Wood rolls past Interboro
While running back Andrew Guckin continued to pile up the yards and the touchdowns, Archbishop Wood’s defense, led on this given night by linebacker and defensive end Josh Messina, quietly played one of its best games of the season.
And with that combination, Wood’s hopes for a state title repeat remained alive for at least one more week.
The Vikings’ defense pitched a shutout through three quarters while allowing just 111 total yards before the backups came in and helped Wood to a 35-T win over District One champion Interboro in a PIAA CODVV AAA TuDrWHrfinDO DW Colonial Field at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School on Friday night.
With Guckin leading the way on offense, rushing 13 times for 12T yards and four touchdowns, Wood’s defense forced two turnovers, recorded four sacks and allowed just one late-game touchdown as the Vikings DGvDnFHG Wo WhH VWDWH VHPifinDOV Ior WhH fiIWh FonVHFuWivH year.
“This is playoff football and you’re going to win playoff games playing defense,” Wood coach Steve Devlin said. “Without a doubt, Coach (Mike) Carey does a great job with the defense. We’ve been through this and we really know that defense wins championships and we have to be good on defense.”
With Messina moving to defensive end, the Vikings (11-2) were able to contain Interboro’s rushing attack, limiting the Bucs (11-3) to negative-one yard rushing through three quarters, as well as only 29 yards on 23 carries for the entire game.
“We’ve been pretty good and we made some changes tonight,” Messina said. “I moved to DE and we got (Nick) Arcidiacono back and that helped a lot and we’ve just been working really hard.
“We do it game by game, moving people around depending on what the other team does,” Devlin said.
While Wood’s defense was taking a break, the offense was again being led by Guckin.
The senior scored four touchdowns, giving him an incredible total of 28 for the season thus far.
After Wood’s Jarrett McClenton returned the opening kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown, Guckin ripped oII Iour FonVHFuWivH firVW half touchdown runs, scoring from 12, 41, three and two yards out.
The Vikings’ 35-0 lead afWHr WhH firVW hDOI iPSOHPHnWHG the mercy rule for the entire second half of play.
“GuFNin….whDW’G hH finish with tonight?” Devlin asked after the game. “He’s just such a productive runner. He had a 40 or 50-yarder called back on a penalty also. I love to have him on my team.”
Guckin, who ran for 345, 304 and 281 yards in consecutive weeks before taking on a lighter role in Wood’s
most recent win, added a 41-yard catch to his 127 rushing yards and has now scored a whopping 19 touchGRwnV RvHr WKH pDVW fivH games for the District 12 champion Vikings.
“2ur RIIHnVH LV pODyLnJ vHry wHOO,” 0HVVLnD VDLG. “FLHOG pRVLWLRn LV KuJH DnG if we give our offense good fiHOG pRVLWLRn, wH WruVW Ln WKHm WR VFRrH.”
On top of Guckin’s 168 DOO-purpRVH yDrGV, IrRVK TuDr- WHrbDFN 7Rm GDrOLFN KDG D VROLG JDmH, FRmpOHWLnJ 7 RI 12 pDVVHV IRr 147 yDrGV, DOO RI wKLFK FDmH Ln WKH firVW KDOI. 0HVVLnD rDn WKH bDOO fivH WLmHV IRr 47 yDrGV, KHOpLnJ WR VHW up two of the Wood touchdowns. HH DOVR FDuJKW WwR pDVVHV IRr 52 yards.
On defense, the Vikings received two sacks from sophomore Justin Rubin, DORnJ wLWK RnH DpLHFH IrRm Arcidiacono and sophomore Nafeez Brown-Carter. -unLRr .HnGDOO 6LnJOHWRn recorded an interception, wKLOH VHnLRr 6KDnH 1HKHr rHFRvHrHG D IumbOH.
The Vikings have now won seven consecutive games, scoring 322 points during the winning streak.
Wood, which has now advDnFHG WR WKH VHmLfinDOV Ln DOO fivH yHDrV wKLFK LW KDV bHHn Ln WKH 3,AA, wLOO JHW rHDGy IRr D third consecutive state semifinDO mHHWLnJ wLWK DLVWrLFW 11 FKDmpLRn AOOHnWRwn CHnWrDO CDWKROLF. ACC GHIHDWHG DLVWrLFW FRur FKDmpLRn 6HOLnVJrRvH 41-13 Ln DnRWKHr TuDrWHrfinDO Rn FrLGDy nLJKW.