Rick O'Brien: Penncrest’s Moretti enjoyed football shootout

As Penncrest's Mike Moretti appropriately described it, it was "like a track meet."

In a back-and-forth, frenetic Central League game between Penncrest and host Springfield-Delco on Friday night, the teams combined for 120 points, 926 yards of offense, 45 first downs, 7 turnovers and 17 touchdowns.

When the smoke cleared, it was the Penncrest Lions who walked away from the high-scoring affair with a 66-54 victory. "We were having fun the whole time," said Moretti, a right offensive tackle and outside linebacker.

For Penncrest, 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back Jerry Boyer carried 23 times for 245 yards and four TDs. His scores, following a first-half fumble that helped the Cougars build a 14-0 lead, covered 52, 48, 19, 7 yards.

"It was pretty crazy," Boyer said. "I don't think I've ever been involved in a game that exciting before."

The 120 total points is believed to be a Delaware County record. The Lions (4-2 overall, 4-1 league) have sctually scored more points in a game. In Week 2 of the 2003 campaign, they trounced Central League rival Lower Merion, 73-6. Eight players had TDs in that game.

Springfield (3-3, 2-3) netted 516 yards on offense. Quarterback Wally Rutecki was a force with his arm and legs. The senior completed 17 of 28 passes for 209 yards and two TDs. He carried 13 times for 138 yards and a pair of scores.

"He played one of his better games," Penncrest coach Paul Graham said. "He completed a lot of passes, ran for a lot of yards."

Trailing 21-7, the Lions notched four scores in the last 14 minutes of the first half, including a 22-yard pass from quarterback Matt Atkinson to tight end Phil Barbieri, taking a 35-26 lead into intermussion. Atkinson was just 3-for-6 passing for 61 yards but all three completions went for TDs.

Junior running back Matt Craig also sparked the Cougars. He carried 29 times for 136 yards and three TDs.

Penncrest posted nine TDs. Tom Weathers accounted for the rest of the scoring, with a 29-yard field goal and nine extra-point boots.

In addition to Moretti and Barbieri, the Penncrest line included left tackle John Young, left guard Nick Quintans, center Kevin Cosgrove and right guard Dan Mills.

Moretti, Atkinson and Cosgrove, all captains, were at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles' 33-14 romp over Tampa Bay.

"Yeah, not as much scoring as there was in our game," Moretti said. "Our game was a little crazy, a little out of control."

Switching it up. On a series-by-series rotation, Germantown Academy used two sets of skill-position players while handing host Academy of the New Church a 35-20 non-league loss Saturday in Bryn Athyn.

The Red group was comprised of QB Austin Kevitch, tailback Lamont Jackson, fullback Keith Corliss, and receivers Pratik Patel, John Citrone and Noah Kennedy. The Blue unit was made up of QB Keith Braccia, alternating tailbacks Ryan Dolan and Marcus Anthony, fullback Ryan Krane, and receivers Kennedy, Joe Nebiolo and Brian Erb.

"Everyone was called on to contribute," Patriots coach Luke Harris said. "I think that helped in the week of practice leading up to the game. Because each of the kids knew they would be involved, there was more intensity."

Kevitch's 34-yard burst and Dolan's 1-yard plunge gave GA (2-2) a 14-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter. In handing ANC (4-1, 1-0) its first defeat of the season, the visitors managed nearly 200 rushing yards.

When Inter-Ac League play starts on Saturday at Haverford School, the Patriots, with only 28 players on their roster, will be looking to better last year's 0-5 showing. They were outscored, 126-38.

Said Harris: "There are no Inter-Ac teams we're going to blow out. Our goal is to make each game competitive. We'd like to keep it close into the fourth quarter and then, maybe, make a few plays at the end to win."

Extra points. Boyer, also a middle linebacker for Penncrest, has heard from Pittsburgh, Temple and Division II West Chester. . . . In its 14-10 win over West Chester Henderson on Friday, No. 6-ranked Downingtown West overcame six penalties for a total loss of 75 yards. Two were for blocking below the waist. . . . North Penn's Todd Smolinsky has completed 49 of 77 passes (63.6 percent) for 767 yards and 12 TDs. Teammate Craig Needhammer, a tailback, has rushed 75 times for 695 yards and nine TDs. . . . Owen J. Roberts tailback Ryan Brumfield racked up 283 rushing yards and six TDs in Friday's 56-28 rout of Pioneer Athletic Conference foe Upper Perkiomen. For the season, the 5-10, 175-pounder has totaled an area-best 1,209 rushing yards and 20 scores.