Early deficit quickly forgotten as Spartans win in a romp, head to PIAA title game

PERKASIE — It’s hard to fathom as you look back at that final score — Wyomissing 42, Neuman Goretti 6 — but there were moments early Friday night when the Spartans’ perfect season appeared to be in jeopardy.

Neumann Goretti came out in a Wildcat formation the Spartans’ defense hadn’t prepared for and went right down the field.

“We couldn’t stop what they were doing,” admitted Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum. “We were getting out butts kicked.”

Shawn Battle, a big-time recruit who took most of the direct snaps on the first drive, gashed the vaunted Wyo defense. He ran for 8, 8, then 23 yards. When he scored from the 2 six minutes into the game the Spartans trailed for the first time in any of their 15 games.

“Of course there was a little bit of concern,” senior cornerback Amory Thompson said. “We just had to make the (defensive) adjustment. When we did it ended up going great for us.”

The Spartans figured it out pretty quickly. On Goretti’s second series they pulled safety Charlie McIntyre down into the box. That extra body helped clog up the middle and curtail those Battle bursts. The Saints were forced to punt. They didn’t realize it at the time but the game was essentially over.

Neumann Goretti managed just two more first downs the rest of the game. And it never did figure out how to slow down the Spartans’ Wing-T. Thompson ran for 114 yards and a touchdown. Tommy Grabowski went for 107 and a score. Quarterback Ben Zechman added a couple of daggers, with short touchdowns flips to to Drew Eisenhower and McIntyre — the first a thing of beauty, adroitly dropped between two defenders in the end zone.

The Spartans (15-0) opened the second half with a blitz that saw them reach the end zone four times in less than 8 1/2 minutes, turning a tight game into a romp. They punched their return ticket to the PIAA Class 3A championship game with a sledgehammer.

They mercy-ruled a team that was 13-1 and features at least five Division I recruits to earn a rematch against Central Valley, the only team to beat them in their last 25 games.

They’ll play the top-ranked Warriors (14-0) Saturday at noon at Hersheypark Stadium.

“It’s an unmatchable feeling,” said Wyomissing senior Aiden Mack. “We come in last year, and we lose a tough one. Now we get a chance to go back and play them again. We want revenge.”

Central Valley won last year’s championship battle of unbeatens 35-21. The Spartans led that one 14-7 at the half and were down 28-21 in the fourth quarter.

“This is what we wanted at the beginning of the season,” said Mack. “We wanted to go undefeated and play Central Valley in the championship.”

Wyomissing became just the second team in Berks history to reach 15-0. The Spartans’ 2012 team was the first; it finished 16-0 and with the only PIAA football championship in Berks history.

The Spartans dominated the Saints every way imaginable. They scored six unanswered touchdowns to end the game. More than doubled them in total yards. Held them to just 80 total yards after that opening series. Forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and blocked a punt.

Wyomissing again played a clean game, with no turnovers and no major penalties (until the final drive, after the starters had been pulled). It ran at will against a team that had shut out three of its last four opponents: 349 yards on 49 carries, with 21 first downs.

The Spartans had eight possessions over the first three quarters and reached the end zone on six of them. They were stopped on downs at the 6 on their opening drive and by the first-half clock on their fourth.

Otherwise the Saints’ defense was merely a pin cushion for all the little Wyo needles.

Just as amazing as the total domination is the fact that it took Wyomissing so long to take control. It trailed until midway through the second quarter before Drew Eisenhower weaved his way for a 15-yard touchdown run, busting at least a half-a-dozen tackles on the way to the end zone. Ian Levering’s PAT made it 7-6 and Wyomissing was on top for good.

But not out of the woods. It scored on its next drive, Zechman’s fourth-down completion to Grabowski keeping alive a drive that Grabowski finished with a 5-yard run.

It was just 14-6 at the half and Neumann Goretti coach Albie Crosby thought his guys were right in it.

“We felt we’d be in position to get a stop (at the start of the second half),” he said. “(But) they did a great job and made it 21-6. Then they stopped us and blocked a punt. It just went from there.”

Crosby’s club came into this fight handicapped. His starting quarterback and best offensive linemen were injured last week against Danville; the Wildcat was a pure act of desperation. He knew it, and likely realized it would only work for so long.

His quarterback, Marqui Adams, tried to give it a go in the second half but it was obvious he wasn’t right. He hurt his leg last week and couldn’t plant and throw properly. He completed just 1-of-10 passes in the second half and was never a threat.

“We knew we were in an uphill battle,” Crosby said. “To their credit, they did an amazing job after our first drive. They started blitzing everybody, and started stuffing it. Hats off to Wyomissing — great football program. I wish them much success next week.”