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The final seconds tick down and the pain of a 28-0 loss to Unionville immediately sets in. Some members of the Bok football immediately drop to their knees, while others have a defeated look in their eyes.
A small contingent of Bok fans, who made the hour drive to Kennett Square, stand by the field clapping in recognition of a great season. Take away this one defeat and these Wildcats are 9-0 and two-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AAA champs.
Those are accomplishments they will remember for a long time to come.
"We had a good season," senior quarterback James Jones said. "The guys played hard. You can’t take that away from us."
That makes two trips to states and two defeats where the Wildcats failed to score a single point. Last year, Bok lost 35-0 to Great Valley.
Like Bok, Unionville entered the game with a perfect record, which was 10-0, and a Southern Chester County League championship. The squads were part of a four-team subregional bracket that also included Phoenixville and Strath Haven.
Unionville’s offense was averaging close to 31 points per game, while surrendering a mere 7.9 points per game. Friday night’s contest under the lights was complete with marching band and concession stands, both of which are rare at Public League football competitions. Bok managed just 71 yards of total offense and never got closer than Unionville’s 34-yard line.
Nick Perrone, who watched last year’s state tournament game on crutches, said it was a very tough loss. When the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter, Perrone and his teammates didn’t quit. Looking back, he reflected on the good times.
"’It was an honor to play with you and I am going to miss you,’" Perrone said to his teammates in the huddle. "With the offense and defense, this was the last time we were going to have a huddle together. We don’t know who is going to play on the next level."
Perrone said he leaning towards playing football at Division III Rowan University.
THIS IS A group of players and coaches who started practicing Aug. 15 with the goal of getting back to the state tournament. Like other city teams, Bok had holes to fill and players to move around.
"We came out Aug. 15 for the first day of practice not knowing where anybody was going to play and what anybody was going to do," Perrone said. "Sitting here now, you blink your eyes and can’t believe it happened that fast."
The season started out great for the Wildcats, who opened with a 10-0 non-league victory over Upper Moreland in early September, which set a winning tone. The Wildcats also picked up convincing triumphs over Edison and University City, making them 3-0 heading into their AAA league schedule.
Bok and Ben Franklin each picked up victories over William Penn, Imhotep Charter and Freire Charter, setting up the Public League AAA title game for the final Friday in October. Two undefeated teams, but only the victor was guaranteed a state tournament nod. Bok earned the tournament bid with its 14-0 victory.
Jones said it was one his team’s better games of the season.
"The Ben Franklin game put Bok on the map," he said.
Friday, the players were ready to show Unionville they could compete with the rest of the state.
"We were confident," Jones said, referring to the team’s mood prior to the game. "We felt we had a really good team, but we got outplayed today."
Bok’s offense got burned on several big plays. Sophomore quarterback Matt Carroll scored the game’s first touchdown on a 50-yard sneak. They added a 25-yard field goal and a 57-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-0 at the half. With 1:09 remaining in the first half, Unionville junior running back Eric DiProspero was on the receiving end of the pass. The home team added a touchdown and two-point conversion in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth to seal the victory.
After having some downtime in the locker room, the Wildcats removed their gear and went to the Unionville cafeteria for a post-game meal of pizza and hoagies. They all proudly displayed their blue Bok jerseys.
When the players take a step back from that 28-0 loss, they’ll still have plenty to be proud of.
"It was a great experience," Perrone said. "You go through a lot of stuff in life, but this is one that everyone will remember."
