McAnally leads Churchmen back
POTTSTOWN >> A classic character game played out Saturday at The Hill School, with Episcopal Academy coming away with a 2319 victory at Dell Field.
The character aspect for Episcopal (4-0) was its comeback from a 10-point deficit early in the fourth quarter. The Churchmen scored twice in a span of 2 minutes, 50 seconds, then had to weather the Rams’ last-ditch drive over the final 3:04.
The Hill moved 50 yards on 12 plays — getting considerable steam from a 15-yard penalty assessed to the Churchmen on fourth down — before seeing one final pass play intercepted by Episcopal’s Adam Robinson in the end zone with time expired.
“Being down by 10 points in the fourth quarter says a lot about the team,” EA head coach Todd Fairlie said. “Sticking through it says a lot, too.
“We just have to make the endings easier on us,” he added with a laugh.
The Hill (2-1) scored first, took a 13-7 lead into halftime and picked up some breathing room with a touchdown in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
“I told our guys before the game, it was going to be a fourquarter battle,” Hill head coach Jeff Hollway said. “They (EA) have 16 seniors, and we’re still learning each other.”
The Rams got their home crowd going on their first possession when, facing a fourth down at their own 29, Jack Bowen scooped up a bad snap out of punt formation and weaved his way 71 yards for a touchdown.
After Episcopal tied the game, with Connor Ringwalt hauling in a 24-yard pass from C.J. McAnally, the Rams went back in front with 47 seconds remaining in the half when Pete Boone scored on a one-yard plunge.
Pinned back on his one-yard line by a fumble, Hill quarterback Syre Gruber was tackled in the end zone for a safety early in the second half.
The Hill gained some breathing room at the start of the fourth quarter, when Gernard Finney sprinted 38 yards for a TD. Though the conversion run failed, the Rams had it back to a two-possession game.
Episcopal responded six minutes later off a 38-yard pass from McAnally (12 for 24, 155 yards) to Dee Wil Barlee, then went ahead on Kevin Daniel’s seven-yard run with little more than three minutes remaining.
Gruber (9 for 16, 89 yards) made a key hookup to Daniel Adeboboye that got Hill to EA’s 23-yard line with less than 10 seconds to go. A subsequent incomplete pass took the clock down to two seconds, and Gruber’s last toss ended up being intercepted by Robinson.