By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

For the patrons of Kennett High School football, last Friday’s game at Kennett Stadium gave them a satisfying preview of what is soon to come this season: an autumnal snap of cool weather and the early realization that big plays very well may set the tone for a successful campaign.

Led by a defensive stop by Andrew Sharpeta and Andrew Clancy in the closing seconds of the first half and two crucial interceptions by Hunter Taylor deep in the fourth quarter, the Blue Demons defeated visiting Elizabethtown, 17-10 on Aug. 29.

Coming into the game with a 1-0 record after a 27-0 drubbing of Pottstown on Aug. 22, Head Coach Lance Frazier’s club was facing an undefeated Bears squad that had come off a narrow 15-14 win over Coacalico on Aug. 23, and as the battle of the unbeatens began, Kennett jumped out first on a 34-yard field goal by kicker Shay Barker with 5:11 left in the first quarter.

Inheriting the ball on their own 20-yard line, Elizabethtown quarterback Trent Kauffman’s pass attempt was picked off by Taylor with 3:47 remaining in the quarter. Kennett quarterback Garrett McCracken quickly got to work, handing off to Matthew Reidenberg for two gains and pitching a roll-out pass to Hayden Schumaker that moved the ball to the four-yard line, which was followed by a touchdown plunge by Joalex Carabajal with 1:28 left in the quarter (PAT good) that extended Kennett’s lead to 10-0.

After a 40-yard field goal attempt by Barker went wide left with 6:21 remaining in the second quarter, Elizabethtown notched their only touchdown with 3:56 left in the first half, when Prince Wratto scampered through the Kennett defense for a 57-yard touchdown run (PAT good) that made the score, 10-7.

The Bears threatened to get into the end zone again on their next possession, when with under a minute left in the half, Kauffman found Wratto with three passes that moved the ball from their own 25-yard line to the four-yard line with 18 seconds left. On first and goal and time ticking down, however, Sharpeta’s hit on a rushing Kauffman knocked the ball loose and was recovered by Clancy on the three-yard line to wipe out a scoring attempt, giving Kennett a slim 10-7 lead at halftime.

On Elizabethtown’s first possession of the second half, carries by Wratto and a pass to Brody Rohn set up a 25-yard field goal by Aman NDikwe that tied the score at 10-10 with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

The Blue Demons were snake-bitten twice on their next possession, which began with a kick return run by Gaven Ritch that was called back on a Kennett penalty. With the ball at midfield, McCracken lofted a pass to Reidenberg for an 18-yard gain, but with 4:33 left in the quarter, McCracken was intercepted by Carter Burgos that snuffed out the drive.

A missed 33-yard field goal attempt by NDikwe gave Kennett possession at their own 16-yard line with 7:22 left in the fourth quarter. A pass to Carabajal moved the ball to the 32-yard line, a carry by Reidenberg pushed the chains to the 41-yard line and two plays later, a keeper by McCracken got the ball to the 50-yard line. Follwing a Blue Demon timeout, Ritch again electrified the home crowd – this one counted – with a 50-yard touchdown run on a double reverse play (PAT good) that gave Kennett a 17-10 lead with 3:01 left in the game.

The game’s biggest theatrics, however, were saved until the end, when Taylor picked off a Kauffman pass at Kennett’s 23-yard line with 2:22 left in the game, snuffing out the Bears’ first attempt to tie the score. With 1:27 left and Elizabethtown at midfield after a pass to Kyle Capello moved the ball to midfield, Taylor again came to the rescue with his third pick of the night, this one to break up another Bears rally at Kennett’s 25-yard line.

With the win, Kennett moves to 2-0 in the early campaign and will travel to Norristown for a non-conference game against the 1-1 Eagles on Sept. 5. Now 1-1, Elizabethtown will play host to visiting J.P. McCaskey on Sept. 5. 

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].