Henderson Clinches Division with Second-Half Blitz

The football team turned J. Oscar Dicks Stadium into Celebration City Friday night with a second half explosions on both offense and defense  that delivered the undefeated Ches-Mont National Championship and a probable home game in the upcoming Class AAAA playoffs.

The Warriors scored five unanswered touchdowns in a scorching performance that left Downingtown East looking dazed on the short end of a 42-20 final score before the largest crowd of the season on a chilly, windswept, final-weekend-of-the-regular-season evening.

Quarterback Jake Richard was the offensive star while linebackers Adam Weaver and T.J. White made the defensive headlines as Henderson roared back from a 20-7 halftime deficit to cop the first league title for this group of seniors.

“We worked our butts off in the summer; really since January,” offered Richard, who scored three touchdowns and deftly executed the Henderson option throughout the evening.  “It feels great to get the Ches-Mont championship.  It all worked out.”

Things weren’t quite so rosy in the first half, when Downingtown East star quarterback Kyle Lauletta kept Henderson’s vaunted defense off balance with a no-huddle attack that mixed the tough inside running of Ryley Angeline and intermittent pinpoint passes that kept the Cougars in control.

The visitors took the ball right down the field on the first possession of the game as Lauletta passes converted two third downs before his 13-yard run brought the ball to the two yard line.  Angeline bulled in from there but Henderson’s Tom Kolongowski blocked the extra point, leaving Downingtown East with a 6-0 lead.

When Henderson’s offense took the field, Richard option-pitched to tailback Zach Jones on the right side and the senior speed demon took it 79 yards up the sideline, enabling the Warriors to take a 7-6 lead behind Kyle Morton’s extra point.

The rest of the first half belonged to the visitors, who followed with a 14-play, 82-yard drive culminating in Lauletta’s own one-yard score, and a 10-play, 80-yard March ending with a Lauletta to Ryan Bond 12-yard pass. 

On the ensuing missed extra point, the stadium fell silent as Henderson’s Chris Mitten was tended to and then wheeled off the field and into an ambulance shortly before halftime.  The Warriors collectively got down on one knee and said a prayer for their teammate before playing out the second period and heading to the lockerroom unsure of how the night might end up.

“We had our priorities straight.  We were concerned for our teammate.  We said a prayer and then we said, ‘Let’s get this one for Chris,’” explained Richard,  who then proceeded to deliver touchdown runs of 25 and 47 yards on the first two possessions of the third period as the Warriors took a 21-20 lead.

After two three-and-outs, Downingtown East finally got moving again, taking the ball into Henderson territory late in the third quarter with the game very much in doubt.  On a fourth-and-two, Weaver made the defensive play of the game, chasing down Lauletta from behind for a nine-yard sack that preserved the Warriors’ psychological advantage.  One play later, Richard was in the end zone again from 45 yards out and the Henderson faithful felt a little less frigid heading into the fourth quarter.

“The big thing was coming out and scoring on that first possession of the second half,” offered Warriors’ coach Joe Walsh, who got a 73-yard return from Spencer Rymiszewski on the kickoff after intermission.  “We made some big plays on defense and that gets everyone hyped up.  When we’re on, we’re a pretty darn good football team.”

The victory moved Henderson to 8-2 overall and 6-0 champions of the Ches-Mont National Division, which was the team’s primary goal when practice started in August.  The Warriors previous recent titles came in 2003 and 2007.  Downingtown East dropped to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the league as they wrapped up a strong season despite the loss of superstar running back Drew Harris to injury. Both teams are looking forward to post-season action with playoff scenarios to be determined Saturday and games set to go on  Friday night.

During Henderson’s second half onslaught, word came back to the sideline that Chris Mitten would be okay although he had a bruised neck and was wheeled off as a precaution. 

That made the post-game celebration all the more memorable.