Mistakes Doom CB West In District Final Loss

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

Willie McGonigle | November 26, 2022

(Picture courtesy of Brendan Ricciardi)

CONCORD: Heading into Friday night’s District 1 6A Championship Central Bucks Head Coach Rob Rowan knew that his Bucks team would need to play nearly perfect football to come out victorious. After all their opponents the number 1 seed, undefeated, and the reigning District One 6A Champions Garnet Valley Jaguars.

Unfortunately for Rowan his 11th-seeded Bucks were flagged for 8 penalties, lost a fumble, threw an interception, and had a couple of turnovers on downs propelling the Jaguars to capture the District One Championship once again with a 35-7 victory over the Bucks.

“Give them all the credit once again we knew it would be a battle, but we made a lot of mistakes too.” Rowan said adding that “They (Garnet Valley) don’t beat themselves when you turn the ball over jump offsides down by the goal line you don’t overcome those things against really good teams.”

From the start, the Jaguars set the tone, on the games from play-from scrimmage Ganz Cooper was sacked which led to the Bucks going three and out. On the ensuing drive, the Jaguars would make a mistake of their own when Matt Mesaros fumbled and Jack Williams recovered it for the Bucks.

Four plays following the turnover the Bucks made their first mistake when Vinny Cherubini fumbled and Trevor Saccomandi fell on it for the Jaguars. Three plays late Mesaros connected with Luke O’Donoghue for a 26-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars the 7-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the Bucks appeared poised to tie the game up driving down to the Jaguars’ 10-yard line before penalties including a personal foul forced the Bucks to a Goal situation from the Jaguars’ 30 where they would turn the ball over on downs.

The Jaguars would take advantage of the turnover on downs marching 70 yards on ten plays comminating with Joe Checchio taking it to the endzone from one yard out giving the Jaguars the 14-0 lead heading into the locker room at the half.

After forcing the Jaguars to punt on the opening possession of the second half the Bucks cut into the Jaguar’s lead with a seven-play 64-yard drive with most of the damage being done on the ground by Eli Boehm but it was through the air that got the Bucks on the board has Boehm hauled in Cooper’s pass for the 33-yard touchdown. Boehm broke several tackles along the Jaguar’s sideline on his way into the endzone. The Bucks’ defense forced the Jaguars to punt on their ensuing drive.

Boehm finished the game with a team-high 76 yards on 20 carries.

But then the turnover bug would bite the Bucks as Checchio would intercept Cooper and on the next Jaguar offensive play, Jason Bernard did his best Jerome Bettis impersonation rumbling 20-yards to the endzone to make it 21-7 at the end of the third quarter.  Bernard and Mesaros added touchdowns from 2 and 57 yards out respectively to close out the scoring in the fourth quarter.

Bernard also finished the game with 143 yards on 22 carries.

The loss brings the end to the Bucks’s season with a record of 9-5 but with starting several underclassmen on both sides of the ball the Bucks appear poised to make another long district run next season.

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