MILLTOWN — Each high school football season, Archmere and Saint Mark’s seem to put on one of the best games of the year. This year’s was no different. The Auks’ Ryan Hagenberg scored with 1:58 to go as Archmere completed a second-half comeback for a 27-21 win in front of a large, spirited crowd at the Graveyard.
Saint Mark’s used some big plays to take a first-half lead, but those went missing in the second, helping the Auks pick up the win..
An Auks fumble on the first play from scrimmage set the Spartans up at their own 23. Facing a third and two at their own 45, they handed the ball to Elijah Burke, who went 55 yards for and the first score of the night.
An interception by Hagenberg (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) gave the Auks the ball at their own 20 later in the first. The 80-yard drive included a 55-yard pass to Hagenberg and ended with quarterback John Orsini (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) scrambled to his left before finding Mark Mervine open for a 20-yard touchdown reception.
The next time the Auks were on offense, they marched from their own 16 to the Spartans’ 1 but could not score. It was one of three drives where the Auks were inside the Spartans’ 10 and came away empty-handed.
Archmere did score on defense, getting a short pick 6 from Jack Bradley to take a 13-7 lead. Saint Mark’s wasted no time responding. The Spartans again turned to Burke for a big play in a hurry. On a third and 10 from their own 40, quarterback James Campbell sent a pass toward Burke, who took it 61 yards to the house. The Spartans took the lead with the extra point with 3:30 to go in the half.
Another fumble cost the Auks a few plays into their next drive. The Spartans’ Blake Green picked up the loose ball and returned it 37 yards to the Archmere 4. Ta’Son Wallace needed just one play to get the Spartans’ second touchdown in 33 seconds and a 21-13 lead.
Archmere received the second-half kickoff and promptly tied the game. Christian Wittmeyer (Holy Family Parish), did the honors, and the two-point conversion was successful.
The Spartans could not move the ball much in the second half as the Auks’ defense tightened up, but the Archmere offense could not take advantage.
Finally, the Auks made the most of their defensive effort. Their final possession began at the Saint Mark’s 40 after another Spartans punt. Orsini chipped in with a 14-yard run to the Spartans’ 12, but those final dozen yards would not come easy. Orsini picked up a first down on third and five with a QB sneak to the 1, and Hagenberg bounced in on the next play with 1:58 to go.
The Spartans had one final chance, and they moved the ball better than they had all night. James Campbell connected on three straight passes that moved the Spartans to the Auks’ 34. Hagenberg helped break up a pass on fourth down, however, to seal the win for the Auks.
Hagenberg finished with 42 yards rushing and a touchdown, and four receptions for 169 yards. He also had seven tackles, an interception and a sack. Orsini threw for 190 yards on seven completions, and he rushed for 57 more. The Auks play their home opener on Sept. 20 (a Friday) at 3:30 p.m. against Newark.
Final statistics were not available early Saturday for the Spartans. Saint Mark’s (1-1) hosts Red Lion on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. before playing the next four on the road.
Photos by Mike Lang.
