Skins Beat the Cold and the Cats
Neshaminy advance to D1 4A Final After beating Garnet Valley in Frigid Conditions
by Marcus Wright
11/24/08

Glen Mills, PA - In a word: cold. In 2 words: very cold. In three words: It doesn't matter.

The temperature at a football game is something that the players can't control. Therefore, it is up to the teams to shrug it off and play their best, regardless if it's a sunny September afternoon, or a freezing November night. While the frigid and partially snowy weather at Moe DeFrank Stadium in Glen Mills last Friday caused a few mistakes in the District 1 4A semifinal between Neshaminy and Garnet Valley, both teams knew that no excuses would be acceptable, especially in postseason play. In the end, it was the Redskins who made just a few more plays than Garnet Valley to claim a 21-14 victory and advance to the D1 4A final.

Garnet Valley, who made the jump from 3A to 4A this year, were out to prove that they could be as successful in this particular class as they were last year (when they made it to the 3A State Championship game). Coming in having enjoyed a stellar undefeated season thus far, the Jaguars sprouted out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter of this contest. The scores came off of 2 yard touchdown runs from senior running backs Tim Keyser and Chris Palaio. The Jaguars looked quicker and a bit more pumped to start the game. The Redskins settled down and started getting their run game going thanks to the efforts of junior running back Bryan Dean, who finished with 106 yards rushing. Jay Colbert would cash the checks that Dean wrote, punching in two 1 yard touchdowns off of fullback dives in the second quarter to tie the game at 14 going into halftime.

The tied affair would see some separation early in the 3rd quarter, where Neshaminy junior quarterback Brian Titus would find senior tight end Paul Carrezola for a three yard touchdown pass. The touchdown gave Neshaminy a 21-14 lead, and that would remain the score for the rest of the game. Neshaminy would use their ground game to eat up clock, and Garnet Valley, although fighters to the end, were unable to make up the deficit.

For Garnet Valley, this ends a terrific season where they captured the Central League title and proved that they will be competitive in the 4A class for years to come. As for Neshaminy, they move on to a much anticipated D1 4A final against undefeated North Penn. And just as it was for this game, there will be no excuses tolerated, as only the actions on the field will matter.

Image - Mike Young

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