Inspired Spring-Ford celebrate Homecoming with win over Methacton
By nature, Spirit Weeks at high schools generate an abundance of enthusiasm and excitement among students.
In some instances, they become emotional affairs. Such was the case at Spring-Ford this week, with the week leading up to Saturday’s Homecoming ceremony and football game with Methacton.
Prior to the game, district resident Eli Vivian was recognized for his inspiration in the face of dealing with metachromatic leukodystrophy, a progressive inherited disorder for which no cure exists at present.
Vivian was made an honorary captain for the Spring-Ford squad, leading the players onto the field and taking part in the pre-game coin toss. He then joined the players on the sideline and watched the Rams roll up a 41-7 victory over the Warriors, a satisfying contribution to the Homecoming extravaganza.
“It was an emotional week,” SF head coach Chad Brubaker said. “Our honorary captain ... he showed us how important and precious life and health is.”
The inspiration was magnified by the Rams, who secured this Pioneer Athletic Conference (Liberty Division) game with help from a potent passing game. Five players caught passes from quarterback Ryan Engro, who threw for three scores before running for another.
Engro completed 20 of 31 passes for 273 yards. Each of his targets had multiple catches, with Noah Baker, Blaize Scarcelle and Dante Bonanni all on the receiving end of scoring tosses.
“We have a pretty good unit of receivers,” Brubaker said. “We try to find different ways to get them the ball. They did all right.”
A particularly exciting Homecoming was had by Baker. The senior wide receiver was announced as the school’s Homecoming King Friday, and he came away from Saturday’s game with four catches covering 56 yards.
“It was a big weekend ... a good weekend,” Baker said.
Like his coach, Baker echoed poignant sentiments about Vivian’s circumstances and the impact it had on the team.
“It’s emotional,” he agreed. “Eli has gone through a lot. It makes us appreciate what we have, and motivates me to have a good game.”
Baker’s catch of a 19-yard Engro pass with 5:10 left in the first half was the breakopen play of what had been a tight contest to that point. After Stephen Brill scored on a five-yard run 6:52 in the first quarter — one of two he had in the first half — ball possession went back and forth six times before Baker took the catch and outran the defense to the end zone.
That touched off a flurry of scoring by Spring-Ford (2-0 Liberty, 5-1 overall), which hit paydirt on its next four possessions. The Rams came out of the half up 270, after Bonanni took a 30yard pass from Engro to the house and Brill scored his second rushing TD, and they added a 52-yard Engroto-Scarcelle toss before Engro went around his left end for a two-yard scoring run with 6:04 left in the third.
“We had a lot of mismatches with the safeties being 10, 15 yards back,” Baker noted. “Me getting passes, the offense moved forward.”
It all made for a long afternoon for Methacton (11, 1-5), which came into the game off the euphoria of last week’s slide-busting 36-7 win over Boyertown. The Warriors averted the shutout when quarterback Dylan Schultz capped a fourth quarter drive — it was set up by the recovery of a Spring-Ford fumble one play after turning the ball over to the Rams on downs — with 8:06 left in the game.
“We fought hard all day, but Spring-Ford made plays and we didn’t,” was the assessment of Methacton head coach Dave Lotier. “We came into the game fully believing we were in for a battle.
“The kids have to believe that’s the way it’s going to be each week. We fully believe we can compete with anybody.”
The Warriors worked a wildcat offensive package several times, having Mike Torcini take the direct snap. Gary Knox also got a pass play in, hooking up with Steve Brown on a sevenyard pass early in the third quarter.
“The wildcat is part of our offensive package,” Lotier said. “We’re giving kids the opportunity to run it and show what they can do. It keeps defenses honest with our passing game.
“We got a good mix with it.”
Alex Koretke had one of Spring-Ford’s bigger defensive plays, intercepting a Schultz pass at the Methacton 30 to set up Engro’s TD toss to Bonanni. Josh Booz and Nathanial OrkfritzRobinson also had sacks on Schultz in the second half.
“Our defense did an outstanding job,” Brubaker said. “We had excellent field position through the day.”
Mike Ciriello and Brent Romano had sacks for Methacton in the first half . ... Ashley Hudak was crowned Spring-Ford’s Homecoming Queen during halftime ceremonies.