Rick Keeley-Berks Catholic

The Saints didn’t get off to a terrific start in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. #5 seed Cocalico drove 56 yards on 14 plays for a touchdown on the opening series. The Eagles took seven minutes and 37 seconds off the clock! Quarterback Blayke Taddei scrambled on 4th and goal from the 5-yard line for the score. That was the only time that Cocalico reached the end zone. Berks Catholic head coach Rick Keeley told me that his defense had to get used to the tempo of the Eagles’ flexbone offense. Keeley called this the best defensive effort of the season for his squad. Fullback Anthony Bourassa ran for 1,863 yards and 23TD in the regular season. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry over those ten games. The Saints limited Bourassa to 112 yards on 30 carries (3.7). Keeley explained who was responsible for slowing him down. He also compared Tyler Givens’ interception to a play made by former Berks Catholic star Luke Painton who’s now at Columbia. JayJay Jordan ran for 86 yards and 2TD. Both scores came with less than four minutes remaining. One was from 53 yards and the other was from 32. Christian Cacchione ended up with 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Keeley pointed out that his running backs are underrated blockers. The (7-4) Saints will be on the road next week against top-seeded Bishop McDevitt. Keeley elaborated on his belief that coaches need to enjoy the victories more. This was win #270 overall for Keeley in 36 seasons as a head coach.