Rustin already faces must-win game

Strange as itmay seem to have a must-win game in the second week of the football season ... remember that this is 2020, after all.

In this crazy COVID season, the regular season is already 25 percent complete, and there are only four spots available in the District 1 Class 5A playoff bracket.

So, after losing a heart breaker to Unionville last week, West Chester Rustin needs a road win at crosstown rivalWest Chester East to keep its Ches-Mont League American Division title, and district playoff aspirations, alive.

It has been a rough lastmonth for the Rustin family.

First, the death of the father of head coach Mike St, Clair stunned the entire Golden Knights team and coaching staff.

Then, star running back and Penn State track commit Drew Gallen tore his ACL in a non-contact drill, and is lost for the season.

But, if one thing has stood out in the tradition of West Chester Rustin football, it is the resolve and fortitude the Knights have shown under St. Clair since the Golden Knights’ inception in 2006. Moreso than the multiple league championships and district playoff appearances, Rustin has become known as a tough and resolute bunch.

The Knights will have to show all of that and more Friday night as West Chester East, the defending Ches-Mont American Division champion, has a whole lot of talent and will be very tough, especially at home. Last season, Rustin had to watch the Vikings celebrate the title and directly in front of them.

The Golden Knights got a bit of revenge a few weeks later, knocking West Chester East out of the District 1 playoffs in a 147, second-round victory.

This is yet another example of the kind of teams West Chester Rustin has become known for.

The Golden Knights are big up front and have a bevy of running backs who like to run behind the vaunted Golden Knights wing-T. And last week against Unionville, just to make things even more interesting, Rustin returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.

Itmay look to a lot of people that the Golden Knights are ripe for the taking. A Rustin loss ends any hope for league titles and postseason play. But, like a animal that is cornered, expect the Knights to come out fighting for their lives.

It is the only way Rustin knows how to play, and the only way St. Clair knows how to coach. A tradition of excellence since 2006 does not come easy, and neither does a win against the Golden Knights. It is akin to a last stand for Rustin. St. Clair and his charges have too much heart, too much tradition and simply put, are not ready to call it a season.

Not yet anyway.

NATE HECKENBERGER - FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP West Chester Rustin’s Tucker Flynn pulls away from Unionville’s Ryan Sassi last Friday night.

NATE HECKENBERGER - FOR MNG West Chester Rustin’s Dayshawn Jacobs breaks free for a 98-yard kick return touchdown to open the game last Friday night.