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Crestwood capitalizes on turnovers, advance to first state semifinal with win over Bonner

Tagged under: District 12, District 2, Gameday Hub, Playoffs

| November 26, 2022


PHILADELPHIA — In a game that takes place over the course of 48 minutes, sometimes a sequence of two plays can tell the story of how one team emerged victorious, and how one team played their final downs of the season.

For the Crestwood Comets, they took the momentum and ran with it as they defeated the Monsignor Bonner Friars 21-14 in the PIAA 4A State Quarterfinals.

The game started off with a bang, as Crestwood QB Jaden Shedlock took a 53-yard keeper to the house to put the Comets up 7-0. The Freshman had already gained 1,000 yards on the ground this season, and he added on to that quickly.

The Crestwood defense responded with a stop, but the Bonner special teams unit pinned the Comets at their own one yard line after a great punt.

The Bonner defense helped their offense out by getting them the ball back at the Crestwood 25 after a short punt, and the offense returned the favor on the first play when Justin Shepherd hit Jalil Hall on a gorgeous throw and catch to tie it up.

That lead would not last long, as Crestwood star running back Noah Schultz slipped out for a wheel route, and Jaden Shedlock hit him for a wide-open touchdown to go back in front 14-7.

For the second time in the first half, Bonner started off with great field position on a punt as they were set to start their drive at the Crestwood 30. This time around, it was the Crestwood defense that made the big play.

Justin Shepherd fired into the end zone for Zac Coneys, but instead found Crestwood’s Nick Miscavage for an interception. Almost immediately following that, Noah Schultz broke free for a 76-yard touchdown right up the middle.

“It’s preparation, the kids listen to the plan,” said Crestwood Head Coach Ryan Arcangeli. “We talked about some tendencies that they had, for Nick to read that one tendency and pick the slant route that they’ve had that whole time is just an incredible job.”

A game that was nearly 14-14 was now 21-7 in favor of Crestwood, just like that.

Just last week, Bonner trailed 21-7 in the first half to Interboro, so there was reason for the Friars to feel optimistic and not panic quite yet.

Bonner received the second half kickoff and marched down deep into Crestwood territory, but Justin Shepherd was once again picked off in the end zone by the Comets, this time by Matt Sklarosky.

It was at this point that Bonner Head Coach Jack Muldoon made the tough decision to pull his Second Team All-Catholic quarterback and turn to Colin Finnegan.

“We needed to change it up, we kind of felt like a lot of things were happening and he had lost it a bit,” Muldoon said. “Colin is more of a physical player, we have a run game with him, so we thought to go more up tempo and it got some juice for us.”

As Bonner started to get some momentum from the hard-running Finnegan, the Friar faithful started to get a bit louder. 

Bonner had made their way into the red zone, a place that had haunted them so far today, but this time Colin Finnegan gave Jalil Hall an opportunity, and he made a miraculous catch in the end zone while somehow managing to stay in bounds to make it a one score game again.

After forcing a punt, Bonner got the ball back with a chance to tie the game and eight minutes left on the clock. Isaiah Session ripped off a huge run, but Crestwood was able to stop the Friars on a fourth down conversion and take over.

Once again, the Bonner defense gave their offense one last shot, but once again the Crestwood defense wouldn’t allow them to get out of their own side of the field. After a deep shot on fourth down from Finnegan that was incomplete, the ballgame was over.

The Crestwood Comets advance to the PIAA State Semi-Finals for the first time in program history, and they will now take on Bishop McDevitt.

“These guys have cemented themselves as the best team to ever come through Crestwood in my mind,” said Arcangeli. “To go through that schedule, to be the last man standing in District 2, and then win a state playoff game in these guys backyard? We’ll take it all day long, I’m so proud of our guys I really am.”

Crestwood has been known mostly for its offense this season, but their defense was just as impressive in this game today.

The Comets did not let up many big plays, forced two turnovers in the red zone, and held Bonner to just 14 points all afternoon.

“Our defense all year long has been quiet, just doing our job and hanging in there and keeping us in games,” Arcangeli said. “It got gritty a bit, they lived in our red zone, but we kept them out more times than they did us so I’m proud of our guys and what an unbelievable job by our players.”

For Bonner, it’s a heartbreaking end to one of the most successful seasons in the history of their program. 

The Friars went 11-2, won the PCL Blue Division Championship, won a District Championship, and made it all the way to the state quarterfinals.

“This team in particular, they came in as freshmen and won as many games as any Bonner team during their time,” Muldoon said. “We played really well up front, we got contributions from everybody, we said it was going to take all of us and it did. 17 kids are going to leave that we are going to miss a lot.” 

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