ROBESONIA — Pottsville’s football team got some welcome news with Friday night’s return of junior Darion Jacoby to the Crimson Tide backfield.
However, that circumstance could not prevent the winless Tide from suffering their seventh loss of the season.
Conrad Weiser scored 31 points in the first half and sent the homecoming crowd home happy with a 38-7 victory in the Berks League Section I game.
Alex Guilbe and Billy Price each scored two touchdowns for the Scouts and kicker Jake Roth scored seven points and bottled up the Pottsville offense with his punts.
But the Scouts’ defense made sure Roth’s contribution was just a bonus.
Jacoby was limited to 23 yards on 17 carries. Pottsville (0-7, 0-4 Berks I) was held to 39 yards on the ground.
Noting Jacoby’s long night, Pottsville head coach Tom McGeoy said, “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him a whole lot of room. They had a good scheme. They really attacked us up front and they blitzed us and they did a good job to try to take us out of our running game.”
At the same time, Conrad Weiser (4-2, 2-2) snapped its two-game losing streak by scoring 24 points in the second period to pull away before Pottsville scored on its final possession of the game.
“Our sophomores can’t play like sophomores and our juniors can’t play like juniors,” McGeoy said. “We’ve just got to start making a play or two.”
That did happen when sophomore Eric Wapinsky moved under center to replace starting senior quarterback Patrick Keating, who had completed six passes for just 23 yards.
Starting at the Pottsville 30-yard line, Wapinsky, playing his second series at quarterback in the game, guided the Tide on a 70-yard drive, highlighted by a 48-yard pass completion to Brian Heckler at the Conrad Weiser 22.
Three plays later, Wapinsky cut back left on a keeper and scored a touchdown from 18 yards out.
“That’s going to be a nice backfield for the next two years,” McGeoy said about Wapinsky and Jacoby. “He can really throw the ball and his best attribute is he can run.”
Yet by the time Pottsville scored, the outcome was certain.
Conrad Weiser scored on its first possession of the game on a 4-yard run by Guilbe. Roth opened the second period with a 21-yard field goal.
But after Pottsville lost the ball on downs at midfield on the next series, the Scouts needed only three plays to score on Price’s 20-yard pass reception from quarterback Tyler Hoss.
After Pottsville punted on its next series, the Scouts’ Koran Jordan returned the kick through the coverage 51 yards for a touchdown just 67 seconds after Price’s score.
“We had guys around the football, and I don’t know if the guys thought it was a fair catch or what,” McGeoy said. “He just ran right past them.”
Conrad Weiser then got the ball at its 10-yard line with 3:05 left in the first half. The Scouts needed only four plays, including carries of 38 and 31 yards by Guilbe, to score in just 62 seconds for the 31-0 halftime lead.
The Scouts hiked the lead to 38-0 in the third period on a 27-yard touchdown run by Price, which invoked the running clock for the rest of the game.
Game Summary
Pottsville (0-7, 0-4) 0 0 0 7 — 7 Conrad Weiser (5-2, 2-2) 7 24 7 0 — 38
CW —Guilbe 4 run (Roth kick)
CW —FG Roth 21
CW —Price 20 pass from Hoss (Roth kick)
CW — Jordan 51 punt return (Roth kick)
CW —Guilbe 8 run (Roth kick)
CW —Price 27 run (Roth kick)
P —Wapinsky 18 run (Kol. Kleckner kick)
Potts CW
First Downs 8 12
Rushes-Yards 32-39 27-231
Passes 8-20-0 2-2-0
Passing Yards 86 43
Total Yards 125 274
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties 2-10 7-64
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Pottsville — Wapinsky 5-35, Jacoby 17-23, Keating 5-3, Futchko 4-(-1), Team 1-(-21). Conrad Weiser — Guilbe 7-121, Brosious 4-32, Jordan 3-28, Price 1-27, Shoumlisky 2-13, Shivers 2-6, Diaz 1-5, Joseph 1-2, Hoss 2-0, Janus 3-0, Bosch 1-(-3).
PASSING: Pottsville — Keating 6-15-0, 28; Wapinsky 2-5-0, 58;. Conrad Weiser — Hoss 2-2-0, 43.
RECEIVING: Pottsville — Heckler 5-65, Futchko 1-10, Kor. Kleckner 1-8, Hunt 1-3. Conrad Weiser — Ober 1-23, Price 1-20.
INTERCEPTIONS: None.