The Norristown Eagles battled the Methacton Warriors for the 2023 annual Homecoming game last Friday, September 22 at the Eagle´s Nest. While the Eagles started strong, the team still flew short, falling 26-7 due to a great defense showing from the Warriors.
The Warriors surprisingly only put up a total of 140 yards for the game, but Methacton’s safety Dj Ballinger and defensive back Collin OŃeill both scored defensive touchdowns while cornerback Chad Cummings scored on special teams to lead Methacton to a great win.
The game was even throughout the first quarter, as both teams went scoreless, but Ballinger was first to get numbers on the board, intercepting quarterback Brendan Farell and returning the pass for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. Farrell’s strong pass bounced off the hands of a Norristown receiver, and the Warriors senior defensive back was in position to make a play. Ballinger raced 39 yards to the endzone, breaking a nice tackle around the 10, to give Methacton a 6-0 lead.
Later in the second quarter, Cummings doubled the lead on a key special teams play. Punting from their own 22-yard line, Norristown snapped the ball over the punter’s head. Cummings raced to the ball and recovered it in the endzone for a 12-0 lead with 4:12 left in the first half.
The Eagle’s lone touchdown drive came at the start of the second half. They faced a 1st-and-20 after a holding call on the first snap and put together a 12-play march down the field. The key conversion was a 4th-and-19 completion from quarterback Farrel to receiver Quadir Drummond to set up a Farrel one-yard sneak to get within 12-7 in the middle of the third quarter.
Although Methacton´s defense allowed a touchdown in the third quarter, they later capitalized on two Norristown key mistakes in the fourth to add to the 12-7 lead. The first came when Norristown accidentally snapped the ball on 4th-and-4 at their own 27 and lost a yard. The Warriors threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing possession, but Norristown was marked down at their own 1-yard line. Two plays later, the Eagles fumbled a snap, and O´Neill recovered the ball in the endzone for a touchdown, establishing a 19-7 lead.
Norristown´s pass defense played a strong game, holding Methacton’s pass offense to 2-of-11 for five yards. Tyler Henry even grabbed an interception. Even though Methacton’s pass offense wasn’t working, the Eagles also held the Warriors to 135 rushing yards on 29 carries. Even that total was inflated when Methactonś Ben Grove ran for a 29-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to make it 26-7 after the game was out of reach.
Both teams continue PAC Liberty play next Friday night. Methacton travels to Perk Valley while Norristown visits Boyertown. Both games are set to kick off at 7 p.m.
