My favorite fall moments

By Darryl Grumling
dgrumling@pottsmerc.com
@MercSmokinD

The area's fall scholastic sports season kicked off in late August with golf and tennis openers and lasted all the way until the final day of November, when Spring-Ford's football team fell to Coatesville in the District 1-AAAA final.

I was fortunate enough to see plenty of memorable and magic moments in several sports. Here's a look back at my eight favorite memories from the fall sports season:

8. MAPL mastery
Lawrenceville rivalry weekend is a special time for Hill School athletes. On a crisp, sunny Saturday afternoon Nov. 10, Joey Monzo connected off a sweet cross from Colten Habecker early in the second half to give the Blues boys soccer team a 1-0 victory over the Larries that clinched their second straight Mid-Atlantic Prep League title.

FOOTBALL: 2012 was the year of offense in PAC-10

Pottsgrove running back Mark Dukes (6) won the area’s scoring title with 122 points this season and helped the Falcons to another record-setting offensive output. (John Strickler/The Mercury)

By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com

When all was said and done, which it was after Spring-Ford lost to Coatesville in last Friday night’s District 1-Class AAAA final, the Pioneer Athletic Conference season could be summed up as quite an offensive year.
And not offensive as in disgusting or distasteful … but offensive as in one whole heck of a lot of yards produced and points scored.
So many, in fact, finding a place to start is almost as difficult a task to tackle as defenses had in tackling the rival offenses.

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FOOTBALL: Coatesville looking for first state final

Coatesville’s Dre Boggs (2) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the second half after slipping past four Spring Ford players during the District 1-AAAA championship game last Friday. Coatesville advanced to face LaSalle this week. (Tom Kelly IV/JRC)

By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com

DOWNINGTOWN — La Salle College High School is getting to the point it could pencil in the Class AAAA state semifinal game on its annual schedule.
The Explorers haven’t missed an appearance in the game since joining the PIAA, along with their Philadelphia Catholic and Public league rivals, in 2009. And they’ve certainly had their share of success, too, ripping Ridley (35-7) in their debut and nudging North Penn (38-35) in 2010 before falling to North Penn (21-14) last year.
Coatesville would like nothing more than to drop La Salle back to the .500 mark, get back to the .500 mark itself, Friday night when it meets the Explorers at Downingtown West High School — the site of last weekend’s 59-28 romp over Spring-Ford.

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FOOTBALL: Officials honor four of PAC-10’s finest

From left, Phoenixvillle senior Ryan Pannella, Spring-Ford athletic director Mickey McDaniel, Spring-Ford senior Sydney McGill and Upper Perkiomen senior Dylan Wesley were honored at the Norristown chapter of the Pennsylvania Football Officials Association banquet last week.

By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com

NORRISTOWN — Football officials aren’t any different than any of the other men and women dressed in those black-and-white striped shirts with whistle in hand, or those men and women in blue. Whatever the sport, they get screamed at, booed and hissed … even if they make all the right calls, even if they call the perfect game.
But what few of those frenzied fans who do all the howling realize is how good the members of the Norristown Chapter of the Pennsylvania Football Officials Association really are before they wash, fold and put away their attire for the winter.
Last week, for the umpteenth time, they held their annual banquet down at the Holy Savior’s Club in Norristown. And while it just may be a social of sorts before they take a seat for dinner, it’s all about remembering others who motivate them, who help make their often unappreciated jobs that much easier each season … about recognizing outstanding individuals in and around the game of football.
This year they honored Phoenixville’s Ryan Pannella, Spring-Ford’s Sydney McGill, Upper Perkiomen’s Dylan Wesley — all accompanied by their parents — and Spring-Ford athletic director Mickey McDaniel.

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FOOTBALL: Coatesville cruises by Spring-Ford for District 1 title

Coatesville running back Daquan Worley avoids a group of Spring-Ford
tacklers on a carry Friday. (Tom Kelly IV/JRC)

Spring-Ford's Tate Carter breaks away from a
Coatesville defender. (Tom Kelly IV/JRC)

By Don Seeley

dseeley@pottsmerc.com

DOWNINGTOWN — Most football teams see opportunity arise from big hits, big stops and, of course, turnovers. Coatesville sees opportunity the moment it touches the football.

Coatesville doesn’t waste opportunities ... nor time, either.

In Friday night’s District 1-Class AAAA final, the Red Raiders scored the first six times they took possession — seven overall when including a fumble return for another touchdown — to continually thwart early Spring-Ford comebacks and run away with a 59-28 romp at Downingtown West High School’s Kottmeyer Field.

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For video from the Spring-Ford-Coatesville,
click here....

The Spring-Ford and Coatesville lines prepare for a
snap on a chilly night Friday.



FOOTBALL: Coyne, Spring-Ford seniors leave legacy

Spring-Ford quarterback Hank Coyne
throws a pass Friday. (Tom Kelly IV/JRC)

By Darryl Grumling
dgrumling@pottsmerc.com

DOWNINGTOWN — Friday’s District 1-Class AAAA championship may have been hopelessly out of reach, with Spring-Ford trailing juggernaut Coatesville by 38 points in the fourth quarter.
The clock may have been running out on the Rams’ superb season.
Yet there was Spring-Ford quarterback Hank Coyne, still guiding his squad with guts and guile one last time at Downingtown West’s Kottmeyer Stadium.
A four-yard toss to Zameer McDowell to start it off. And later, back-to-back runs of 7 and 15 yards to set up a three-yard Yousef Lundi TD run with 3:48 left.
No, that final drive and resulting score didn’t have a whole lot of impact in what wound up a 59-28 victory by a dynamite Red Raiders squad.
But it did provide perhaps an appropriate final chapter in what will go down as one of the top signal-calling careers in Spring-Ford — and Pioneer Athletic Conference — history.
Though he was thoroughly outgunned by Coatesville counterpart Emmett Hunt, Coyne battled the entire time he was on the field. To the bitter end.
Rams coach Chad Brubaker wouldn’t expect anything less from Coyne, or for that matter his entire contingent of seniors.

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FOOTBALL: Coatesville offense on a rampage

Dre Boggs, top, and Coatesville celebrate after defeating
Spring-Ford in the District 1-AAAA championship.
(Photo by Tom Kelly IV)


By Barry Sankey
bsankey@journalregister.com

DOWNINGTOWN — Coatesville’s path to a District 1-AAAA football championship focused predominantly on an offense that has been nearly impossible to stop.
The Red Raiders displayed that explosiveness again Friday night as they rolled over Pioneer Athletic Conference representative Spring-Ford, 59-28, in the district championship game at Kottmeyer Stadium.
The Red Raiders (12-2) continue to pile up the points and yardage with an offense that features a potent amount of speed and quickness from an array of backs and receivers.

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