Shane Reynolds and Max Busenkell with the District 1 6A trophy
The District 1 6A award was taken almost matter-of-fact like. As if it had already belonged to them, and the crowning coronation was a mere formality. Nothing nor anyone was going to spoil Garnet Valley’s celebration. The cold never had a chance to take over. Neither did Coatesville Friday night.
Garnet Valley won its first PIAA District 1 Class 6A championship leaving no doubt that the Jaguars are bonafide PIAA 6A state championship contenders, after an emphatic 54-15 demolition of Coatesville.
It also marked the first time Garnet Valley (14-0) defeated Coatesville (12-2) in the district playoffs.
Garnet Valley’s victory now sets up an Eastern PIAA Class 6A state semifinal showdown with three-time defending state champion St. Joe’s Prep, a 24-21 winner over Freedom, tentatively scheduled for next Friday at 7 p.m., possibly at Ridley High School.
Navy-bound Shane Reynolds led the way for the Jags with 231 yards rushing in three quarters, scoring four touchdowns by halftime. Senior quarterback and defensive back Max Busenkell intercepted two passes, the first marking a key shift in the game.
Whereas in previous weeks, Garnet Valley started slow and built momentum, there was no slow start in the district championship.
The Jaguars scored on six of their first seven possessions taking over after what had been a competitive opening quarter.
Then Garnet Valley slammed the door.
“It’s a special group and I don’t mean this to sound cliché, but it’s a player-driven team that has servant leaders and they have such a knowledge of the game,” said Jags’ legendary coach Mike Ricci, who’s in his last season. “This is a group that trusts one another, loves one another and we have kids like Shane, who works hard, runs hard, and we have a whole truckload of kids just like him, who are just phenomenal kids.”
Tackles Nolan Brennan and Austin Sorokanych, center Sam Di Trolio, and guards Ben Nash and Nick Mahoney played huge parts, opening gaping holes for Reynolds, who also received great downfield blocking from Jack Westburg.
“We played on the perimeter and played downfield. There were some plays where I wasn’t even touched,” Reynolds said.
Garnet Valley’s second-quarter explosion took over the game. The Jaguars outscored Coatesville 31-6.
“They outcoached us, they outplayed us, and they have a special group of kids over there,” Coatesville coach Rick Ortega said. “Schematically, we made some errors, and they knew how we would play them in certain situations. They attacked the edge and had us outflanked with the jet sweep. Hats off to them. They had a great plan and went out and executed it.”
Every time Reynolds had the ball, it seemed, something magical happened. By halftime, he had a school record 214 yards rushing on 13 carries for four touchdowns. He averaged 16.4 yards a carry and had runs of 70, 65 and 42 yards. His touchdown runs were for 2, 1, 65, and 42 yards.
Coatesville could do little against Reynolds or the Garnet Valley attack. The Jags scored in five successive drives, topped off by a 45-yard field goal by Zach Liberatore with :09 left in the half.
Everything the Jags wanted to do—they did.
Busenkell played a vital role—defensively, with two interceptions, one a diving pick that changed the tenor of the game.
It led to Reynolds’ 1-yard score with 11:28 left in the half, and his second pick resulted in Reynolds’ 42-yard bolt with 4:59 remaining.
“I don’t think I ever had two picks in a game before, and (Ndozi) Okolo made that play by deflecting the ball,” Busenkell said. “Everyone was locked in before the game and you can feel it. Our trust and confidence in each other is crazy.”
Scoring Summary
Coatesville (12-2) 7 6 0 2-15
Garnet Valley (14-0) 7 31 16 0-54
1st Quarter
GV – Shane Reynolds 2 run (Zach Liberatore kick), 10:13
Coat – Ashon Wesley 2 run (Ryan Ashbee kick), 8:34
2nd Quarter
GV – Reynolds 1 run (Liberatore kick), 11:28
Coat – Tommy Ortega 10 pass from Harry Susi (kick failed), 8:19
GV – Reynolds 65 run (Liberatore kick), 8:00
GV – Joey Halloran 29 pass from Max Busenkell (Liberatore kick), 11:28
GV – Reynolds 42 run (Liberatore kick), 4:59
GV – Liberatore 45 FG, :09
3rd Quarter
GV – Halloran 25 pass from Busenkell (Liberatore kick), 6:54
GV – Safety (intentional grounding in end zone), 5:11
GV – Ryan Saunders 1 run (Liberatore kick), :58
4th Quarter
Coat – Safety (Snap out of the end zone), 6:19
Joseph Santoliquito is an 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.
