Coatesville rolls past Henderson

Staff photo by Tom Kelly IV/ Coatesville quarterback Emmett Hunt unloads during Friday's win over West Chester Henderson.

By PETER DiGIOVANNI
cpn11716@comcast.net

WEST CHESTER -- The Coatesville High School football team dominated the first half of a key Ches-Mont League National Division game with West Chester Henderson on Friday night. The Red Raiders scored 28 points, got a huge goalline stand from their defense and saw quarterback Emmett Hunt throw his 24th touchdown pass of the season against no interceptions.
Coatesville rang up 266 yards of total offense against the best statistical defense in the county in just the first half. Turns out that was all the Red Raiders needed as the contest was called with 11:34 to play in the third period due to lightning strikes.
Henderson head coach Steve Mitten decided it was better to stop play instead of coming back Saturday, so Coatesville won the shortened contest, 28-6.
“We thought it was better to stop because we saw on radar that more storms were coming and we would not have gotten the game in tonight,” Mitten said. “And we did not want to come back Saturday. Coatesville is just a great team on both sides of the ball and they are going to be quite a handful for anybody in the Class AAAA playoffs.”
The Red Raiders (3-0 Ches-Mont National, 6-2 overall) took the opening kickoff and marched to the Henderson nine-yard line before Daquan Worley was stopped on fourth down turning the ball over to Henderson. Three plays later, Derek Matonti fumbled the ball back to Coatesville at the Warriors’ (2-2, 6-2) 23.
Three plays later, Worley busted through a giant hole for an eight-yard score and a 7-0 lead. The Red Raiders, three minutes later after a Henderson three-and out, showed how explosive they are. Dre Boggs ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run, crisscrossing the field for an early 14-0 advantage.
Henderson caught a break on the nest Coatesville drive when Hunt threw a bubble screen to Worley that ended up on the carpet and was ruled a lateral. Spencer Rymiszewski recoverd the ball at the Coatesville five, giving the Warriors some life.
On the next play, Rymiszewski busted down to the one and it appeared the miscue would result in a Henderson score. Coatesville hung tough and stuffed the Warriors on three straight tries at the line and turned the ball back over.
Coatesville’s defense limited the Warriors to 41 yards rushing in the first half.
“Our offense has been getting a lot of talk, and rightly so, but our defense has been playing very well and is playing with as much confidence as our offense,” Coatesville head coach Matt Ortega said. “They are getting after people and that goalline stand was huge for us.”
Coatesville got big defensive games from Mike Boykin, Tyler Burke, Dylan Morgan and Isiah Flamer, who scored the team’s fourth touchdown when he picked off a Rymizewksi halfback pass and rumbled 28 yards for a score.
“That goalline stand was the result of poor play calling and poor exectuion,” Mitten said. “But take nothing away from Coatesville. They are something else.”
Early in the second, Coatesville drove 97 yards on nine plays which was topped off by Hunt, throwing a 20-yard dart to Chris Jones in the end zone. Hunt had so much zip on the ball, it seemd to be in Jones’ hands in a blink of an eye.
“My offensive line gave me a lot of time and Chris ran a great route,” Hunt said. “I just put it to him. We are playing with a lot of confidence on both sides of the ball and I am getting the chance to call some plays at the line. And our defense was great tonight. I think they are the best defense in the state the way they have been playing.”
Henderson avoided the shutout when they scored with 12 seconds to play on a 10-yard pass from James Bady to Phil Mitten.
The Warriors host Avon Grove next week, while the Red Raiders go to Kottmeyer Stadium to take on Downingtown West.

Coatesville 28, W.C. Henderson 6
Coatesville               14 14 0-28
W.C. Henderson       0   6  0-6
 Scoring
C-Worley 8 run (Bollenbach kick)
C-Boggs 80 run (Bollenbach kick)
C-Jones 20 pass from Hunt (Bollenbach kick)
C-Flamer 28 interception return (Bollenbach kick)
H-P. Mitten 10 pass from Bady (kick failed)
 Team Totals
C     H
First downs             10           6
Yards rushing          183          41
Yards passing           83          69
Total yards              266       110
Passing                  5-7-0    5-8-1
Fumbles-lost           3-1         2-1
Punts-avg               0-0       2-44.0
Penalties-yds          6-66        4-20
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Coat: Boggs 2-86, TD; Worley 11-52, TD; Hunt 4-33; Flamer 1-12. Hen: Rymiszewski 11-17; Girafalco 3-9; Matonti 5-4; Green 2-7; Bady 4 (-11); C.Mitten 2-3.
Passing: Coat: Hunt 5-7-83, TD. Hend: Bady 5-6-69, TD. Rymiszewski 0-2-0.
Receiving: Coat: Jones 3-29, TD; Williams 2-54. Hend: Rymiszewski 3-44; P. Mitten 2-24, TD.
Sacks: Coat: Boykin. Hend: None.
Interceptions: Coat: Flamer. Hend: None.

Follow Peter DiGiovanni at twitter.com/dlnsports