Layfield throws 4 TD passes, Collazo has career rushing day and Cummings’ pick-six highlights 4 interceptions
FRENCHTOWN – When the season began Pennsville didn’t know what kind of football team it was going to have. Today, the Eagles are sectional finalists.
Pennsville played perhaps their cleanest and most complete game of the season Friday night and rolled over second-seeded Delaware Valley 49-21 in the fog here to earn its first berth in the South Jersey Group 1 finals since 2015. The Eagles (6-5) will travel to top-seeded Schalick (11-0) next Friday for the championship.
“It’s funny looking back at the beginning of the season and not having any idea what we were going to be, what we were going to be able to do, and now to be in the sectional final it’s awesome,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “It’s kind of interesting because I’ve had some teams in the past where I was like we really have a good shot and it doesn’t always work out, so you just really never know how the season is going to play out.
“That’s what we kind of talked to the kids about before the game. You have the opportunity to get back there. You don’t know when these opportunities are going to happen and you have to take advantage of it when it does. They definitely showed up today and took advantage of that. To go from a lot of people not thinking we were going to do very good this year to a sectional final, it’s just a testament to the kids and what we’ve been able to do this year.”
Quarterback Jake Layfield threw for 206 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, Aiden Collazo rushed for a career-high 147 yards and two fourth-quarter scores, and the defense came up with four interceptions, topped by Dante Cummings’ 88-yard pick-six that was part of an inspired final two minutes of the first half and changed the momentum of the game.
Eagles defensive end Marcus Forman sustained a scary injury late in the first half that required him to be transported from the field. It was reported that he was able to move his extremities on the field and in good spirits afterwards. He even FaceTimed with his teammates after the game.
The injury seemed to motivate the Eagles. They were trailing 14-13 at the time, but right after the injury delay Grady Sanders intercepted a pass and the Eagles converted it into a Layfield touchdown pass to Lucas Thomas for the go-ahead score. Terriers quarterback Chase Kraucheunas got his team in position to answer, but that’s when Cummings stepped in and had his pick-six with just two seconds left in the half.
“It was definitely tiring, but scoring and helping my team put more points on the board is definitely worth it,” said Cummings, whose cousin Dylan played on the Eagles’ last sectional finalist team. “I read the guard and got back in my zone and I saw the quarterback looking my way. All week we game-planned on that pop pass for the tight end and I saw my D-line in front of me and just took off.
“Seeing my teammate go down like that and it being a guy like Marcus really put a spark into us as a team. Marcus is a great player and I’m hoping for a speedy recovery because we’re gonna need him next week. Coach brought us into a huddle after and hyped us up and Grady kept it going with a pick. We got to call him after the game, which I’m glad to see him smiling and having a good time.”
Layfield threw a pair of touchdown passes to Thomas and one each to Javion Sydnor and Danny Knight. He has now thrown for 2,267 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. He should surpass Cummings’ cousin on Pennsville’s single-season passing list in the sectional final not many thought the Eagles could get to two months ago.
“Before the season started there was doubt all around the board,” Layfield said. “We worked hard and put ourselves in a position to win some big games. Sometimes I think back to eighth grade midget football when we would have the talks about high school senior year and how it’s going to go. It is everything and more than I have thought it was going to be.”
“It’s an honor to make it,” Cummings said. “My cousin made it when he played and I can’t believe I get to play in the same game he did with this group of guys. These boys have worked really hard to keep our team on the right track. I’m proud of these boys and how hungry they are to win.”
| Pennsville | 7 | 19 | 7 | 16- | 49 |
| Delaware Valley | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0- | 21 |
SCORING SUMMARY
P-Danny Knight 61 pass from Jake Layfield (PAT kick)
DV-Chase Kraucheunas 16 run (PAT kick)
P-Lucas Thomas 12 pass from Jake Layfield (PAT failed)
DV-Chase Kraucheunas 15 run (PAT kick)
P-Lucas Thomas 28 pass from Jake Layfield (PAT kick)
P-Dante Cummings 88 interception return (PAT kick)
DV-Chase Kraucheunas 8 run (PAT kick)
P-Javion Sydnor 13 pass from Jake Layfield (PAT kick)
P-Aiden Collazo 8 run (conversion)
P-Aiden Collazo 44 run (conversion)
