Allentown Central scores 21 straight to run away from WHS
One of the big question marks about Allentown Central Catholic this season was the development of an inexperienced offensive line featuring just two returning starters.
But in a 34-13 season-opening win at Whitehall Friday night, the Vikings showed its now just their linemen who can block.
Senior wide receiver Jack McGorry delivered a key downfield block that helped Jayden Williams go for a 60-yard touchdown with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
That TD, part of a big 207-yard rushing performance by Williams, ignited a 21-0 run that allowed CCHS to break free from a Whitehall team eager to show its improvement after a 0-10 season in 2019.
“Two-hundred seven yards, wow, I don’t know what to say,” said the soft-spoken Williams who carried 23
times and also scored on a 24-yard TD in following up on a 1,216-yard season in 2019.
CCHS is expeced to build on last season when it went 8-5 and reached the District 11 4A finals with the blocking the big question mark.
“The blocking was good tonight, but our energy at the beginning was kind of low,” Williams said. “We came back in the second half.
“That was great blocking by Jack McGorry on that big play. He was like 30 yards down the field and he was still blocking.”
Central’s O-line did well, too.
Tim McGorry praised the work of center A.J. Colon at center, John Fifield at left guard, David Platt at left tackle and the rotation of Chris Pez and John Ganchoso at right guard and Lavon Johnson and Michael McCambridge at right tackle.
“Except for Fifield and Colon, they were all new guys and I thought they did a good job,” McGorry said. “We tried to be physical. They made some mental mistakes because they made them going at 100 miles an hour. But we have to clean some things up.”
McGorry wasn’t pleased with the number of penalties, including five holding infractions — three inside and two on the perimeter.
“You kind of expect some of those things in an opening-night situation especially since we didn’t have a scrimmage,” McGorry said. “We’re not a very good football team right now. We have to get a lot better.”
After a pair of stalled drives to start the game, the CCHS offense struck for some big plays to take a 13-7 halftime lead.
Williams broke free for a 24-yard TD run and then after Whitehall scored and took a 7-6 lead, the Vikings went up top to go on top as Christian Spugardi hauled in a 46-yard pass from Matt Rauscher with 2:10 left in the half.
Both teams scored on their first possession after halftime.
Junior quarterback Quinn Wentling, coming off an injury-plagued sophomore year, scrambled for 27 yards on fourth-and-10 to keep Whitehall’s drive going and scored from a yard out three plays later to tie it at 13.
However, it didn’t stay knotted long as Williams got the big block from McGorry on his game-turning a 60-yard scoring run.
“We came out with a good drive to start the second half and took six minutes off the clock to tie it up and we had all the momentum in the world,” Zephyrs coach Matt Senneca said. “But it’s assignment football and one guy doesn’t do his assignment a back like Williams is going to take it 60 yards. They were tough to stop, but we knew they were going to be tough to stop. We knew Williams runs tough.”
Williams’ father, Chris, was the starting left guard on Central’s 1998 state title team quarterbacked by McGorry.
That team won its state semifinal at the same stadium last night’s game was played.
This one has a long way to go.
The Vikings had a chance to extend their lead with a drive to the Zephyrs 22, but a sack of Rauscher bogged things down and CCHS turned it over on downs to keep it a one-possession game.
CCHS started to close it out with a 42-yard drive set up by McGorry’s 29-yard punt return.
Williams had runs of 14 and 13 to get the Vikings in close and then Leroy Johnson got into the scoring column with an 8-yard run to make it 27-13 with 7:14 left.
The Vikings then beat the Zephyrs to the ball on the ensuing kickoff, taking possession at the Zephyrs 25. Johnson put it away with a 23-yard TD run with 3:15 remaining.
Johnson, who also had a big sack on defense, finished with 49 yards on five carries and the two TDs.
Up Next
While the EPC schedule doesn’t begin until Oct. 1, both the Vikings and Zephyrs will get in a second nonleague game next week.
CCHS travels to defending District 11 6A champ Nazareth and Whitehall hosts Bethlehem Catholic in 7 p.m. games.
When the EPC season begins, the Zephyrs face Dieruff Oct. 1 at J. Birney Crum Stadium and CCHS visits Parkland on Oct. 2.