Tweet on Twitter
Undefeated no more. Conwell- Egan (8-6) came into the PIAA Class 3A Quarterfinal against Palisades (13-1) as the underdog, but finished the game as the winner. With a dominant 34-17 win, the Eagles advance to play Middletown next week in the semi-finals. Conwell-Egan accomplished a program first with their win knocking off the Pirates.
“It feels good. No one in Conwell history has ever been this far, so this is a big up for us. We have to keep fighting hard and it feels good to win,” said Egan’s quarterback Alex Goldsby.
Conwell-Egan continues a magical season of their own. After starting the season with a 1-4 record and several young players trying to figure out their role on the team, the Eagles have hit their stride at the right time. Despite having one called back, junior running back Patrick Garwo finished with three touchdowns on the game and 273 rushing yards.
Freshman DaJuan Harris, who has continued to step up as one of the young talented players on the Eagles roster, added two touchdowns and 93 rushing yards.
Conwell-Egan faced 18 penalties, a touchdown called back and a player ejected, but it did not slow them down.
“We just had to do what we do. Our coach always says do what we do, limit the mistakes, and be disciplined,” said Garwo. That is exactly what the Eagles did. For every big play Palisades had to try to play themselves back into the game and each controversial call, Conwell-Egan responded.
Defensively, they were able to hold a talented Palisades team that has not only been undefeated but also outscoring each of their opponents by a big margin, to just two touchdowns all game.
The Eagles are clicking are all cylinders now.
“Beginning of the season, things weren’t going our way, but we knew we could overcome it in the long run. And once we made the playoffs, we knew we’re the team to beat,” said Conwell-Egan free safety and receiver Chuck Layton IV. Well, the Eagles are playing with the confidence like they now all realize they ARE the team to beat.
Despite what anyone may say, Egan continues to work together to find ways to win.Players like Dwayne Majors, Quameer Francis, and Conor Dougherty on the defensive line, have been a major key in holding their opponents to less than 20 points in their last few games.
Offensively, Patrick Garwo is getting a lot of help from teammates Alex Goldsby, Terome Mitchell, and DaJuan Harris stepping up to get yards and points.
Conwell-Egan made quite a statement in the win, but they are not satisfied. The run to Hershey is not done yet. Next, the Eagles prepare to take on another undefeated team, the Middletown Blue Raiders (13-0) who are coming off a 35-0 win over Scranton Prep Friday night. The details of kickoff for the semi-final between District 12 champion, Conwell-Egan and District 3 champion, Scranton Prep have not yet been announced.