Emmaus Routs Reading Behind Strong First Half
Tagged under: District 11, District 3, Gameday Hub, News
PFN Staff | September 7, 2024
Special contributor: lsvsports.com/
Emmaus overmatched Reading in all facets of the game Friday night at EPSD Stadium. Field position played a key role throughout and both turners and penalties allowed the Green Hornets to pull away for a mercy rule victory.
Will Buck pinned the Red Knights at or inside their own 20 on six of their eight first half drives. The first was a quick three and out, as Xavier Beatty lost five yards on a carry and a false start backed Reading to its own 12 yard line. Following the punt, Emmaus took over on the Knights’ 37. Reilly Bechtel fumbled on the first play, but Rich Edwards bailed him out by falling on the ball. A defensive offsides and personal foul moved the Hornets to the Reading 12. With 7:36 to go in the opening quarter, Will Buck hit from 32 yards out to put Emmaus up 3-0.
Reading’s second drive saw promise, as QB Kayson Fritz completed a 17 yard pass to Isaiah Camara. The completion gave the Knights their first first down of the night. Joey Glover, though, halted the momentum with a sack of Fritz, forcing another punt. Kai Jefferson-Rushing returned the punt up over midfield and down to the Reading 32. Bechtel trucked ahead for 17 and then Jerek Cooper found Jefferson-Rushing all alone in the end zone for a 15 yard touchdown strike.
The next two Reading drives ended in interceptions. Jah’Khi Daves got the first downfield at his own 45. Gabe Laws helped stop the Emmaus drive, decking Cooper in the backfield and forcing an Emmaus punt. However, Emmaus turned the next turnover into points. This time, Fritz threw to to the far sideline. Daniel Duggan tipped the ball and Zach Stevens took it for a nice return, tiptoeing the sideline to the Reading 9. Bechtel took it to the end zone on the next play over the left side and Emmaus was off and running with a 17-0 lead late in the opening stanza.
Alexis Alvarado picked up gains of five and seven yards on the ensuing drive, but after just the one first down, Reading punted from its own 32. The kick took an incredibly friendly bounce down to the Emmaus 17. After a three and out, Reading took over with its best field position of the night near midfield. However, a fumbled snap and loss of 23 yards doomed another drive.
After taking over deep in their own territory again, Cole Moreau flipped the field on a spectacular sliding catch with a defender in position at the Reading 36 for a gain of 38. On the next play, Jay Santos took it 36 yards to the house, extending the second quarter lead to 24-0 for the Green Hornets.
Xavier Beatty took the ensuing kickoff all the way back to the Emmaus 45, but a block in the back nullified one of the best plays of the night to that point for the Red Knights. Emmaus suffered a similar situation on their next drive, when a Daniel Duggan catch and run of 38 yards was called back for an illegal procedure foul. With the 24-0 halftime lead, Emmaus had not allowed Reading across midfield.
It took Emmaus just two plays to tack on in the second half. Bechtel exploded for a 27 yard gain and Duggan followed that with a 32-yard touchdown catch in the corner of the end zone. Neo Michel tacked on another score on the next drive on a 15 yard sprint to pay-dirt, putting the game into the mercy rule.
Reading finally crossed midfield midway into the third quarter. Xavier Beatty took the ensuring kickoff back to the Emmaus 46 and Reading finally had success with the no huddle offense they had been running for most of the game. Frits scrambled for 20 and scored from two yards out on third down.
Reading, a team that had allowed over 500 rushing yards over its first two games combined, would give up yardage in gobs most of the night. Jay Santos finished the night with 86 yards and a touchdown, while Bechtel added 71 yards on nine carries. Neo Michel was 8-38 with a score. Despite completing just three passes on the night, Jerek Cooper had two of those go for scores. Overall, the Hornets ran for over 200 yards to go with Cooper’s 85 through the air. Defensively, Emmaus held Reading to a net of just 40 yards on the ground and 37 through the air.
Emmaus will next be in action when they travel to Stroudsburg next Friday night. Reading faces a tough test against WIlson(West Lawn).
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