PHILADELPHIA – Imhotep Charter thrashed Cardinal O’Hara on their first offensive play for an 80-yard score.
They led 22-0 heading into halftime and held the Lions scoreless until late in the fourth quarter.
But after O’Hara fell to Imhotep 36-6 in the PIAA District XII AAAA City Championship Game, coach B.J. Hogan didn’t come off as a flustered coach who just received his first lost.
He praised his seniors for their efforts this season that lead his Lions to a 10-1 overall record, including a Philadelphia Catholic Blue League Division Championship.
“I just thanked them for being a part of the program and getting this back on the right track,” Hogan said.
The Panthers scored two touchdowns on their first five offensive plays.
Senior running back, Aamir Brown, took a direct snap in the wildcat formation to the left side and blazed by every O’Hara defender for an 80-yard score. Senior full back Amin Black scored four plays later on an 18-yard rushing touchdown.
The Panthers would convert on the two-point conversion to make the score 16-0 with 2 minutes and 27 second left in the first quarter.
Senior running back Amir Lewis led the game in rushing yards with 110 and had two rushing touchdowns on the night.
“Their line is huge,” Hogan said. “They would beat some lower FCS teams without a doubt.”
Cardinal O'Hara QB, Tommy O'Hara, completes 15-yd pass to wide receiver Justin Santilla in the 2nd QTR
Tommy O'Hara throws an incomplete pass to WR Justin Santilla in the 2nd QTR and is nearly intercepted
Imhotep fails to convert on the two-point conversion after going ahead 22-0 in the 2nd QTR
O’Hara didn’t score an offensive touchdown against Imhotep, but they were able to move ball against their defense early.
During O’Hara’s first possession, they moved the ball down to Imhotep’s 37-yard line on 13 plays, but were forced to punt. They wouldn’t move the ball into Imhotep’s zone again until the third quarter where senior quarterback Tommy O’Hara got stuffed for a gain of nothing on fourth down.
O’Hara finished the night 5 for 14 for 61-yards and an interception. Granted, the conditions prevented the Lions from moving the ball through the air, but besides the first drive, they weren’t able to get much of a push in the trenches.
The Lions averaged 3.1 yards per carry compared the Panthers’ 13. 9 yards per carry.
In the second half, the Lions got a gift on Imhotep’s opening drive when senior defensive lineman Colin Hickey recovered a fumble. But O’Hara would fail to move the ball on the ensuing drive.
Two drives later, Lewis punched his first of two touchdowns of the night in the third quarter to put the Panthers ahead 30-0.
With 4:40 left in the game, junior wide receiver/defensive back Justin Santilla picked off senior quarterback Xavier Fountain for a touchdown to make it 36-6.
But by then, it was too late for another night of Santilla’s late night heroics. The loss ended the Lions’ undefeated season.
After this season, Hogan, who was the assistant football coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before arriving at O’Hara, has his mind set on the future of the program. But he also stressed the fact that they’re still rebuilding.
In Hogan’s first year, the Lions finished 1-9, while they finished 10-1 this season. Hogan said when he got hired; he told alumni that he had a five-year plan to rebuild the program. He also added he expects to acquire more talent after this season.
And if Hogan really believes they’re rebuilding, then they are far ahead of schedule.
“I do feel we’re going to get a whole new pool of players this year of incoming freshmen and this thing is going to start to snowball,” Hogan said. “We need to be like [St. Joseph’s] Prep, La Salle and then now it’s Imhotep because you’re going to see them every year.”