The Funding Zone
 
 
 
SAFR: Safer Through Science
 
CoachComm Cobalt Plus
 
Turf Tank
 

Delaware Valley gets revenge against Whitehall, advances to next round in PIAA Class 5A playoffs

Tagged under: District 11, District 2, Gameday Hub, pfn, Playoffs

| November 18, 2023

It was a playoff rematch from last season as the Whitehall Zephyrs came in to square off against the Delaware Valley Warriors. Last season, the Zephyrs defeated the Warriors 34-13 in the same round of the state playoffs. This year, Whitehall (8-4) won the District 11 5A Championship by defeating Southern Lehigh and Delaware Valley (9-3) had won the District 2 5A Championship with a win over Abington Heights.

In the playoffs it’s usually win or go home, but the Warriors got to stay home for this one. RB Ryder Machado had 4 TD’s and QB Logan Olsommer threw for 2 more scores to TE Aiden Black as the Warriors opened it up in the 2nd half to down the Zephyrs 56-27.

Delaware Valley won the coin toss and deferred, so Whitehall took the opening kickoff out to their own 23. The Zephyrs struck big immediately on the first play from scrimmage when QB Trey Dogmanits hit WR Jack Kocher for 36 yards down to the Warrior 41 yard line. Unfortunately, the Zephyrs would only net 1 yard on the next 3 plays and punted it away.

Delaware Valley took over at their own 14 and it appeared they were in trouble immediately. QB Logan Olsommer missed on a deep pass to WR Jayden Ramirez on 1st down and was sacked for a loss of 8 yards on 2nd down. RB Ryder Machado got things back on track with a big 20-yard run for a 1st down. The Warriors then moved methodically downfield, mixing passes and runs very effectively. RB Justin Kalitsnick alternated with Machado on the ground and Olsommer used passes to Ramirez and TE Kyle Chabak to get the Warriors down to the Whitehall 32. Olsommer then hit TE Aiden Black for a 32-yard TD that made it 7-0 Delaware Valley with 3:37 left in the 1st quarter.

Whitehall started their next drive at their own 21, and a pitch play to RB Dalton Wickel was met immediately by the Warriors’ Black for a 2-yard loss. Dogmanits then found the family connection, hitting his brother WR Talon Dogmanits for 2 straight 7-yard receptions and a 1st down at the 34. Runs by Wickel and Dogmanits set up a 3rd and 5 at the 39, but a pass from Dogmanits to TE Kaden Weaver came up short of the line to gain and Whitehall punted it away again as the 1st quarter ended and the 2nd quarter began.

Delaware Valley then deliberately took to the ground. Machado ran it 6 straight times for a total of 21 yards. Olsommer then hit RB Justin Estevez for 17 yards and followed it up with a strike to Ramirez for 20 yards. On the next play, a 1st and 10 at the Whitehall 30, RB Mike Iuzzulino ran it right up the middle and broke free for a nice 30-yard TD scamper that made it 14-0 Warriors with 8:03 left in the 1st half.

Whitehall then made a strategic change and went with the hurry-up offense to try to catch the Warriors off guard. Starting at their own 18, Wickel ran it for 2 yards and was hit hard by Kalitsnick. RB Carter Troxell then stepped in with 2 runs for a total of 8 yards and gained the 1st down at the 29. Dogmanits then scrambled for no gain, but followed it up with a big 17-yard strike to WR Braden Bashore. After Dogmanits had a nice 6-yard run, he was sacked for a loss of 7. On 3rd and 11 from his own 45, Dogmanits hit Kocher for a big 21-yard gain and a penalty on the Warriors made it 1st and 10 at the Delaware Valley 29. On 3rd and 1 from the 20, Bashore tried the end-around sweep but was met immediately by Machado for a loss of 3. Whitehall went for it on 4th down but the pass into the end zone fell incomplete and the Warriors took over on downs.

Starting at their own 23, Kalitsnick ran it twice in a row totaling 13 yards. Machado ran it for 2 yards and Kalitsnick ran it for 10 yards out to the 48. After an incomplete pass, Olsommer handed it back to Machado who fumbled the ball which was recovered by DE Justus Miles for the Zephyrs at their own 45. Dogmanits then made the most of the turnover with the hurry-up offense as he hit Bashore for a quick 5 yards, then ran it for 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Warrior 46, Dogmanits threw it to Kocher for 13 yards, then hit Bashore for 15 yards. He then capped the drive with another strike to Kocher, this one for 18 yards and a touchdown. With only 25 seconds to go in the half, Whitehall cut the lead in half at 14-7.

Delaware Valley kneeled it out to end the half, but started things out very quickly in the 3rd quarter. Ramirez returned the kickoff out to the Warrior 28. Olsommer threw it to Black for a 21-yard gain, and using the hurry-up themselves the Warriors struck right away as Machado broke a 51-yard run for a touchdown. The PAT missed, and with 11:30 still to go in the 3rd quarter the Warriors extended their lead 20-7.

