Special teams sparks York County Tech to victory vs. Pequea Valley
Brian Hanson stood outside of his team's group, positioned just inside the end zone.
His York County Tech Spartan football team, exhausted, mentally and physically listed to every word the head coach said.
"We are going to be a hard out for everyone," Hanson told his team.
He might not be too far off. Especially if the Spartans can put forth the total team effort they did on Saturday afternoon.
Backed by a stellar special teams performance, and just enough offense, York Tech erased a 14-point first-quarter hole to defeat visiting Pequea Valley, 27-21, in overtime to open the 2015 high school football season.
Hanson watched as Brandon Montouth returned a punt 60 yards for the first Spartan score of the afternoon. Later, with his team trailing, 21-14, late in the third quarter, Hanson inserted Isaiah Colon on the kick return unit for the first time, and it paid off.
Colon tied the score with an electric 75-yard kickoff return touchdown, and the Spartan defense clamped down on Pequea Valley's offense the rest of the way. The defensive performance included a ferocious goal-line stand in overtime that ended when Colon and four of his defensive mates collapsed the pocket and tossed PV quarterback Jordan Lapp to the turf.
But about that kickoff return?
"That was huge," Colon said. "I've been telling my coach all week to put me at kick return. I've been begging him. That was the first time I was on kickoff return."
Colon said he told teammate Luis DeLeon he would take one to the house in honor of DeLeon's mother, who passed away.
"When I got that rock, I don't know, I ran on my eyes and my feet followed. It just felt great," Colon said.
Without the two special teams plays, Tech was able to find moderate success on the ground behind Montouth and Matt Rossi, who combined for 128 yards rushing.
But Hanson was quick to point out the play of kicker Jose Orielas, who also made his debut on Saturday and kicked three crucial extra points.
"We never kicked extra points here," Hanson said "We had no kicking game to speak of. I was really nervous about special teams. We've been trying to dial in so many other aspects. What you saw out there with those kids returning, there's talent. But I was really nervous."
York Tech will face Eastern York next week.
York County Tech 27, Pequea Valley 21 (OT)
PequeaValley140700—21York Tech014706—27
First Quarter
PV — Chad Mullen 15 pass from Jordan Lapp(Weston Doutrich kick), 6:51
PV — Gabe Allgyer 1 run (Doutrich kick), 1:28
Second Quarter
YT — Brandon Montouth 60 punt return (Jose Orielas kick), 7:42
YT — Montouth 2 run (Orielas kick), 0:44
ThirdQuarter
PV — Lapp 1 run (Doutrich kick), 1:38
YT — Isaiah Colon 75 kickoff return (Orielas kick), 1:23
Overtime
YT — Josiah Smallwood 1 run (kick failed)
PVYTFirst Downs169Rushes-yards40-17439-161Passing11-18-12-9-1Passing yards9011Total yards264172Fumbles-lost3-34-0Penalties3-202-20
Rushing — PV, Austin Fisher 20-76, Allgyer 8-30, Lapp 10-57, Jason Stoltzfus 2-11. YT, Smallwood 5-14, Montouth 15-67, Matthew Rossi 16-61, Tyler Shoop 1-4, Ben Jackson 2-15.
Passing — PV, Lapp 11-18-1. YT, Smallwood 2-9-1
Receiving — PV, Mullen 6-69, Stoltzfus 1-7, Fisher 3-14, Allgyer 1-0. YT, David Porter 1-3,Montouth 1-8.