The Archbishop Carroll Varsity Football team defeated the Firebirds of School of the Future 22-6 at the Conshohocken A Field on Friday night, earning their first win since 2020 and breaking a 21-game losing streak.
School of the Future got the ball to start but were met by a gritty and determined Carroll defense right off the bat. Junior Omar Johnson stuffed the Firebirds on second down, bringing them all the way back to their own 25. After an illegal pass on third down, School of the Future punted but the kick was blocked. The Pats ran it down to the 18-yard line, setting up prime position for the offense to make an early mark.
After a few tough runs up the middle from Kevin Knox, quarterback Jay Boyd pushed the pile forward for the Patriot’s first touchdown of the night. The extra point was missed, so Carroll led 6-0. The team carried the advantage late into the second quarter when a fumble and a few penalties had the Pats with their backs against the wall, up at their own goal line. Despite forcing a 4th down and goal, School of the Future pulled off a reverse handoff that duped the Carroll defense. After a failed two-point conversion attempt, the game went into halftime knotted up at six a piece.
From the get-go in the second half, it proved to be all Carroll as the Firebirds started off the frame with a false start on the kickoff. The Patriots would eventually get the ball at their own 49 and look to go three and out on their first drive of the half. That was until senior punter James Wright pulled off his second fake of the year, passing the ball to junior Mason Graham. Graham ran for 20 yards and a first down at the 18-yard line. A few plays later, Boyd ran the ball in from five yards out to make it 12-6 as the conversion attempt failed.
Carroll had a few more chances to capitalize on their lead in the third quarter but had two huge plays called back by penalties. Luckily, School of the Future faced the same issues. As the clock wound down in the third quarter, the Pats were on their own 10-yard line with a first down. Following a run by senior Hassan Bailey that was called back, Boyd sent a strike across the middle. Junior Luke Watson caught his second touchdown pass of the year, making it 19-6 as kicker Gavin Wray nailed the extra point. The put-away touchdown was Boyd and Watson’s second connection in as many weeks.
The Firebirds began a threatening drive their next time out but were stopped by the Carroll defense, which forced a punt. It took only a few plays for the Patriots to get downfield once more. This time Carroll settled for a 30-yard field goal off the leg of Wray, making it 22-6 Carroll with only five minutes to go. As the Firebirds made one last attempt to tighten the margin, Bailey intercepted in the red zone, giving the ball to the Pats with just three minutes to spare. After the clubs exchanged fumbles within the 30-yard line, the Patriots got the ball one last time. Boyd kneeled it out, simultaneously ending the teams’ losing streak.
The Pats now look to Game 3 at 7 p.m. Friday, when they face off against Simon Gratz Charter at the South Philadelphia Supersite.
Coach Kyle Detweiler shared his emotions following his team’s win.
“I could go on and on about how I feel about the situation, but we wanted it so bad for these guys,” Detweiler said. “Every year, two years ago, last season, [we] wanted it for that senior class. Now they have this, and they can finally go into school next week and walk in the hallways and know that they are winners.”