Unionville gives Chest-Mont reason to crow
It will go down as one of the great upsets of the District 1 football playoffs. Fifteenth seed Unionville's 12-7 win over No. 2 seed Pennsbury last Friday night was not only a shocker because of the outcome but because the Falcons, who had not lost at home in two years, were held to a touchdown.
The Suburban One League National Conference champ Falcons (9-2), noted for their bruising ground game, had been averaging more than 31 points a game before playing the Indians.
Unionville, a member of the Ches-Mont League's American Division (smaller schools) went in with a 7-3 record. The Indians (8-3) have now won seven games in a row after losing three of their first four.
Some postgame observers might scoff and say that the Falcons were seeded too high, but the Indians will take the win anyway. So will the Ches-Mont League, which over the years has taken a backseat to the Suburban One League in terms of talent. The Suburban One, with teams such as North Penn, Neshaminy and the Falcons, has been the standard by which all other leagues have been measured.
But this year, the Ches-Mont still has five teams alive in the playoffs - Avon Grove, Downingtown East, Downingtown West and Unionville in Class AAAA and West Chester Rustin in Class AAA. This is the Indians' first year competing at the AAAA level.
Only Neshaminy and North Penn are alive from the Suburban One, and one of them will be out after Friday, since they play each other.
"The players put out a tremendous effort," Unionville coach Pat Clark said of the Pennsbury game, still relishing the teams' big win while preparing for a second-round game on the road at Ridley Friday.
"Pennsbury is a power football team, but we didn't miss tackles," Clark said. "We've been on a roll. Our record may be a little deceptive. We lost to three very good teams - Garnet Valley, Rustin and Avon Grove."
Unionville back Greg Carroll said it was the biggest win he's ever participated in.
"It was clear we were the better team Friday night," Carroll said.
Teammate Mason Popham agreed.
"We spent all week preparing for them," Popham said. "I thought the practices went very well. I felt we had a good chance."
Jack Helm, former Downingtown coach and now athletic director at Downingtown East, said Unionville's win and the other Ches-Mont teams' showing in the playoffs was the best public relations boost the league could receive.
He attributes the league's success to the players' commitments to nearly year-round conditioning at virtually all of the league's schools.
"We have a great league," Helm said. "We thought it was a pretty good league even when we only had four teams. This season, we've gained a huge measure of respect. The Suburban One League has been the standard-bearer.
"It's just been fun for me to sit back and watch the evolution."
Contact staff writer Don Beideman at 267-815-0733
