Upper Merion blanks Methacton
UPPER MERION » Upper Merion continued Methacton’s offensive struggles as the Vikings football team posted their second straight shutout to christen their new turf field with a 14-0 PAC non-division victory Saturday night.
“It says we’ve changed a lot,” said senior defensive end Kevin Jainlett of UM’s back-to-back shutouts. “Last year we’ve been blown out by how many ever points you want to say but we’ve turned it around and we stopped the moping mentality where whenever the other team scores we just sit there and let it keep happening.”
The Vikings (2-1) found the end zone once in each half. Zaire Savage scored on a one-yard run at 6:53 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 while Anthony Swenda’s five-yard touchdown run and Savage’s two-point conversion run put Upper Merion up 14-0 with 1:11 left in the third.
“We definitely have things to work on on offensive side of the ball but our defense has been playing great the past two weeks,” Vikings coach Victor Brown said.
The consecutive victories are the first for Upper Merion since defeating Methacton and Norristown in its final two games of 2015. The Vikings – who were 1-10 in 2017 – are also over .500 for the first time since that season when UM sat 2-1 after the Week 3 win over Sun Valley.
“Huge commitment and passion for the game,” said Jainlett about what’s different with UM this season. “The last year, we didn’t have a lot of guys who were really committed. Once when losing started happening, it’s like sometimes people just want to hop on the bandwagon when everybody’s going well. But this year, we all had each other’s back and I think that’s the biggest difference.
Methacton (0-3), meanwhile, was held scoreless for the third consecutive game as the Warriors’ winless streak stretched to 14 games. Methacton had three drives inside Upper Merion territory but the first ended on a turnover on downs with the last two halted by interceptions by the Vikings’ Ahmad Stone.
“There’s no doubt about it, we got to go back to the drawing board a little bit and figure out how we can put our kids in the best positions to make plays,” Methacton first-year coach Dave Lotier said. “We have to execute a little better. It’s a work in progress. We’re going to stay positive, we’re going to keep grinding.”
Both teams play on the road Friday in PAC non-division contest. Methacton is at Pottstown while Upper Merion visits Owen J. Roberts.
Savage began the second quarter with a 35-yard run down the Methacton 25. He carried six more times on the 10-play drive, his last a one-yard run over the goal last at 6:53. A blocked extra point kept the UM lead at 6-0.
The Warriors’ biggest offensive play came on a fake punt as punter Tonee’ Ellis dashed 20 yards down the field on 4th and 6 to the Upper Merion 38. But two players later, Methacton QB Michael Merola was intercepted by Stone and UM took over at its own 10.
Upper Merion extended its lead on its second possession after halftime. Starting at its own 41, the Vikings went 14 plays, converting three third down on drive which Swenda capped with a five-yard town run with 71 seconds left in the third quarter. Savage’s ran in the two-point conversion for a 14-0 advantage.