WEST GOSHEN — A pair of forced fumbles and a recovered onside kick helped West Chester East jump out to a two-touchdown lead on Coatesville Friday night.
Coatesville sophomore running back Andre Watson coughed up one of those early turnovers. He didn’t let it linger. Watson, new to the program this year, ran for 188 yards and three scores — two of them during a run of 35 unanswered points that helped the Red Raiders to 42-21 victory in a battle of early-season unbeatens.
“I knew since I fumbled I had to have my team’s back,” Watson said. “I had to get it back for them and do my part.”
West Chester East hopped ahead early after taking advantage of a Raiders fumble. Logan Cummings tossed a 29-yard touchdown to Matt Kendro on the very next play to spot the Vikings a 7-0 lead with 5:53 left in the first quarter.
Coatesville answered at the 11:16 mark in the second quarter when Andre Watson broke off a long run then punched in from two yards.
The Raiders didn’t get the ball back for the next eight minutes of game time. West Chester East marched 80 yards in 11 plays on the ensuing drive, capped by a Cummings 9-yard touchdown pass to Jack Anderson.
After Chase Szollose recovered his own onside kick, the Vikings marched down the field for another score. Cummings found Kendro for a 27-yard score on 4th-and-11 to make it 21-7 Vikings with 3:02 left in the half.
“There were some turnovers, punching it in when we had the chances to, and just keeping that momentum going,” Szollose said of the Vikings’ hot start.
A 56-yard touchdown run by Coatesville’s Sage Bradshaw made it a one score game at half and the momentum shift carried into halftime. After the Red Raidres defense forced a three-and-out to start the half, a long punt return by Qwan James put Coatesville in position to tie the game 21-21 on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ortega Jr. to Lawrence Beckett with 10:07 left in the third.
Ortega Jr. found James for a 10-yard touchdown pass on the next Coatesville possession to give his team its first lead, 28-21, at the 4:49 mark in the third. He ran in a seven-yard score with 9:38 to go in the game, and a Watson 37-yard touchdown run with 4:45 left wrapped things up.
Ortega finished 16-of-19 for 142 yards and a pair of scores.
“Coming out here, we knew we were going ot have the quick game all game,” Ortega Jr. said. “That was really big. “The turnovers, we just had that next play mentality. I feel like coming out here after those plays and just setting the tone is really good.”
Along with Watson’s big day in the Coatesville backfield, fellow sophomore Bradshaw ran nine times for 150 yards and a score and picked off a Cummings pass late on the defensive side.
Both new to the program this season, the young running backs are getting along quite swell.
“I say best running back duo in the state,” Watson said. “Two sophomores, so I think we definitely have a good shot this year, and we’re both going to show out.”
“We’re glad we have them, and they’re a really big help on my part too,” Ortega Jr. said.
West Chester East was pleased with its strong start but wore down as the game went on. Chase Szollose had a big day for the VIkings, running 20 times for 111 yards and adding three catches for 30 yards. Kendro caught three passes for 54 yards and two scores, while Cummings completed 11-of-24 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
The Coatesville defense held West Chester East to just 58 total yards and four first downs in the second half. Josh Van Orden was among those making big plays for the Red Raiders defense. Penn State commit Terry Wiggins had a key sack in the second half.
“Definitely, bringing the house, bringing blitzes,” Szollose said of the Coatesville defensive adjustments. “Just a lot of pressure there. It was hard to run the ball, pass the ball.”
“We can definitely hang with them. We can definitely hang with a lot of very good teams,” he added on what the Vikings can take away from the loss.
West Chester East has another tall task next week when Downingtown East (4-1) travels to West Goshen. Coatesville will travel to play Avon Grove.
“We know every game we’re going to face adversity,” Ortega Jr. said. “We’re at Coatesville, so we’re going to face that. I feel like we hang with that, we really like that, how we have to go through adversity, and it makes us better.”
Coatesville 0 14 14 14-42
West Chester East 7 14 0 0-21
Individual Scoring
First Quarter
WCE: Matt Kendro 29 pass from Logan Cummings (Chase Szollose kick) 5:53
Second Quarter
CV: Andre Watson 2 run (Logan Bernardo kick) 11:16
WCE: Jack Anderson 9 pass from Logan Cummings (Chase Szollose kick) 5:41
WCE: Matt Kendro 27 pass from Logan Cummings (Chase Szollose kick) 3:02
CV: Sage Bradshaw 56 run (Logan Bernardo kick) 1:50
Third Quarter
CV: Lawrence Beckett 9 pass from Matt Ortega Jr. (Logan Bernardo kick) 10:07
CV: Qwan James 10 pass from Matt Ortega Jr. (Logan Bernardo kick) 4:49
Fourth Quarter
CV: Matt Ortega Jr. 7 run (Logan Bernardo kick) 9:38
CV: Andre Watson 37 run (Logan Bernardo kick) 4:45
Team Statistics
…………………….CV………………WCE
1st downs………..20…………………14
rush-yds……….46-248……….22-113
comp-att-int….9-13-0…………..11-24-1
pass yds……….113………………116
total yds…………361……………….229
fumb-lost……..2-2………………0-0
pen-yds…………9-80…………..3-35
Individual Statistics
Rushing:
Coatesville: Andre Watson 19-188, 3 TDs; 9-150, TD; Matt Ortega Jr. 7-6, TD; Lawrence Beckett 1-0.
West Chester East: Chase Szollose 20-111; AJ Fina 1-2; Cooper Verbos 1-0.
Passing:
Coatesville: 16-19, 146 yards, 2 TDs.
West Chester East: Logan Cummings 11-24, 116 yards, 3 TDs, INT.
Receiving:
Coatesville: Elias Hanson 4-48; Lawrence Beckett 3-34, TD; Qwan James 4-23, TD; Terry Wiggins 1-16; Chase Kryworuka 2-15; Nick Christino 1-6; Ethan Kryworuka 1-4.
West Chester East: Matt Kendro 3-54, 2 TDs; Chase Szollose 3-30; Jack Anderson 3-28, TD; Carl Komoroski 2-4.
Interceptions: Coatesville: Sage Bradshaw.
Sacks: Coatesville: Terry Wiggins; West Chester East: Caleb Komorowski.
One Response
Coatesville was a totally different team the second half. They have very talented running backs and when they used them the second half it was a totally different game. It also helped that the defense stepped up in the second half for a very impressive win.