Linebackers lead Pottsgrove to shutout

by By Don Seeley, dseeley@pottsmerc.com

Posted on September 19, 2009

LOWER POTTSGROVE — Brad Thornton and Sam Avery were a little out of sync during practices this week. Befuddled may be more like it. But did the Pottsgrove linebackers ever step it up and find their way in the Falcons' defensive scheme on Friday night.

Thornton came up with nine tackles. Avery added seven, and when the two weren't stuffing or shuffling in, around and through Boyertown's offense, they were getting whatever help was needed from those in front and behind them to underline the Falcons' 28-0 rout in both teams' Pioneer Athletic Conference opener.

"This was a big game for us, mainly because of last year," said Thornton, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound senior. "We knew (Boyertown) would be coming at us."

What Boyertown may not have expected, though, was Thornton and Avery, who had the unenviable job of stepping in for the sidelined Preston Hamlette this week, making such an impact on the inside of the hosts' 50-defense.

The Falcons were just as proficient stopping everything to the outside, and in the secondary, when Boyertown quarterback Dylan Pasik went up top. They limited the Bears to just 29 yards rushing in the second half and 107 overall that accounted for most of the 180 yards of total offense. They also came up with two fumbles, the first of which led directly to the game's first touchdown, and the second of which turned what appeared to be a competitive 14-0 first half into a 21-0 spread by the time they broke for intermission.

"I was concerned a little bit (playing) next to (Avery)," Thornton said. "It was his first start there, so I felt a little more responsibility. And we were concerned with (Boyertown's) Wing-T offense because we don't see it that often.

"We didn't change anything, though. We stayed with our normal defense. So we're happy we got the shutout."

A second straight shutout, that is, which lifted the PAC-10 defending champions to 3-0 overall.

"I am really pleased with Thornton," head coach Rick Pennypacker said. "He had to make the calls out there, make the adjustments.

"I was worried, too, because both Brad and Sam were confused in practice this week. But they sure did pick it up and played well tonight. I'm proud of them, really proud of them."

The defensive effort, which also included fumble recoveries by Danny Michaels and Terrell Chestnut, two interceptions by Angelo Berry, and sacks by Maika Polamalu, T.J. DeMetrio and Justin Oliveri, didn't fully overshadow the offense.

Polamalu had a game-high 115 yards and one touchdown, and Chestnut added 68 yards and two touchdowns while completing four of seven passes for another 64. Kayvon Greene, who is stepping in for Hamlette at fullback, chipped in with 34 yards and the Falcons' first touchdown.

Even Boyertown head coach Mark Scisly couldn't find much fault in his own team's defense, not knowing the first fumble set the tone and the second fumble all but erased whatever comeback hopes they had.

"Last week (in a 7-6 loss to Governor Mifflin) we had four turnovers, and this week it was (four) more," Scisly said after the Bears droped to 1-2 overall. "On top of all that there are the penalties. We just have to fix the penalties and turnovers situation.

"We have to execute better on offense, too. We wanted to keep (Pottsgrove's) offense off the field, and I thought we did a good job of that. But we just didn't do anything when we were out there."

The Bears got stung on an 18-yard run by Ryan Schwager and a 14-yarder by Jon Neiman early on. But Schwager was held to minus-two yards and Neiman only managed another 11. Logan Herb finished with a team-high 59 yards.

Throwing the football wasn't any easier, as Pasik discovered. Not only were there the three sacks, but continuous pressure from the Pottsgrove front, hurrying him into an 8 for 18 evening.

"I just thought we played well defensively," Pennypacker said.

Michaels set the Falcons up by recovering a bobbled punt 3:27 into the game. Four plays later, Greene took off the right side from a yard out and the Falcons led 6-0. Their second possession, getting a boost from Chestnut's 40-yard bomb to Berry, culminated in a five-yard run by Chestnut and two-point conversion by Chestnut to make it 14-0 3:19 into the second quarter.

The Bears wasted a great defensive stand by fumbling the ball right back to the Falcons on the nine-yard line with 41 seconds left in the first half. Chestnut took the ensuing snap in from there and it was 21-0.

Berry's first of two picks set up the final score: Polamalu's eight-yard run with six seconds left in the third quarter.

"I think the first fumble recovery established the momentum," Thornton said. "The second one didn't allow (Boyertown) to get any momentum."

"The turnovers were big," Pennypacker said.

NOTES

Tyler Mauger had a fumble recovery for Boyertown. ... Pottsgrove all-league center Danny Foust went down with an injury in the second quarter and didn't return to the field. ...Boyertown hasn't scored a touchdown now since its opener, while Pottsgrove's first-team defense hasn't allowed a score since the first quarter of its opener at Pennridge. ... Schwager caught four passes for 34 yards, while Berry pulled in three of Chestnut's four completions for 43 yards.

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