Truman turns trust, mismatches into big win over previously unbeaten Abington
LEVITTOWN — Early in the second quarter of the Abington-Harry S. Truman football game Friday night, a player remarked to Tigers’ head coach Cordero Newkirk that a running play designed to go to senior running back Aqual Chapman was going to be a mismatch.
He was right.
Chapman ran for 23 yards on that play due to second and third efforts. Chapman continued to create mismatches all over the field throughout the game and helped Truman hand the Galloping Ghosts their first defeat, 13-6, in a Suburban One League non-conference game at Henry C. Morgan Stadium.
The first mismatch came on the opening kickoff. Chapman took the kick at his own 17-yard line, hit the middle, then cut left down the sideline and raced 83 yards to the end zone for a touchdown with just 13 seconds gone in the game.
“We’ve been working on it all week in practice,” Chapman said of the kickoff return. “Early in the season, it wasn’t working. We had to modify some things, put some new players in and obviously it worked. We listened to what coach said. I saw a hole, they took the guys out for me, and I ended up scoring. I give thanks to my blockers. It just all worked out.”
He also created mismatches on offense. He carried the ball 10 times for 55 yards and was very effective, especially in the second half during crunch time. He capped an 11-play drive to open the second half with a touchdown run from the 1-yard line with 2 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter. It turned out to be the winning TD.
“I trust all my guys,” Chapman said. “I trust anybody with the ball in their hands on offense. It just happened to be me. Coach selected me. But we’ve got No. 5 (Rymeer Newkirk, 17 carries, 131 yards). I trust him. There’s a lot of guys, so there’s no limitation to just me. We’ve got a lot of players.”
Finally, late in the final quarter with the game in the balance, Abington backup quarterback Anthony Pronsati was trying to rally his team and reached the Tigers 18-yard line after completing a 24-yard pass to Michael Coonahan. His passes on first and second down fell incomplete. Then with just 6 ticks left on the clock, he threw to the left side of the end zone. Chapman knocked it down from his cornerback position, preserving the win.
“I think we all dream about it, you know what I mean,” Chapman said about it being a game that he envisioned. “Have a great game, break up the last pass. It all works out.”
Game balls
Rymeer Newkirk, Truman running back. It was tough for Truman to get its running attack going in the first quarter due to fumbles and penalties. But the Tigers got it together behind Newkirk who carried the ball 17 times for 131 yards including 86 yards in the first half. He also grabbed an interception.
Zach Denucci, Truman defensive end. Denucci had quite a night chasing Abington quarterbacks around. He earned a half-sack in the second quarter when he helped take down Ghosts quarterback Michael Moynihan and got a full sack when he tackled Anthony Pronsati in the fourth quarter.
Cordero Newkirk, Truman head coach. Newkirk earned his first career victory after losing his first two games to Central Bucks East and Central Bucks South, respectively. His team celebrated the feat by dousing him with some ice-cold water.
What it means
Truman (1-2) hopes to carry the momentum from its first win into Council Rock South (2-1) next Thursday in a Suburban One Continental opener for both teams. CR South lost to Pennsbury, 28-19, on Friday. After scoring 44 points against Council Rock North last Friday, Abington (1-1) needs to get its mojo back in time to play at Pennridge (1-2) in an SOL National opener next Friday. Ghosts starting quarterback Michael Moynihan injured his throwing hand against Truman after completing 7-of-12 passes for 82 yards. Pennridge beat Bensalem, 33-0, on Friday night.
Key play
With six seconds remaining in the contest and Abington trailing Truman, 13-6, the Galloping Ghosts were at the Tigers 18-yard line with a chance to win the game. Abington backup quarterback Anthony Pronsati aimed a pass for the left side of the end zone, but Aqual Chapman was there to knock it down, preserving Truman’s first win of the season.
They said it
“Aqual was named captain this week and he showed up big time for us and that’s why he was named captain,” Truman coach Cordero Newkirk said. "He had a great week of practice. He’s an excellent baseball player. That’s his main sport, so to get him to come out and help us like that and to be a senior, that’s really big.”
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Abington Truman Bucks County high school football
