York Catholic football closes regular season with lopsided win
York Catholic football coach Eric Depew thinks it is still out there.
"I don't think we've played our best game as a team yet," said Depew, whose team dropped three non-divisional games to begin the season. "When I look at our season, I feel like we let three games go, not taking anything away from anybody. I thought Hanover, Bermudian Springs and Susquehannock were all games we could have won, but we didn't. I'm still looking for that game where we put it all together for four quarters. I think we have the talent to do it, it is just a matter of whether they are willing to get it done."
York Catholic looked pretty good in its regular-season finale, a YAIAA Division III contest against York County Tech on Saturday. The Fighting Irish ran for four first-half touchdowns in a 56-8 win at McDowell Field on the York Tech campus.
The Fighting Irish now get a one-week break before their District 3 Class A semifinal, which could be against either top-seeded Camp Hill or No. 2 seed Steel-High, depending on how Saturday's win over a Class AAAA school effects the power rankings. York Catholic won the first District 3 Class A crown in 1982, but has been unsuccessful in its past five district title games.
"That's the kind of program we want to have," said Depew, whose team has now made it to districts for the three consecutive seasons in his five-year tenure. "We want to be back (in districts) every year. That's always our goal."
York Catholic (5-5, 5-2 Division III) got 100 first-half yards on the ground from junior running back Jakkar Kinard while junior quarterback Daniel Yokemick scored on keepers of 10, 1 and 19 yards as the Fighting Irish built a 36-8 halftime advantage. Kinard, who went over 1,000 yards rushing on the season last week, also scored on a 2-yard run on the game's opening drive.
"They do a good job," said York Tech first-year coach Brian Hanson. "They are going to be a scary team next year with those juniors. A scary team. They might be better next year than they were last year (when they played for the District 3 Class A title) because they have some size now. Kinard is a nice player."
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Yokemick also threw a 28-yard touchdown to Joe Bauhof in the second quarter and a 43-yarder to Luke Brennan in the third quarter as he added 166 yards in the air to his 50 rushing yards.
"It was enough," Depew said. "The running game was there. The passing game was there."
Defensively, the Fighting Irish limited York Tech to 96 first-half yards, 60 of which came on a Damarius Wiggins-to-Maurice James touchdown pass in the second quarter. York Tech (2-8, 1-6 Division III) did almost manage to eclipse 100 yards on the ground in the second half.
"For the most part, we played disciplined on defense," Depew said.
York Catholic2016713—56
York County Tech0800—8
First Quarter
YC — Jakkar Kinard 2 run (kick blocked), 10:16.
YC — Daniel Yokemick 10 run (Luke Brennan kick), 5:22.
YC — Yokemick 1 run (Brennan kick), :06.
Second Quarter
YT — Maurice James 60 pass from Damarius Wiggins (Wiggins run), 10:25.
YC — Joe Bauhof 28 pass from Yokemick (Brandon Creisher pass from Yokemick), 8:17.
YC — Yokemick 19 run (Nicholas Anzalone pass from Yokemick), :58.
Third Quarter
YC — Brennan 43 pass from Yokemick (Brennan kick), 1:03.
Fourth Quarter
YC — Bauhof 16 pass from Kyle Dormer (Brennan kick), 3:24
YC — Jarred Kohl 30 fumble recovery (run failed), :37.
YCYT
First downs178
Rushes-Yards42-18233-125
Passing9-14-06-14-1
Passing Yards18286
Total Yards364211
Punts2-45.05-25.4
Fumbles-Lost2-03-2
Penalties-Yards5-574-40
Individual Statistics
Rushing — YC, Jakkar Kinard 27-110, Daniel Yokemick 6-50, Andrew Snelbaker 5-11, Brandon Creisher 2-10, Manuel Montes 1-1, Massimo Antolick 1-0. YT, Matthew Rossi 11-64, Isaiah Colon 7-29, Devin McDonald 1-14, Damarius Wiggins 11-9, Josh Matias 3-9.
Passing — YC, Yokemick 8-12-0 166 yards. Dormer 1-2-0 16 yards. YT, Wiggins 6-14-1 86 yards.
Receiving — YC, Bauhof 4-91, Brennan 3-55, Creisher 2-36. YT, Maurice James 3-66, Cedric Baldwin 1-14, Rossi 2-6.