Penalty, Penn Charter doom Germantown Academy

Germantown Academy running back Donovan Ganges gets sandwiched by the Penn Charter defense during their game on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017.(Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

PHILADELPHIA >> All Matt Dence could do was look off into space and think about what might have been.

Sure, Dence’s Germantown Academy football team lost the 131st renewal of the Penn Charter-GA football game, 26-17, at Penn Charter Saturday, but all Dence could do was remember what could have been the game’s turning point, a flag for too many men on the field that could have turned an early 14-0 GA lead into a 21-0 bulge.

Instead, the Quakers scored late in the second quarter to halve the Patriots lead, then pulled away in the second half behind the play of quarterback Will Samuel, who tossed three touchdown passes and led the comeback effort in Penn Charter’s 23-14 Inter-Ac victory.

“That’s a tough call,” Dence said. “We go up 21-0 there, and it’s a different game.

And one series later, Tanner Long found the end zone from the 3-yard line to double the Patriots lead.

But on GA’s next series the flags flew, and the visitors were whistled for too many men.

“It’s a tough call,” Dence said. “I’ll have to watch the film, but I don’t think the call was right. And if we go up, 21-0, there, I think we win the game.”

Instead, the Quakers (9-1, 4-1) survived, got the touchdown late in the half from receiver John Washington, who latched onto a Samuel pass with 12 seconds left, and the comeback had officially begun.

The home team got within a point of a tie midway through the third quarter when Samuel found Brendan Thomas for a 4-yard score with 5:23 left in the third quarter, and the home team took its first lead when Ryan Bradby chipped home a 19-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Germantown Academy defensive end Joe Cawley carries a Penn Charter onsides kick deep into their territory during the teams’ game on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (Bob Raines/Digitla First Media)

After an exchange of possession, PC went ahead to stay when Samuel found Edward Saydee behind the defense for a 47-yard score.

The Patriots got within a score when Mike Capone nailed a 25-yard field goal with 4:20 to play.

But a late field goal by Bradby locked up the result.

“It was a good season,” said GA linebacker Tanner Long, a Penn recruit. “I’ll never forget how we battled through the season and stayed brothers.”