If paybacks and second-half rallies are to become the trademark of this year's Pottsville High football team, none of the Crimson Tide is about to complain.
Playing before a homecoming crowd at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Tide opened Berks Football League Section 1 play with a 28-16 victory Friday over visiting Reading High that was more improbable in some ways than the previous week's non-league road victory against arch-rival Blue Mountain. In addition to building momentum going into next Friday's league game at Muhlenberg, the Tide (3-1, 1-0 BFL 1) won back the "Lump of Coal" trophy by beating the Red Knights (1-3, 0-1) in the 90th meeting of the rivalry that began 102 years ago. Pottsville's win avenged last year's 15-14, last-second loss at Albright College.
After taking the "Clash of 61 Trophy" and avenging last year's home loss to Blue Mountain, the Tide was looking to start fast against Reading, but the Knights had their way with a no-huddle, hurry-up offense that produced two first-quarter touchdowns and a 16-7 lead. Although the Tide came back to make it 16-14 at the half on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Moser to Travis Blankenhorn in the second quarter, the Knights maintained that lead into the fourth quarter.
That the Tide was within two points at the half was the result of some good fortune after an attempted field goal was blocked as time ran out. Alertly, the ball was returned by Reading for an apparent touchdown, but the play - and the half - was over because a game official inadvertently had blown his whistle when the kick was blocked.
"We had to do something
to slow them down, so we switched our defense from a 40 look to a 50 and got more pressure on the quarterback," Pottsville coach Tom McGeoy said. "Their hurry-up gave us more problems than we expected, but we just kept the pressure on them, and then our offense came alive.
"I'm sure Reading is upset about that whistle, but at the same time our players never went after the ball because when the whistle blew they thought the play was over. I've never been involved in a play like that, but sometimes you just get a break."
Much of the Tide's second-half offense was fueled by a defense that came up with four takeaways, including interceptions by Tim Vaz, A.J. Stevens and Tom Campion. Twice the Tide appeared poised to take the lead late in the third quarter, but Moser lost a fumble at the 8 and then at 1 as he struggled to score as time ran out.
Four plays later, however, the Tide got the ball back when quarterback Sterling Young-Trapp lost the ball at his 12 and this time drove for its first lead. On fourth-and-inches, freshman Darion Jacoby burst through the line for a 2-yard touchdown run and Moser ran for the conversion and a 22-16 lead.
Last week Jacoby had a coming-out party of sorts when he rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown in the 23-21 victory over the Eagles. Against the Knights he again showed his durability with 25 carries for 116 yards, including a first-quarter touchdown run of 49 yards on a first down that cut the deficit to 8-7.
Moments later, the Tide got the ball back when Stevens undercut a receiver, intercepted the ball at the 45 and returned it 34 yards to the 11. On third-and-5, Moser found Quentin Chambers open for a 6-yard touchdown pass to complete the comeback.
On the game's opening drive, the Knights made two third-down conversions and had five first downs in a 12-play, 80-yard drive Young-Trapp capped with a 6-yard run. Reading was even more impressive on its second scoring drive of 11 plays that covered 95 yards and was capped on a 5-yard run by Savon Branford.
After that drive, however, the Tide took advantage of a break, an aggressive defense and a relentless offense to get some payback for the second straight week.