In The Huddle

By DAVE DEVLIN

Walking into the football stadium at Spring-Ford high school this past Friday evening you could sense the game about to be played was not a Pioneer Athletic Conference regular season matchup.

There were more game personnel on hand. All of whom were a little more focused on their responsibilities.

There were more fans, a little earlier into the stadium. They formed packs in front of the home stands and talked a little more intently about the game that was about to be played.

And on the field, Spring-Ford and visiting Coatesville were going through pre-game warm-up drills with a little more intensity. 

Yes, this was a District I AAAA Playoff atmosphere. The stakes were much higher on the outcome. Win or go home.  

And as it turned out, only one of the two teams was ready to handle the nature of this post-season beast. 

Unfortunately for the Spring-Ford faithful, and the PAC-10 it was the visiting and district playoff experience Red Raiders who were more suited to handle the increased atmospheric pressure.

Their hosts, making their first appearance in the playoffs, were ill-equipped to stop the Coatesville offense as the Red Raiders ran roughshod over the Rams on their way to a 60-28 victory that was as decisive as it sounds.

Coatesville scored touchdowns on nine straight possessions and left their hosts wondering, literally, what hit them. All told the Red Raiders rang up an impressively balanced 572 yards of offense and rarely ran a play that didn’t pick up at least five yards.

Spring-Ford held a very brief 7-6 lead in the first quarter and registered 351 yards on offense. However, with several dropped passes and a failure to generate enough consistency offense or defense rendered the home team largely ineffective in their first post-season contest.

Despite the fact it was not a positive playoff experience Spring-Ford and head coach Chad Brubaker will have an opportunity to learn from the experience. 

The Rams will graduate several seniors who made considerable contributions on their successful season. However, Spring-Ford will return what will be an experienced core of players on both sides of the ball that will make them favorites to challenge for another PAC-10 title and a return trip to the playoffs.

The players will work in the off-season to become bigger, stronger and faster. 

And all the while the will remember the final score of their first playoff experience with an eye on erasing that memory in 2012.

Before that the Rams will prepare for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with Phoenixville. A victory over the Phantoms means Spring-Ford will own the PAC-10 title alone.         

WINLESS IN AAAA - As a result of Spring-Ford’s lopsided defeat to Coatesville, the PAC-10 still does not have a victory in AAAA playoff action.

And the PAC-10’s stature as a league has once again been called into question.

Yes, the Red Raiders made it look easy. And in past years the league’s AAAA participants in post-season play have not been very competitive. Each year the PAC-10’s representative teams have been dispatched rather easily.   

But let us not forget that is was not long ago that the PAC-10 was also considered an easy mark in AAA play also.

But times have changed.

Pottsgrove is held in high regard in AAA playoff discussions. The Falcons earned a District I Title in 2009 and are a yearly favorite to advance deep into the district post-season. Head coach Rick Pennypacker’s program have earned a reputation as an athletic, determined and tough customer throughout the District I region.

Other AAA PAC-10 programs are making strides also with the league placing multiple AAA teams into the playoffs annually now.

The PAC-10 will get its first AAAA playoff victory and after that the chase to its first district title.

Why do I believe this will happen? 

Because I believe in the men in charge of the AAAA programs for the league, who now challenge their teams to strive to earn a spot in post-season action. And I believe in the student athletes in those programs, who will accept the challenge and make it a crusade.

ALIVE AND KICKING IN AAA – Both Pottsgrove and Phoenixville advanced in District I AAA action this past weekend. 

Pottsgrove continued to roll with a 44-19 victory over Pope John Paul II and will host Strath Haven which had little trouble with Marple Newtown this past weekend. 

Phoenixville toppled Interboro with a 44-20 victory for their first victory in post-season play. The Phantoms dropped the Bucs, who were making their sixth straight appearance in the district playoffs and will now host Academy Park which took down Springfield (D).

Victories by both PAC-10 teams would set up an All-PAC-10 District title game the following weekend.  

Dave Devlin is the Programming Director at . He can be reached at  HYPERLINK "mailto:ddevlin@wbzh.net" ddevlin@wbzh.net         

Related Topics: Dave Devlin, Phoenixville Football, and Pottsgrove Football