Serra wins matchup of top RBs
MAPLETOWN – In a matchup between two top WPIAL running backs, Khalil Smith and Serra Catholic outshined Dylan Rush and Mapletown in a 30-8 win Friday night.
Smith, who ran for more than 1,400 yards and was an all-Three Rivers Conference running back as a junior last season, totaled 152 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Rush, who entered his senior season with 4,298 career rushing yards, ran for 98 yards on 30 carries and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
“(Smith) is a pounder,” said Eagles head coach Jose Regus. “He likes to get the ball in his hand and likes to go downfield. He’s a hard-nosed kid.”
Maples head coach George Messich said stopping Smith alone is hard enough, but it’s even more difficult when Serra’s offensive line is playing well.
“They had a couple of really nice-sized offensive linemen who were giving us some problems,” Messich said.
For Rush, there were a couple of plays he almost broke for touchdowns, using his 4.48 40-yard-dash speed, as he did when he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score.
“Don’t ever cut Dylan short on anything,” Messich said. “He’s going to get his long runs and he’s going to have a great year. I can guarantee that.”
To start the game, Serra came out firing on all cylinders, scoring on its first four drives.
Smith started the scoring with a 19-yard run to cap a six-play drive that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
Serra took only 10 plays to score on its next two drives. Quarterback Evan Honick scored on a 5-yard run and Bre’Shaun Brown scored on a 10-yard run to give the Eagles the 21-0 lead.
Honick scored his second rushing touchdown, this time from four yards, to put Serra ahead 27-0. Honick was 5-for-12 passing for 84 yards and ran for 37 yards on 10 carries.
While Serra was having a scoring parade, Mapletown punted, fumbled and turned the ball over on downs three times.
“It was a typical first game. We just made a lot of mistakes,” Messich said. “I give (Serra) credit. They have a lot of athletes on that football team, and I think they’ll make another playoff run in Double-A this year.”
Neither team scored for about 20 minutes from halfway through the second quarter to early in the fourth quarter when Serra’s Brandon Borek made a 27-yard field goal.
“I thought our effort in the second half was a lot better than it was in the first half,” Messich said. “We held them to three points.”
Following the field goal, Rush took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and the Maples converted the two-point conversion.
Playing Mapletown, every team keys on Rush, who ran the ball 300 times last year for 1,852 yards. Regus’ team focused on Rush and offensive lineman Tanner Weston, who Regus said is a vital piece to Mapletown and Rush’s offensive success.
“They were our key players that we had to look at all game,” Regus said. “Everything rotates around those two athletes.”
This season won’t be Messich’s first in finding a way to open holes for Rush.
“I think we’re going to have to spread the ball around, throw the ball a little more.” Messich said. “That’ll help Dylan.”