior so let’s not get carried away with him only being a Sophomore. As for being exposed CVille needs some discipline as those penalties will kill them, especially in a game they do not go +2 on turnovers (red zone).
This game was marked on my calendar before the season even started, and I’m sure many others echo that statement. As the writer said, this game absolutely lived up to the hype, coming down to that game-clinching TD pass with a few seconds left. Ortega is an absolute beast at QB and, as he’s only a sophomore, Coatesville is going to be really solid for the foreseeable future. Great fan support from both sides, an extremely exciting atmosphere to be at, and who knows – they could possibly meet again in about a month from now. Of course, North Penn, Neshaminy, Pennsbury and a few others will have something to say about that, but a rematch in the state tournament… possibly with the District 1 title on the line… would be exhilarating. Great win for the Red Raiders.
Also, my intention is not to bash or be overly critical of Downingtown East or Bryce Lauletta at all, but they really need to improve their passing game and stop relying entirely on the running game (despite having three very talented running backs), because this lack of a solid pass game to complement their running game WILL be exposed by a playoff team. Traces of it could be seen Friday night, and once they match up against a talented run-stopping defense in November, their season will be over.
Coatesville needs to tighten it up — no doubt, but there is a picture of the bad helmet to helmet penalty call on papreps and I saw it on video (just a good hit), the coach got a personal foul because they took a TD away on an onside kick (watch the video), and another one was because they did not call a PF on a D-town player and a Coatesville kid retaliated.