Haverford gashes GA
amarcus@montgomerynews.
com Black paints chips dangled from the maroon and gold helmet of Haverford School’s Matt Galambos. Many Germantown Academy black hats landed on the Fords’ bruising back on Saturday afternoon, and it was usually multiple members of the Patriots’ defense at one time.
No matter how quickly the Patriots read dive and brushed off their blocks, bringing down the 6-2, 225 pound Pittsburgh recruit at fiUVW FRnWDFW wDV DnRWKHU VWRry. Galambos work between the twenties set up scoring opportunities and helped the Fords push past the Patriots with a 20-14 Inter-Ac win.
“Excellent player, excellent back, excellent linebacker, and excellent person” Patriots’ coach Matt Dence said of Galambos. “He is what you want in the Inter-Ac. You just want him on your team.”
Galambos accrued 158 yards on 33 carries, but never found the end zone, but did enough for kicker Aron Morgan to connect on twoRI-IRuU fiHOG JRDOV. 7KH fiUVW fiHOG JRDO IRU WKH 3Hnn UHcruit was a 47-yarder. MorJDn’V fiHOG JRDO RI 22 yDUGV ran the score to its eventual finDO wLWK 2:19 UHPDLnLnJ Ln the game.
“They were not really looking to pass,” Patriots junior linebacker Patrick Cawley said. “They bunched up the middle and tried to bump it outside. If (Galambos) came at me I hit him. We did KROG WKHP WR fiHOG JRDOV. ,W was a real physical game.”
The Patriots always remained optimistic they could walk off Carey Stadium with
a win. Junior nuarterback Hayes Nolte had already displayed his quick strike ability earlier in the game, so two minutes and change was not too tall of a task. In the second quarter it was his 85-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Lou Stevens that allowed the Patriots to take a 14-10 lead into the locker room at the half.
“We are going to take our shots,” Dence said. “We have a great quarterback and some really nice receivers. I still need to learn to temper my enthusiasm. At the end of the game I probably took a shot too early.”
1ROWH fiQLVKHG wLWK 128 SDVVLQJ yDUGV, EuW KLV fiQDO pass attempt of the afternoon resulted in his second interception, both being daggers to the heart of the hard working Patriots. The Fords’ Chris Sukonik returned Hayes’ third quarter interception 78 yards for the go-ahead score. Chris Morgan sealed the win with his takeaway.
“:H VWUHVVHG fiQLVKLQJ DOO week in practice,” Morgan said. “These schools know each other so well and it is all about the fourth quarter. Defense came up big. We have been together for a while and we trust each other.”
Morgan closed the game with his defensive heroics, and also started the Fords on the right foot. Filling in for the injured running back Phillip Poquie, the senior sprinted 71 yards on the second play of the game for an early score.
“Coach said I was going to get some carries in this game DQG WKH fiUVW RQH , WRRN WKH house,” Morgan said. “We needed players to step up and I feel I can make big plays.”
The Patriots(3-3, 1-2) know they can connect on big plays as well as anyone else in the Inter-Ac, but Fords(5-3, 2-0) held the advantage in game-changers on this day.
“We have the talent and the drive to win,” Cawley said. “We know what it feels like to lose. So we just need to put it all together.”