Henderson's Season Ends Abrubtly with loss to Downingtown East

From the jubilation of a Ches-Mont championship to the sting of a first-round, home-field playoff loss, the football season jerked to a close Friday night, ending a seven-day stretch that was a reflection of the exciting and memorable  2011 campaign.

The Warriors lost their District I AAAA playoff game to Downingtown East, 28-17, before a boisterous crowd at J. Oscar Dicks Stadium, unable to knock off the vaunted Cougars in consecutive weeks.  Henderson had dominated Downingtown East in the second half enroute to a 42-20 victory one week earlier to win the league National Division title and achieve its most important pre-season objective.  One week later, that edge was gone and Downingtown East’s sharp and intense play was too much for Henderson to overcome in the win-or-go-home confrontation.

As usual, there were several other factors that contributed to the final outcome, but no one was making excuses for a season that lived up to the excellent tradition of Henderson football.

“I don’t think we had a letdown (from last week’s championship clinching win).  I think Downingtown East rose up,” offered Henderson coach Joe Walsh, who found himself consoling players who didn’t want the season to end.  “They didn’t allow us to do what he were able to do last week with their scheme and we gave them good field position in the first half.”

It looked like the first half would be Henderson’s when placekicker Kyle Morton nailed a 33-yard field goal that would have been good from 40, providing the home team with a 10-7 lead with only 1:09 remaining in the second quarter.  The three-pointer came at the end of a 15-play, eight-and-one-half minute drive that appeared to give Warriors the momentum they wanted heading into the lockerroom.

Downingtown’s Dillan Martin took the ensuing kickoff up the right sideline all the way to the Henderson 30, however, and slick Cougar quarterback Kyle Lauletta had 55 seconds to turn things around.  He did just that with pass completions of six and 14 yards and runs of seven and then three for the touchdown, shifting the mental edge to the visitors, who took a 14-10 lead.

Henderson quarterback Jake Richard, the star of the previous week’s second half blitz, then revived those memories with a 52-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession as the Warriors went back on top, 17-14. 

It wouldn’t last, however, as the Cougars responded with a 13-play, 60-yard drive featuring the hard-charging Ryley Angeline, who proved tough to handle for the second straight week.  Lauletta went in this time from five yards out on a right end option and the Cougars grabbed the lead for good, 21-17.

“Was it revenge?,” Downingtown East coach Mike Matta mused at the post-game question in reference to his team’s focused, emotional play.  “I think it was pride.  These players weren’t going to let that (being outscored 35-0 by Henderson in the second half) happen again, especially the seniors.”

Henderson’s designs on a comeback then took a major hit when star halfback Zach Jones suffered a concussion and the hometeam never got back into the offensive rhythm that had clicked through most of the season.

“They had the revenge factor and they are extremely well coached,” added Walsh in tribute to his league rival.  “It wasn’t our day.”

Richard scored the Warriors first touchdown with a 44-yard run that started when he broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and then was quick enough to reverse his field and outrun defenders to the end zone.  Other highlight-reel plays for Henderson came from T.J. White and Phil Mitten, who stopped Lauletta on a fourth and goal late in the third quarter, to keep the game close when Downingtown East clearly had the momentum.

Angheline had the Cougars’ first touchdown, a one-yard run on the game’s first possession, and Lauletta hit Ryan Bond on a 12-yard TD pass midway through the fourth quarter, when Downingtown East took full control.

This was the second year in a row that Henderson’s season ended with a rematch loss against a rival school.  Last year, the Warriors lost to Rustin in the first round of the playoffs.

Henderson ends the season with its first Ches-Mont championship since 2007 and a final record of 8-3.