PW's eighth straight win was closer than expected
It survived a major scare to do it, but Plymouth Whitemarsh posted its eighth consecutive victory and moved closer to its first Suburban One League American Conference championship since 2013.
It survived a major scare to do it, but Plymouth Whitemarsh posted its eighth consecutive victory and moved closer to its first Suburban One League American Conference championship since 2013.
Friday night against struggling Cheltenham, which arrived with a 2-6 record, the host Colonials escaped with a 26-20 triumph on halfback Dontae Wilson's 10-yard touchdown run in overtime.
Dan Chang's squad, which opened the season with a 38-23 nonleague loss against Souderton, is 8-1 overall and 6-0 in the American Conference.
"We had a couple of pieces combing back from last year's team, but we were still pretty inexperienced," Chang said. "We made a couple of personnel changes early on that helped us."
Fullback Blaise Gravinese's second-half rushing efforts, keyed by a strong showing by the grunts up front, sparked the comeback win over Cheltenham.
The Panthers had the first overtime possession and came up empty on a missed field-goal attempt. Wilson's 10-yard burst on the next play clinched a tighter-than-anticipated victory.
With PW down by 13-7 in the second half, quarterback Joe Stoberl's 3-yard touchdown run evened things.
"I'd call Joe a dual-threat guy," Chang said. "He runs the ball 10 to 12 times a game and throws the ball well."
Wilson, Gravinese, and halfback Khan Jamal, the team's leading rusher, are the go-to ballcarriers. Of the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Jamal, Chang said, "He's a big back who has good speed and great vision."
Chang heaped plenty of praise on a consistently improving offensive line. The Colonials have averaged 28.3 points in their last three wins.
The unit is made up of center Nick Sudell (5-11, 235), guards Tristan Johnson (6-2, 235) and David Garcia (5-10, 185), tackles Will Mailey (6-2, 210) and Matt Mitchell (5-11, 205), and tight end Leland Krukowski. (6-2, 205).
Mitchell, a junior, is a converted running back. "He's real dedicated, watches a lot of film," Chang said. "He makes the most of his speed and athleticism."
Two weeks ago, PW surprised two-time defending American Conference champion and previously undefeated Upper Dublin, 24-21, in Fort Washington.
The difference against the second-place Cardinals (7-1, 5-1) was Stephen Longo's 26-yard field goal with 3:40 remaining. Gravinese's interception set up the clinching boot.
"That was a huge for us," Chang said. "With the way Upper Dublin was playing coming into the game, I don't think anybody picked us to win."
PW's 4-3 defense is led by tackle Terence Robinson, ends Krukowski and Leonard Galante, linebackers Gravinese and John McGinley, and backs Stoberl, Vince Martina, and Jair Ross.
The Colonials, who will close the regular season Friday at Quakertown, captured three straight outright conference titles from 2011 to 2013.
This and that. Imhotep junior free safety Isheem Young was in State College, Pa., for Saturday night's Big Ten clash between Penn State and Ohio State. He has 20-plus scholarship offers, with the latest coming from Missouri. . . . Germantown Academy saved its best for last the last three weeks. The Patriots beat West Catholic, 18-12, with 35 seconds to go; topped Springside Chestnut Hill, 16-13, in overtime; and nipped Inter-Ac League rival Episcopal Academy, 9-6, Friday night on Vince Capone's 37-yard field goal in the closing seconds. . . . Marple Newtown junior Anthony Paoletti eclipsed 2,000 passing yards for the season in Friday's 36-14 win over Central League foe Harriton.
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