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

Emmaus Survives Late Easton Gamble, Exacts Revenge on Red Rovers

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

| November 9, 2024


With the end of regulation just 20 seconds away, Easton head coach Matt Seneca and his staff asked themselves one of the toughest questions in a close football game: Do we kick the extra point and try to force overtime? Or do we go for two and the win? The Red Rovers opted to try for the win, and a missed connection on a pass into the end zone was ultimately the difference, as Emmaus won an instant classic, 20-19.

The Green Hornets faced the Red Rovers for the second time in the season, having previously lost at home 28-21 in overtime. Eager to avenge one of their two defeats on the year, Emmaus put their stellar defense to work early. Easton’s opening drive stretched from its own 20 to the Emmaus 22, but was cut short when Reilly Bechtel was able to bring down Dorian Thomas on a screen pass. Along the way, Easton converted a 3rd & 10 on a 15-yard pass to Andrew Biddle and then Cole Ordway found JC Wilson for a pickup of 38.

After the teams exchanged punts and Easton was held back on two short yardage situations, Emmaus got great field position as the Red Rovers kick went out of bounds on the Hornets 45. Jerek Cooper, who only completed six passes on the night, hooked up with Daniel Duggan on a critical 15-yard pickup down the right side into Easton territory. A play later, Easton committed a personal foul facemask, moving the ball into the red zone. Mekhi Grant zipped into the backfield on first down and sacked Cooper for a loss of ten. Will Buck was eventually called upon to kick one from 43 yards out. He drilled it to put Emmaus ahead 3-0 with 2:15 to play in the opening quarter.

The Hornets defense continued to swarm on Easton’s next possession. Bechtel brought Ordway to the ground on a 3rd & 2 call, forcing a punt.

Jerek Cooper rumbled up the middle for 14 yards and Bechtel went around the outside for eight, crossing into Easton territory on the next drive. Jerek Cooper faked a handoff to Bechtel and stretched a designed carry 18 yards to the Easton 13. A penalty on the Rovers moved Emmaus inside the 10, but the defense stood strong. Will Buck connected from 27 yards out, extending Emmaus’ lead to 6-0 midway through the second quarter.

Easton then generated its longest possession of the night. An 11-play, 65 yard drive culminated with a Will Day 5-yard scamper into the end zone. The Easton efforts were bolstered on the night by running a no-huddle offense that kept the Hornets defense off-balance. Dorian Thomas converted a 4th & 2 with a six yard run over the left side. JC Wilson made a spectacular near-catch in the end zone on the next play, but Daniel Duggan knocked the ball away before Wilson could secure possession. On 4th & 2, Ordway faked the handoff in a crowded backfield and chewed up 22 yards. Will Day went in from five yards out on the next play to put Easton ahead 7-6 with 1:33 to play in the half.

Emmaus drove the field in the final moments. Jerek Cooper fired into the back corner of the end zone from 24 yards out. Sean McPeek got inside position on Ben Jones and came away with the interception to end the half. Jones tried to wrestle the ball away, but Easton retained a 7-6 halftime lead.

The Hornets got the ball first in the third quarter, but were forced to punt after a first down. The Rovers took over on their own 12 and cruised down the field on a Cole Ordway 50 yard dash. Seeing the field, he cut up the middle and then down the near sideline for the big gainer. However, on 3rd & Goal, his pass went incomplete in the back corner of the end zone. On 4th & Goal, a leaping try by Wilson, who had gotten behind Duggan, came up short.

Having turned the Red Rovers away, Emmaus took over deep in its own territory. Will Day got a big tackle for loss, wrapping up Bechtel at the 3-yard line. Harold Fairclough recalled the next play play: ” .” Bechtel blasted through the line, going 97 yards to the house for the longest run of his career.

Head coach Harold Fairclough talked about the play, “Someone in my headset was saying to themselves ‘do what you’ve been doing all year and break one off right here,’ and boom. He plays with a lot of guts and he does it on both sides of the ball.”

Bechtel added, “It was the longest run in my life. I was just running and running and finally got to the other side.”

Easton, now trailing 13-7, was quickly faced with a 3rd & 24 call on their own 26, following an Asher Dougherty sack of Ordway. That was no problem for the offense, as Ordway found JC Wilson streaking down the right sideline for a 40 yard pickup to the Emmaus 38. He then hit Biddle on a little swing pass out in the flat and Biddle turned it into a 23 yard gain. Will Day what Will Day does and raced off the right side for 15 yards and then took it in from a yard out. The extra point, though, was pulled wide, keeping the game tied at 13 late in the third.

Neither team would score on their next possession. Kai Jefferson-Rushing dropped a third down pass for Emmaus, while Cole Ordway had a 60-yard touchdown run come back on a holding call. Dorian Thomas fumbled the ball two plays later and Daniel Duggan was on it.

The Hornets got the ball on their own 45. On 3rd & 8, Cooper completed his final pass of the night at a crucial juncture, nine yards to Ben Jones. With the drive alive, Cooper called his own number and ripped off 29 more yards to the Easton 16. Bechtel scored from three yards out off the left side and Emmaus reclaimed the lead 20-13 with just over six minutes to play in regulation.

Easton picked up a first down on their next drive, but was forced into a 4th & 6 situation. Dorian Thomas lost the ball and Neo Michel was right there to pounce on it for the Green Hornets, their second fumble recovery of the second half. Backed into a 4th & 21, though, Emmaus punted and Easton got one more chance with 1:31 left and no timeouts remaining.

On the first play from the 25, Ordway found Biddle streaking down the near sideline for a quick 25 yards out to midfield. On the next play, Ordway appeared to be swallowed up in the backfield, but his incredible escapability allowed him to get out of bounds and turn a big loss of yardage and time into a four yard gain.

On a throw over the middle inside the five, Neo Michel was able to breakup a ball intended for Biddle. On third down, Ordway fired to the end zone and Jasir Frutchey came away with a one-handed catch. With the score 20-19, Matt Senneca had the choice to make. Easton opted to go for the win and the two points. Ordway’s pass flew over the outstretched hands of his receiver.

The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Emmaus and the Green Hornets were 20-19 victors on the road in a hostile environment at Cottingham. This marked the fifth consecutive time that the road team won in the series and the first time in three years that Emmaus made it to the District XI 6A title game. Emmaus will seek it’s first district title in school history next week when they take on rival Parkland. That game will be played next Friday night at Whitehall.

On the night, Reilly Bechtel ran 19 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Cooper contributed 59 on the ground and 65 through the air. Ben Jones led all receivers with three catches for 30 yards. Emmaus, in typical fashion this year, was penalized 11 times for over 100 yards, but Easton also had nine fouls called against them.

In the loss, Easton’s Will Day, Cole Ordway and Dorian Thomas combined to run for 242 yards. Ordway completed 12 of 20 passes for 215.

Harold Fairclough spoke on the win, “I’m just so happy for my kids. How hard they worked and they committed to everything we asked them to do, which is awesome. My hat goes off to these kids. It feels good.”

Reilly Bechtel added of next week’s game and trying to secure Emmaus’ first ever district title: “I believe with my whole heart we can do it.”

Read more at LSVSports.com

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews

 
 
QwikCut
 
GoRout
 
Sports Paradise
 
Football Legends board game
 
 
x