Things then went from bad to worse for Whitehall. After Bashore had a nice kick return out to the Zephyr 41, Dogmanits hit Bashore for 4 yards. On the very next play, Dogmanits was sacked and fumbled the ball which was recovered by Warrior DL Carter Faubel. Taking over at the Whitehall 37, Kalitsnick ran it for 5 yards and Machado ran it for another 5 yards and gained the 1st down. Machado then broke free on the very next play, a 27-yard TD run that made it 27-7 for the Warriors with 9:42 left in the 3rd.

Whitehall immediately went back to the hurry-up offense on their next possession. Starting at their own 25, Dogmanits hit Bashore again for 15 yards and a 1st down. Wickel then gained 20 yards on 3 straight runs, and aided by an offsides penalty the Zephyrs found themselves at the Delaware Valley 36. A mix of runs by Wickel and completions to Bashore and Talon Dogmanits drove the Zephyrs down to the 14. Kocher then caught his 2nd touchdown of the night from 14 yards out, and with 6:26 left in the 3rd quarter Whitehall drew closer at 27-14.

Starting at their own 32 on the next drive, the Warriors decided to also go with the hurry-up. Machado ran it for 14 yards, then Kalitsnick ran it for 6 yards. Olsommer then hit Black on a sideline route to glory for a 60-yard TD catch-and-run. Kalitsnick ran it in for the 2-point conversion, and with 5:48 left in the 3rd the Warriors extended their lead at 35-14.

Not to be outdone, Whitehall kept with the hurry-up on their subsequent drive as well as they started at their own 32. Dogmanits gained 3 on the ground, then on 3rd down he threw it to his brother Talon for 16 yards and into Warrior territory at the 49. After Troxell gained 1 yard on 2nd down, a huge Dogmanits to Kocher strike for 37 yards on 3rd down drove the Zephyrs to the Warrior 11. After a holding penalty pushed Whitehall back to the 21, Dogmanits made the family connection again to his brother Talon for a fantastic highlight reel catch in the back of the end zone for the score. The PAT was blocked, but with 3:08 left in the 3rd the Zephyrs had again cut into the lead at 35-20.

On the ensuing kickoff, Machado had a great return out to the Delaware Valley 44. Iuzzulino ran it twice for a total of 5 yards, then Olsommer hit Estevez for 9 yards and a 1st down. Kalitsnick ran it for 4 yards, then Olsommer gained 13 yards on the keeper for another 1st down. Iuzzulino ran it for 2 down to the Zephyr 13 as time expired in the 3rd quarter. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Olsommer threw it to Kalitsnick who barreled his way into the end zone for the score. With 11:53 left in the game, Delaware Valley extended their lead at 42-20.

Having had some success in the game thus far, Whitehall stayed with the hurry-up offense as they started the next drive from their own 36. Dogmanits was sacked by Warrior DL Pasquale Venetucci on 1st down for a loss of 3 yards. Dogmanits then hit Weaver for 19 yards to the Warrior 48 and a 1st down. After an incomplete pass, Dogmanits was sacked by Kalitsnick for a 10-yard loss back to the Zephyr 42. On 3rd and 20 from the 42, Dogmanits hit Bashore for 14 yards. After a false start made it 4th and 11 from the Warrior 49, Dogmanits scrambled for 19 yards for a 1st down at the Warrior 30. Penalties then hurt the Zephyrs and the drive stalled at the Warrior 24 with a turnover on downs.

The Warriors kept with the hurry-up offense as they tried to get to mercy-rule time. Machado ran for 2 yards followed by a keeper from Olsommer for 20 yards. Machado then hit it big again as he broke a 54-yard run for another score that made it 49-20 with 7:18 to go in the game.

Whitehall did not give up, and got a nice return by Kocher to the 33. A delay of game penalty made it 1st and 15 from the 28, and the Zephyrs only gained 3 yards in the 3 plays. Running out of time and needing to maintain possession, they decided to go for it on 4th at 12 from their own 31. That decision was catastrophic, as Dogmanits’ pass was intercepted by Kalitsnick at the Whitehall 45. Machado then ripped off 3 straight runs, the last of which was a 29-yard TD run for his 4th score of the game. With 4:48 to go, it was 56-20 for Delaware Valley.

Whitehall started at their own 14 on the ensuing possession. Wickel ran it 3 times for a total of 19 yards and Bashore gained 8 yards on a nice reception. On 2nd and 6 from their own 46, the Zephyrs came up big as Dogmanits hit Kocher for 41 yards down to the Warrior 13. 2 plays later, Dogmanits hit Kocher again for a 13-yard score to make it 56-27 with only 1:37 to go. It was too little, too late though as Delaware Valley took the ensuing kickoff at their own 15 and kneeled it out to seal the win.

After the game, Coach Keith Olsommer told his Warriors: “It is so much fun watching you guys play!” A post-game interview I had with Coach Olsommer confirmed much of the same respect he has for his team.

With the win, Delaware Valley advances to the next round of the playoffs and will play the winner of the Roman Catholic vs. Imhotep Charter game.

Click here to check out our updated playoff brackets

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
QwikCut
 
GoRout
 
Sports Paradise
 
Football Legends board game
 
 
x