Phantoms fall to Norristown in final
Phoenixville unable to rally by Eagles, misses playoffs
Despite their individual losing team records, Norristown and host Phoenixville put on quite an entertaining, interesting show of Pioneer Athletic Conference scholastic football action Friday night at Washington Field.
In a seesaw contest throughout the evening, with big plays on both sides of the ball, Norristown prevailed, 33-31, giving the Eagles their second straight victory.
The Eagles (2-4, 2-8) held a 14-10 halftime lead and then held on for the victory at the end of the game when the Phantoms (1-5, 3-7) failed to pick up a first down with time winding down.
Phoenixville played its final game of the 2016 season and will graduate 16 seniors from the program who have spent the last three seasons improving under head coach Evan Breisblatt. Those players were honored prior to the game along with their parents, as were members of the band and cheerleaders.
Norristown, which is in its third season under coach Jason Powel, will play a Thanksgiving Day game at home against Upper Merion on Nov. 24. The Eagles and Vikings were the two new team added to the circuit, which created Liberty and Frontier Divisions for football for the first time this season.
Norristown finished the game with 411 yards of total offense (240 rushing, 171 passing).
Phoenixville ended up with 343 yards of total offense (274 rushing, 69 passing). Phantom star senior running back Matt Garcia capped his marvelous season with 253 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 37 carries and also had an interception and numerous tackles from his linebacker spot on defense. That brought Garcia’s totals for the season to 1,820 yards
and 18 touchdowns.
After gaining 62 yards on 16 rushes in the first half, Garcia broke loose for some of his customary long runs during the second half. His touchdowns covered 44, 36 and 29 yards.
“I mean people really got their money’s worth at this game,” said Breisblatt. “It was a great high school football game. We renewed a rivalry. Jason Powel is a great friend of mine. His kids came out ready to play football.
“This game had everything you could ask for - long runs, long passes, interceptions and fourthdown drama. There were some really intense moments. We made a number of plays, but unfortunately we didn’t make the fourth down-and-goal.”
Bresiblatt said despite the Phantoms’ won-loss record the past three seasons, the Phantoms’ level of play has escalated considerably during that time span.
He said he felt “blessed” to have this group of se- niors since they have spent so much time together the last three years and have helped the overall program grow during that time. He feels the Phantoms have reached a point where they are now competitive with the rest of the teams in the league.
“I was blessed with the greatest running back in school history and the greatest running back I have ever coached,” said Breisblatt. “Ik don’t know if we will ever see one like him again. It will be hard to top what he did this year. It was unreal. It shows that if you work hard in the weight room and work hard on the football field, you can make it. Wemay never see it again.”
Phoenixville’s late bid included a fourth-and-20 play from the Morristown 40-yard line with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter. The Phantoms went with a hook-and-ladder play with quarterback Troy Rossman passing to wideout Nasir Green, who flipped it back to Garcia for a run. Garcia stepped out of bounds at the 25-yard line, leaving Phoenixville short of the first down. The Eagles took possession and ran out the clock.
Breisblatt termed that play a “heartbreaker” and “unfortunate” with running out of bounds at the wrong first-down marker.
Breisblatt also lauded the play of Rossman, wideouts Green and Shyheim Abernathy, who returned to the lineup with some key catches.
“I thought the whole team played great the entire night,” said Garcia. “We played all four quarters and kept fighting.”
Green opened the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Rossman with 1:35 left in the first period. Nick Sinapius kicked one of his four placements, and he also booted a 20-yard field goal with 7:09 left ub the second arid ti give the Phantoms a 10-7 edge.
Morristown led 14-10 at halftime.
Eagles quarterback Izaiah Webb passed for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Joe Gionnone rushed for 143 yards and a 5-yard touchdown run while doubling on defense. Kirk Wilson added 102 yards rushing and also had a 44-yard scoring romp.
Webb hit Diawara Boubacar with scoring passes of 52 and 10 yards and also found Koran Butler on a 10-yarder with 4:37 that resulted in the game-winning score.
NOTES >> Abernathy made two receptions which were good for 33 yards.… Phoenixville’s 1966 Ches-Mont League championship football team was recognized before the game and at halftime. … Congressman Ryan Costello, a former Owen J. Roberts High School basketball star, took part in the coin toss at midfield before the game.… Phoenixville’s contingency game against Strath Haven scheduled for Nov. 4 was erased because Strath Haven qualified for the District 1 5A playoffs. … Phantom senior football players, band members and cheerleaders were honored with their parents during pre-game ceremonies. Senior football players include Matt Osisek-Byrne, Mitchell Coll, Troy Rossman, Jesse Feltner, Shyheim Abernathy, Mason Walters, Matt Garcia, Ezekiel Frank-Vinson, Kyle Bennick, Durron Johnson, Ricky Williams, Corey Washington, Karl Farelice, Matt Valdovinos, Matt Branch and Nasir Green.