Penncrest Downs West Chester East Wins First Home Playoff Game in School’s History
Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs
Willie McGonigle | November 1, 2025
MIDDLETOWN: Teachers at Penncrest must give Chase Callahan, Paul Graham Jr., and Sean Benson a pass if their minds wander a little bit during class on Friday. Not only was it Halloween, but the trio and their teammates were mere hours away from participating in the school’s first-ever home playoff game. Callahan, Graham, and Benson all play crucial roles in the 8th-seeded Lions getting the second playoff victory in program history, knocking off the 9th-seeded West Chester East Vikings 28-21.
“It was amazing, obviously there was pressure that came with it, but the whole day I was ecstatic, everyone was wishing us good luck and wanting us to win, and our student section showed out, everyone was here.” Callahan said of the environment during the school day.
Graham and Benson terrorize the Vikings on the offensive side of the ball. The duo combined to rush for 301 yards and all four Lions scores.
On the game’s opening drive, the Vikings drove down to the Lions’ 16 before their drive stalled and they had to settle for a 33-yard field goal, which was no good. On their opening drive, the Lions fumbled, and Alex Chappell recovered it for the Vikings.
The Vikings couldn’t capitalize on the Lions’ turnover, but they did manage to reach the Lions’ 37 before Logan Cummings was brought down for a 19-yard loss, and the Vikings gave the ball back to the Lions.
On their second possession of the game put together an 11-play 83-yard drive that was capped off with a Benson 31-yard touchdown run.
For the Vikings offense, the third time was the charm for them, putting together a ten-play 57-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Chase Szollose, tying the score at 7.
On the ensuing Lions took the air a bit, reaching the Vikings 20 before turning the ball over on downs with 37 seconds remaining in the first half. The Vikings then drove the Lions 18 before attempting a 35-yard field goal that fell short, and time expired in the first half.
In the second half, the Lions came and wasted little time breaking the tie. On the third play of the third quarter, Benson busted through the Vikings’ defense and raced 47 yards for the Lions’ touchdown, giving them the 14-7 lead. Benson finished the game with 139 yards on
The Vikings appeared to be poised to even the score on the ensuing drive down to the Lions’ 27, and that’s where Callahan stepped up. With the Vikings facing 4th and 8 at the Lions 27, Logan Cummings connected with Chris Costa, who was met instantly by Callahan, bringing down at 25, 6 yards short of the first down.
“We’ve been practicing that play, I’ve seen that play every single day, and it came down to performing in the moment,” Callahan said of his stop.
On the very next play, Graham Jr kept the ball on an option, and it was off to the races. He went down the Lions’ sideline for the 75-yard touchdown and a 21-7 Lions lead.
“That play was our O-line,” Graham Jr. said. “All night, they were blowing dudes off the ball. They had a great game. There, it just happened to pop, and it was awesome. All my teammates they were full of energy and excited. That was a big play for the energy of the team. We rode that momentum into our defensive drive and our offensive drive (after that). I’m not going to say that one play won the game, but that was a big play for us.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Vikings cut the Lions’ lead to 21-13 with Szollose’s second touchdown of the day, this from 17 yards out.
The Lions responded on their ensuing drive that Graham capped with his second touchdown of the day, this one from 25 yards out. Graham finished with 163 yards rushing on 15 carries
After the game, Graham drew high praise from Vikings head coach Dean Owens, who said, “I think the difference in these playoff games is guys like Paul Graham that just make plays. We had a tough time tackling him all night, and he was the difference.” Owens added that “He’s the real deal.”
The Vikings, however, didn’t go without fighting, marching 70 yards on 12 plays with Szollose finding the endzone for the third time. He then powered his way in for the two-point conversion, making it 28-21 with 3:55 remaining in the game. Unfortunately for the Vikings, the Lions recovered the onside kick attempt and proceeded to run out the clock. Szollose finished the game with 165 yards.
The Lions (8-3) will now go on the road and look to avenge one of their losses when they travel to Central League rival, the top-seeded Springfield Cougars, who dispatched Upper Dublin 49-20 in their first-round matchup.
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
