Though they all knew it held some significance for the Panthers, who saw their 35-game Public League winning streak get snapped.
This time, there would be no slow starts, no spotty passing game, no defensive lapses. This time, the Panthers put on one of their best performances of the season, smoking the Railsplitters, 54-8, to move to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Philadelphia Public League.
Panthers’ quarterback Joey McLeish completed 10 of 13 for 209 yards and three touchdowns—all in the first half, while sophomore receiver By’ire Murphy caught two touchdowns and had a career-high 107 yards receiving. Imhotep’s imposing all-everything edge rushed Tristan Alexander has four sacks, two fumble recoveries and a 94-yard fumble return touchdown.
The victory could not have been wrapped tighter and more complete for Imhotep coach Devon Johnson.
“This is actually the first game this season when we started fast,” Johnson said. “We scored on all six possessions in the first half. We let up a long play in the second quarter, and I’m not happy about that. This is the best our passing game has looked this season, and is what we expected from Joey. I like his decision making and now it’s time for us to put altogether.
“By’ire Murphy we like to say is one of our Ferraris. He’s one of the fastest players in the state who played for us as a freshman. We just have to keep building and be ready for our state playoff run.”
The Panthers were flawless in the first half, while McLeish completed passes of 17, 26, 35, 46 and 68 yards. Of the six drives, the Panthers only had to convert three third downs. Defensively, Lincoln was smothered, with the exception of one play, when Lincoln’s dynamic Issiah Muhammad bolted 30 yards for the Railsplitters’ only score of the game in the second quarter.
By then, Lincoln was trailing, 21-0.
“I had revenge on my mind, because I didn’t play well (against Lincoln), just no one was going to say that out loud,” McLeish said. “We did well overall as a team. We just need to cut down on mistakes. I’m seeing the field really well. I feel as though I have the best receivers in the state and I believe in them. Our passing is better than it was last year, because our offensive line is coming together
“Everyone is putting the work in. We’re all doing extra stuff after practice.”
Murphy was simply uncoverable. McLeish found him numerous times completely alone.
“They were covering us man-to-man, and we thought that was very disrespectful trying to cover like that. We put the state on notice.”
Imhotep amassed 333 yards to total offense to Lincoln’s 125. They even scored a defensive touchdown when Alexander scored on a 94-yard scoop-and-score off a Lincoln fumble inside the Railsplitters’ 10.
From there, Johnson pulled his starters on both sides of the ball and rode out the mercy rule.
“The goal is to get back to the (Class 5A) state championship,” McLeish said. “Things are coming together at the right time. Everyone trusts one another. Everyone is putting in the extra time. There is a bigger ahead. That’s what we’re aiming for. We have the team that can do it.”
Scoring Summary
Lincoln (2-3) 0 8 0 6-14
Imhotep (4-1) 14 26 6 8-54
1st Quarter
IC – Kassan Chappelle 5 run (Joey McLeish kick), 9:22
IC – By’ire Murphy 35 pass from McLeish (McLeish kick), 4:31
2nd Quarter
IC – Murphy 2 pass from McLeish (McLeish kick), 9:59
L – Issiah Muhammad 30 run (Kendall Jackson run), 7:13
IC – Chappelle 2 run (kick failed), 5:32
IC – Basil Reid 65 pass from McLeish (McLeish kick) 4:38
IC – Brian Culmer 25 pass from McLeish (run failed), 1:22
3rd Quarter
IC – Tristan Alexander 94 fumble return (kick failed), 7:44
4th Quarter
IC – Idris March 1 run (Culmer pass from Kyran Davis-Adams), 8:41
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.