When the 2010 schedule came out, Pottsgrove at Owen J. Roberts was billed as the possible Pioneer Athletic Conference 10 game of the year.
After all The Falcons are the two time defending league champions and both of the Wildcat league losses in those two years were to the Falcons
A suprizing league loss by each team may have tarnished the game a little, but there will still plenty of story lines entering the game.
Four of the best players in the entire state (Terrell Chestnut and Maika Polamalu for Pottsgrove and Ryan Brumfield and Sam Funk for OJR) going against each other. The first time since 2007 that the game has been played at OJR. And finally with each team with one loss in the league, the chance to stay one game behind league leader Boyertown
In the end, the Wildcats used five touchdowns and 325 yards rushing from Brumfield to shock the Falcons 49-20 Friday nite in Bucktown.
“They’re a good football team,” said OJR Head Coach Tom Barr. “So no, I never thought we would hang 49 on them”, he added.
The tone for the entire game may have been set on the third play of the game. Polamalu attempted to take a pitch from Tory Hudgins, lost the handle on the ball and when he dove for the ball, he collided with the Wildcats’ Sean Moloney and was injured but left the game on his own power but did not return. Moloney recovered the fumble, but the first of three Personal Foul penalties on the Wildcats moved the football back to the 49 yard line of Pottsgrove.
The Wildcats needed just five plays as Brumfield took a handoff, bumped into his Quarterback Jay Thomas and still raced 25 yards for the score with 8:33 left in the first quarter. John Pennell kicked his first of seven extra points and the rout was on.
After an exchange of punts, OJR (5-2 overall, 4-1 league) then put the game away in a matter of 66 seconds.
Pottsgrove started with the ball on their 18 yard line and on the third play, Kayvon Greene fumbled and was recovered by Funk on the nine yard line of Pottsgrove. Three Brumfield runs, the last coming from six yards with 36 seconds left in the quarter as they incresed the lead to 14-0.
“Tonite we just played smash mouth OJR football”, said Brumfield, who also had touchdown runs of 71 and six yards in the second half. “We’ve been waiting three years for this moment. The past couple of years they took advanatage of our mistakes and tonite we took advantage of theirs.”
Boy did they ever.
On the ensuing Pottsgrove possession Chestnut was hit by Funk on a third and eight from the 30, Brumfield picked the ball up on the 25 yard line and raced untouched for the touchdown with 11:17 left before halftime as the Wildcats led 21-0.
The Falcons (5-2 overall, 4-2 league) then got as close as they would get when Chestnut raced 51 yards that capped a 60 yard 3 play drive with 9:43 left in the second quarter to cut the OJR lead to 21-7. Chestnut led Pottsgrove with 87 yards on 11 carries and was 2 of 3 passing for 36 yards. But most of the night the Falcons were held in check by the OJR defense.
The Wildcats recovered four Falcon fumbles, three of which led to scores for OJR.
Lost in all the offense for OJR was that Funk, who was a monster on defense also went over 100 yards rushing for 105 yards on nine carries and scored from 12 yards out on the opening possession of the third quarter to increase the OJR lead to 35-7.
Caron Wilson scored on a six yard run and Greene caught a 10 yard touchdown pass from Chestnut for Pottsgrove.
With the win, OJR now travels to play Pope John Paul II next Saturday afternoon before the big showdown in 2 weeks with Boyertown of the turf in Bucktown. Pottsgrove now has to regroup and play Methacton at home next Friday night.
