Lenape prevails in rivalry game

Ben Hunt knew where to rank this victory.

"This goes right to the top," Hunt said after leading Lenape to a 24-16 victory over Cherokee in a West Jersey Football League clash of Top 10 teams on Friday night.

Hunt, a senior two-way back, scored two touchdowns and made two interceptions as Lenape, the No. 10 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings, improved to 5-0.

The victory over Cherokee was the Indians' first over their school-district rival since 2007.

"Four years, we've been waiting for this," Hunt said. "To beat our rival school in our senior year, it's a huge weight off our shoulders."

Cherokee, the No. 4 team in the rankings, held a 16-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. But the Chiefs were hurt by four turnovers, including Hunt's two interceptions in the game's final 3 minutes, 25 seconds.

Hunt returned his second interception 64 yards for a touchdown with 0:47 to play.

"They took advantage of our mistakes," Cherokee coach P.J. Mehigan said after his team fell to 3-2. "That's a credit to their senior leadership and their will. They were the better team tonight."

The hard-hitting game was played before a large crowd that filled the bleachers on both sides of Lenape's home field.

Mehigan made an interesting tactical decision, declining an illegal-block penalty on Lenape on Hunt's interception return for a touchdown.

If Cherokee had accepted the penalty, Lenape would have maintained possession and likely knelt out a 17-16 victory.

But by declining the penalty, Cherokee got the football back down by 24-16, with a chance to tie with a touchdown and two-point conversion.

"My dad [former Pennsauken coach Vince McAneney] said he never saw that before," Lenape coach Tim McAneney said. "That's P.J. He's the best."

The victory validated Lenape's status as one of South Jersey's better teams. Even though the Indians were 4-0, they had not been challenged by a South Jersey power as a new member of the WJFL's Colonial Division.

"That's all we were hearing, 'You guys don't play anybody,' " Hunt said. "Now, we played Cherokee and we beat Cherokee. That shows something."

Lenape kicker Jarry Jones scored the game-winning points with a 30-yard field goal that produced a 17-16 lead with 9:25 remaining.

Jones, who also generated several booming kickoffs and punts, said his performance was redemption for a tough game last weekend in an 18-14 win over Allentown.

"I knew I had to make up for that," Jones said. "This win lets us know that anything is possible."

Hunt fueled the go-ahead drive by converting two third downs, one on an 18-yard swing pass from quarterback Jimmy Kennedy and the other on a 13-yard run. Hunt finished with 52 yards on 14 carries, and senior fullback Steve Anderson carried eight times for 50 yards.

Anderson dived into the end zone to tie the score at 14 with 0:02 left in an entertaining first half.

Cherokee took a 16-14 lead midway through the third quarter on a safety when a Lenape punt snap went out of the end zone.

But the Indians rallied for the second time, controlling the fourth quarter.

"Coach was saying, 'It's not a playoff game. It's not even a division game,' " Hunt said. "But it was a big game for us. It was Cherokee."

Cherokee 7 7 2 0 - 16

Lenape 7 7 0 10 - 24

L: Ben Hunt 8 run (Jarry Jones kick)

C: Jordan Krug 6 pass from Evan Powell (Jesse Streb kick)

C: Powell 1 run (Streb kick)

L: Steve Anderson 1 run (Jones kick)

C: Safety

L: FG Jones 30

L: Hunt 64 with interception (Jones kick)