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Minutes before the Prep Charter Huskies, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., took to the South Philadelphia super site, 10th and Bigler streets, Friday afternoon, coach David Hand told them not to fear achieving greatness.
Slow to exorcise any timidity, the West Passyunk-based footballers used a frightening display of third-quarter efficiency to trounce the Roxborough Indians 40-12, earning their secondary education site’s inaugural playoff win and a spot in Saturday’s Public League AA title game versus the Imhotep Charter Panthers. (6 p.m. at the Northwest super site, 1100 E. Sedgwick St.)
“That’s the way to make history!” the first-year leader, a long-time St. Joe’s Prep defensive guru, exclaimed to the excited teenagers, who notched their sixth victory, with the visitors also having served as prey in a 26-6 loss Sept. 20, against two defeats. “I want you to feel proud and be ready to prepare for Imhotep because we owe them.”
The Huskies will return to the Germantown-based field seeking to score a monumental upset, having shown little resistance against the host Panthers, last year’s AA Subregional and City champions, in Oct. 19’s 61-7 throttling. With other recent lopsided losses to their upcoming foes not far from their minds, the local athletes cannot afford to experience lulls when they take the field as massive underdogs and will not dwell on mistakes if Quadir Strothers has his way.
“Today we just wanted to start off playing well right from the jump,” the sophomore running back said. “We struggled for a bit, but we got it together and used our hearts. That’s what it’s going to take to beat Imhotep.”
Having roared when receiving Hand’s instruction to put away their opponents early, the Huskies showed their emphasis on unity by chanting “One team, one body, one mind, one soul.” Normally a secondary ball carrier, Strothers sought to honor his coach’s command by jolting 55 yards for a touchdown on their first play. With an accomplished defensive background, Hand, however, grew agitated when his charges buckled on two fourth downs, the latter leading to a score that dwindled their lead to 7-6. Neither team mounted much offense on the next few possessions, with Prep Charter, which finished second in its five-squad division in scoring, proving especially frustrated. Enter Strothers again.
Accepting the pigskin from junior quarterback Vian Dolo, whose 51 rushing yards would complement his season-high 187 through the air, the North Philly resident scurried 61 yards for another touchdown. He and his peers, though, immediately met disappointment when Roxborough’s Hank Adens took the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to make it 14-12. Taking that lead to the locker room, the Huskies discussed their tentative play and lack of cohesion, with promises not to let the moment overwhelm them.
“They haven’t done much,” Hand said. “Stay intense, and do your jobs. It’s ours.”
Continuing to rely on the run, the Huskies, having advanced the second-half kickoff to midfield, promptly began to confound the guests, with Dolo gaining 15 yards and Strothers accounting for the other 35, including a 28-yard scoring gallop, to increase their bulge to eight. Recovering a fumble on their next defensive stand, they decided to switch their focus to providing aerial assaults.
Having tied the city record with four touchdown grabs Oct. 3 versus the School of the Future Firebirds, senior wide receiver Curan Simmons hauled in a Dolo heave and raced for a 43-yard momentum-boosting score, with Strothers adding a two-point conversion. With 14 points in two minutes and 42 seconds, the hosts intensified their pursuit of the ball, knowing how easily they had yielded points after touchdowns in an up-and-down first half.
“We knew we had to be the aggressors,” Hand said of the quick crusade to widen the gap and dishearten the Indians. “Once we put up that third quarter, we felt we’d really come together and got a good sense of what we’ll need to go forward.”
Simmons again showed his team’s success could depend on how many times it targets him. Having entered with 38 catches and three games of at least 100 yards, he further infuriated Roxborough by snaring a 22-yard scoring strike on fourth-and-7 and capped the fruitful third frame by accepting another on-target ball from Dolo for a 49-yard score. His third touchdown took his season yardage total to 810, a tally that places him second on the Public League’s single-season receiving yardage list, with West Philadelphia’s Eric Leslie having amassed 861 yards three years ago.
“For me and Curan to have such big games, the offensive line had to step up, which it did,” Strothers, whose 13 carries netted 163 yards, said. “They helped me to be a big man and step up for my team.”
Certain to enjoy the kudos that comes with making history, he and the others will require even more maturity to topple the 8-1 Panthers, who have surrendered only 13 points in five AA games. Strothers believes 48 dedicated minutes to match the 12 from Friday’s third-quarter semifinal will be the difference.
“We have to forget about the last play if we do something wrong,” he said. “We have to play with all our hearts. I’m looking forward to it already.”
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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