H.S. FOOTBALL: Chester Co. dominates South Side

An interception on Chester County’s first drive didn’t rattle junior Bo Morris.

Morris came back on the next possession during a 3rd-and-19 to complete a 53-yard pass to senior Sam Kesler and convert the first down and set up the first touchdown.

The Eagles went on to score on five of their six possessions starting with that drive to beat District 14-AA rival South Side 48-0 at South Side on Friday.

“That pass brought up the momentum,” Morris said. “We came out soft on that first drive, and there was a little confusion with the interception. We fixed it, and we calmed down. We played like we knew how.”

Chester County (4-1, 2-0) scored the first two touchdowns on the ground as Jarett Wilson ran the ball in from three yards and one yard out for the 14-0 lead.

But both touchdowns were set up by passes from Morris to Kesler. The 53-yard pass put the ball at the 3-yard line on the first touchdown drive, and the second was set up by a 12-yard pass to Brennan Conaway, 13-yard pass to Cody Compton and 15-yard pass to Kesler.

“That pass to Kesler was obviously a big play,” Chester County coach Michael Hodum said. “We want to convert in a situation like that.

“Sam is a versatile player. He had a rushing touchdown and some great catches. He is no doubt the leader of this football team.”

Morris finished the first quarter 5-of-6 for 90 yards.

“The pass opened the run,” Morris said. “We had them on their heels. They didn’t expect the run when we went into shotgun.”

Chester County added two more touchdowns in the second quarter as Morris connected with Conaway for an eight-yard touchdown pass and Kobe Brooks recovered a fumble in the end zone for the 28-0 halftime lead.

The Chester County defense was just as impressive. The Eagles held South Side to six yards of offense in the first half, and if you include the 40 yards lost on the fumble recovery for a touchdown, the Hawks had minus-34 yards in the first half.

“I think we have the best defense around,” Morris said. “We have depth and aggression. We have the smartest defensive coordinator in Derrick Pritchard, and I credit this win to the defense.”

Hodum was also happy with the defensive effort.

“In a district matchup and if we want to compete for a championship of any kind, we have to speak the language to play defense first,” Hodum said. “Each person has to do their role.”

Chester County scored three more touchdowns in the second half to put the game away. Wilson scored his third touchdown on a 17-yard run, Kesler scored on a 42-yard run and Peyton Lynch scored on a 14-yard run.

Morris finished 9-of-14 for 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception. As a team, the Eagles ran for 214 yards.

Chester County committed eight penalities for 87 yards with a couple of unsportsmanlike penalities that did not make Hohum happy.

“These two schools are close to the county line, and they know each other," Hodum said. “Our goal is to play with class. We have to work on our discpline in situations like that.”

South Side quarterback Cade Willingham left in the second quarter with an ankle injury.