Huge second half propels Neshaminy to win over Owen J. Roberts in football quarterfinal
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LANGHORNE — Owen J. Roberts had ended Neshaminy’s season last year in the district playoffs, and it looked like OJR would do so again, as it took a two-touchdown lead on Friday night.
While things looked bleak, the Neshaminy players never thought they were in for a repeat.
“Not for a second did I think we would lose,” said junior linebacker Luke Howell, who had a sack and fumble recovery. “(OJR) has some good players but we weren’t afraid of them.”
Instead of a repeat, Neshaminy got revenge, as it rolled to a 49-21 victory in a PIAA District One Class 6A quarterfinal. Nick Felus’ team scored 42 unanswered points.
The 14th-seeded Wildcats (8-4) had shown a stout defense in an upset of No. 3 Downingtown West in the first round. However, once it got its offense rolling, Neshaminy was basically scoring at will.
Five of Neshaminy’s scoring drives went five plays or less. The drives usually ended with a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mike Eckart (11 for 14, 223 yards, three TDs) or a run by senior Carter Clee (10 carries for 165 yards, three TDs).
“We have a lot of good players,” said Eckart. “We were able to take advantage of their defense for big plays.”
In last year’s playoff game with Owen J. Roberts, Neshaminy was plagued by several turnovers.
“I thought about it a little,” Eckart said of last year’s contest. “But we had some bad luck then, got off to a bad start.”
When the Wildcats took a 21-7 lead, coming on a 21-yard pass from senior quarterback Christopher Flynn to junior Matthew Gregory with five minutes, 54 seconds left in the first half, Eckart was still confident.
“Not thinking about (last year) even a little bit,” Eckart said. “We’ve been down before. We definitely thought we could win.”
What’s next for Neshaminy
No. 11 Neshaminy will visit No. 2 North Penn in the District Class 6A semifinals on Nov. 14. North Penn routed Souderton, 43-14, in the quarterfinals.
Neshaminy, which defeated North Penn 18-14 in Week 4, started the postseason with an impressive come-from-behind win over No. 6 CB West in the first round of the District One Class 6A playoffs.
What’s next for Owen J. Roberts
The Wildcats concluded the season with an 8-4 record. They upset No. 3 Downingtown West, 10-7, in the first round.
Key play
With the score tied at 21-all in the third period, Owen J. Roberts was driving to regain the lead. It reached the Neshaminy 38. Then senior lineman Owen Swartz sacked Flynn to kill the drive and, three plays later, Eckart hit Mike Sassano with a 50-yard touchdown pass and the game’s momentum swung to Neshaminy.
Game balls
Neshaminy defense: After a rough start, the defense buckled down and shut out a potent Wildcats’ offense for the final 30 minutes. They recovered two fumbles, had two sacks and a Brock Williams interception.
Mike Eckart: After having a rough outing in last year’s district loss to Owen J. Roberts, the senior recovered to slice them for 223 yards and throw three touchdown passes and run for another score.
Carter Clee: He had 165 yards rushing, and two touchdowns, on just 10 carries.
Mekhi Graham: A workhorse in the backfield for Owen J. Roberts, he rushed for 104 yards on 20 carries.
Owen Swartz: He had a big sack that began defensive dominance and shut out OJR the rest of the way. Was a standout making sure Graham did not get any long runs.
By the numbers
From the 5:56 mark of the second quarter until the end of the game, Neshaminy outscored OJR 42-0, and it could have been worse, as it kneeled down on the Wildcats’ 6-yard line to run out the final two minutes of the game.
They said it
“We know this is extra time,” said Eckart, referring to the seniors who know every game could be their last. “That is what we say — we want extra time.”
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Neshaminy wins District One football Quarterfinal over Owen J. Roberts
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