On ESPN2, Falcons thrash DeMatha, 42-21
When ESPN landed in Olney this week to broadcast the Good Counsel-DeMatha football game, the all-sports network turned its cameras toward Jelani Jenkins.
But Thursday night, Good Counsel showed it is much more than a one-man show. With several Falcons rising on the national television stage, Good Counsel dominated nemesis DeMatha, 42-21.
With senior tailback Caleb Porzel rushing 15 times for 141 yards and three touchdowns and senior quarterback Tyler Campbell completing 9 of 9 passes for 174 yards, Good Counsel toppled the five-time defending champions in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
Good Counsel (5-0, 2-0) did it with a flawless first quarter, scoring touchdowns on all three of its possessions, limiting DeMatha (3-2, 1-1) to two first downs, and adding a defensive score.
It came when senior defensive end Tim Anderson forced a fumble with a blind-side sack of DeMatha senior quarterback Tommy Chroniger. Senior linebacker Jenkins scoped the ball off the turf and ran 13 yards to make it 21-0.
The other three touchdowns in the first quarter came via the blurred feet of Porzel, a Maryland recruit, who set up the opening tally with a 23-yard reception. Then he stunned the Stags with touchdown sprints of 39 and 56 yards, the last one making it 28-0 with 24 seconds still left in the first period.
DeMatha fought back behind Chroniger (12 of 25, 216 yards) and Emmanuel McPhearson (4 catches, 120 yards).
When the duo hooked up for their second touchdown of the night, late in the third quarter, the Stags cut the lead to 35-21. On the ensuing series, the DeMatha defense stopped Good Counsel, forcing an apparent punt.
But from punt formation, senior Mark Hamilton shocked the Stags, running 20 yards down the right sideline. Four plays later, Jenkins (10 carries, 44 yards) scored on a 1-yard plunge to ice the game and give Good Counsel coach Bob Milloy his third regular season victory over DeMatha in the last five years.
Before a sellout crowd of 4,200, Good Counsel’s heroes were numerous.
Junior Louis Young caught a 31-yard touchdown pass and set up another score with a 39-yard catch. Linebacker Chris Pitsenberger had two sacks and two other tackles for a loss. In addition to his surprise run, Hamilton was perfect on six extra points and boomed six kickoffs into the end zone.
As they have in the last four years, the teams are likely to meet again in the WCAC title game in November. DeMatha has had a remarkable run of success and Good Counsel a remarkable run of bad luck — losing the four games by a combined 13 points.
