Downingtown East stuns North Penn in a shootout
Downingtown East totaled 357 rushing yards in beating North Penn, 61-44, in Friday night's nonleague contest at Kottmeyer Stadium.
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Friday night's nonleague clash between North Penn and Downingtown East was expected to a be a physical tussle with every score hard to come by.
Instead, the Knights, ranked No. 5 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by the Inquirer, and the No. 7 Cougars lit up the scoreboard.
In nearly equaling a record for points produced by one team at Kottmeyer Stadium, host Downingtown East erupted for 27 unanswered points in the middle two quarters and downed North Penn, 61-44.
The 61 points scored by Mike Matta's squad was one point shy of the mark set by neighboring Downingtown West in a 62-7 romp over Ches-Mont League National Division rival West Chester East in 2014.
Brassir Stocker, a senior multi-purpose threat and Division I recruit, returned a first-half kickoff 93 yards for a second-quarter touchdown and found pay dirt on a 45-yard burst in the third to put the Cougars (2-0) ahead by 17, 47-30.
Downingtown East's other offensive catalysts were quarterback Bryce Lauletta, halfbacks Tim Aivado and Garvey Jonassaint, and fullback Spencer Umberger.
The Cougars, who routed Plymouth Whitemarsh, 47-6, in their season opener, totaled 357 rushing yards on 54 attempts.
The surging offensive line featured center Weston Menzie, guards Carter Regitz and Jack Sheerer, tackles Garrett Farmer and Sam Hudson, and tight end Connor Noble.
Boosted by the passing of Steve DePaul and the receiving of Justis Henley, North Penn (0-2) was ahead, 30-20, with 4 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first half. DePaul hit on 10 of 20 passes for 181 yards and two scores in the opening 24 minutes.
Down 30-27 at the break, Downingtown East responded in the third stanza with three quick scores – Lauletta's 1-yard sneak, Aivado's 16-yard run, and Stocker's second tally of the night.
At the start of the fourth quarter, another 1-yard keeper by Lauletta capped a 14-play drive and upped the advantage to 54-37.
Downingtown East trimmed North Penn's lead in the head-to-head series to 4-2. The Knights downed the visiting Cougars, 23-7, in Week 2 last year.
North Penn 10 20 7 7-44
Downingtown East 13 14 20 14-61
NP: Justis Henley 61 pass from Steve DePaul (Kelly Macnamara kick)
DE: Jack Riley 2 pass from Bryce Lauletta (Dan Good kick)
NP: FG Macnamara 27
DE: Brassir Stocker 8 run (kick blocked)
NP: Owen Thomas 9 pass from DePaul (Macnamara kick)
DE: Stocker 93 kickoff return (Good kick)
NP: Kham Jamal 13 run (kick blocked)
NP: Dars Bowsky 32 run (Macnamara kick)
DE: Tim Aivado 1 run (Good kick)
DE: Lauletta 1 run (kick blocked)
DE: Aivado 16 run (Good kick)
DE: Stocker 45 run (Good kick)
NP: Henley 41 pass from DePaul (Macnamara kick)
DE: Lauletta 1 run (Good kick)
DE: Garvey Jonassaint 4 run (Good kick)
NP: Jon Haynes 10 pass from DePaul (Macnamara kick)