Garnet Valley Goes Back to Back, Win District 1 Title 35 to 7 over CB West

Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News, Playoffs

James Middleton | November 25, 2022

(All photos are courtesy of PFN’s Brendan Ricciardi)

Concord, PA: Late in the first quarter, the Jaguars were driving, and a run by quarterback Matt Mesaros got the Jags down to the 26-yard line. On the next play, Mesaros dropped back to pass and connected with reliable tight end Drew Van Horn for a 26-yard touchdown pass. “I can always count on Matt. We always connect in practice, and it goes all the way back to freshman year. We’ve always had a good connection,” Van Horn said on the connection between him and Mesaros. The touchdown spearheaded the offense as the Jaguars went on to win 35 to 7 over CB West and secure their second straight District 1 title. 

After the touchdown in the first quarter, the Jaguar offense was held in check until late in the second. With a minute 47 left in the half, the offense drove down the field on runs by Mesaros and Jason “The Bus” Bernard, which got them down to the CB West 1-yard line. At the one, senior tailback Joseph Checchio punched it in, making the score 14 to 0 heading into halftime. 

On CB West’s first drive of the second half, they scored with a thirty-three-yard touchdown pass, bringing the game to a score of 14 to 7 in favor of the Jags. Garnet Valley was forced to come up with a stop, and that’s when Drew Van Horn ran into the backfield untouched. As the CB West quarterback was throwing, Van Horn hit him, and Checchio came down with the interception. “It’s just senior leadership man. They’ve been out there the whole entire year playing both sides of the ball, and they just made a play when they needed to,” Head Coach Eric VanWyk on the play. 

Immediately after the interception, “The Bus” ran 20 yards to the endzone for the score, the Jags leading 21 to 7. Bernard added his second touchdown early in the fourth, making the score 28 to 7. The Jaguar offense capped off the night when Matt Mesaros ran a ball 57 yards to the house for their final tally. “It took time, and I thought they played physical, but I thought our offensive line really started to pick it up near the end,” VanWyk on the Jaguar run game. 

In Head Coach Eric VanWyk’s first season at the helm, the Jaguars have maintained an undefeated record and a second straight District 1 Title. For VanWyk though, it is about the guys on the field, especially the seniors. “It’s special; It’s special. And it goes back to the seniors, they made this happen, and they made this phrase Prove it, and they proved it tonight,” said VanWyk. With the win, the Jaguars became one of the final four teams still playing in the 6A division in Pennsylvania. Garnet Valley will await the winner of the St. Joe’s Prep and Parkland game being played tomorrow.  

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