Special teams don’t always win you games, but they can definitely lose them.
Unfortunately for Fleetwood, that proved true Thursday night, as struggles in the third phase of football plagued the Tigers from start to finish in a 35-7 loss to Upper Perkiomen at Ray Buss Field.
Tigers head coach Steve Pangburn didn’t hold back when assessing his team’s special teams performance.
“Complete mess,” Pangburn said.
The special teams’ struggles started right out of the gate.
The Tigers (1-1) opened the game receiving the kickoff, but gave the ball right back to the Indians after being surprised by an onside kick that followed a false start.
Upper Perkiomen stuck to the ground game, running eight straight plays to cap a 43-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown by Logan O’Donnell.
After a series of empty possessions from both teams, the Indians (1-1) regained control with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.
It took just one play for the Indians to find the end zone again.
The Tigers’ second special teams miscue came on the ensuing kickoff. Brody Lash squib-kicked the ball downfield, and the Fleetwood returners treated it like a punt, letting it bounce. By the time they picked it up, just before the coverage team arrived, they were quickly brought down inside their own five-yard line.
With about seven minutes left before halftime, Fleetwood managed to pick up a few first downs, but their drive eventually stalled, forcing a punt.
That’s when the first bad snap of the night occurred — the ball sailed over punter Gryffin Cappellano’s head. Though he was able to recover it, he was tackled at Fleetwood’s 15-yard line.
Even with outstanding field position, the Indians squandered a golden opportunity, facing a 4th-and-42 after four costly penalties.
Fleetwood then got the ball back but soon found themselves in a similar situation on 4th-and-long.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was déjà vu, another bad snap. This time, Upper Perkiomen capitalized on the mistake and converted the red-zone opportunity into points.
Brody Weiss punched in a four-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-0.
“Just told them there are eight more football games to play,” Pangburn said to his team in the post-game huddle. “Also that this team was physical, but we have physical teams ahead of us, so we can either decide to fight or decide to fight.”
The Tigers managed just 89 yards of total offense in the first half, struggling to find their rhythm on offense.
Even with the lopsided score, the Indians recorded only 123 total yards, but it was their special teams play, the third phase of football, that helped them build and maintain a comfortable lead.
When asked about Upper Perkiomen’s limited offensive production, Pangburn had a simple answer.
“They didn’t have to,” he said. “They didn’t have to get into their bag.”
In the second half, Fleetwood’s mishaps continued.
After an opening drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown run by Braeden O’Donnell, the Tigers managed just one first down before being forced to punt.
This time, however, Fleetwood got the punt off cleanly.
But Benjamin Sands made sure they paid in another way, returning a 55-yard kickoff for a touchdown, adding the cherry on top of Upper Perkiomen’s special teams success and the Tigers’ struggles.
With a 35-0 lead and 6:55 left in the third quarter, the running clock was put into effect.
Later, with just 3:57 remaining in the game, Beau Fegely got the Tigers on the board. Fegely finished with 54 yards on 15 carries as the Indians’ run defense swarmed him play after play.
Quarterback Chase McMonagle completed 11 of 23 passes for 123 yards, along with one interception.
Despite the lopsided score, Upper Perkiomen managed just 191 yards of total offense.
Fleetwood hopes to put this game behind them and use it as a learning experience moving forward.
The one positive they can take into their Week 3 road matchup against Schuylkill Valley?
“We get to play next week,” Pangburn said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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