Harriton Football Hangs On To Beat Upper Darby

It was a tale of two completely different halves for during their 34-27 home win Saturday night over Upper Darby. The Rams survived 21 unanswered points from the Royals in the second half to cling to victory.

The Rams scored 28 points in an explosive second quarter to jump out in front of the Royals 34-6 going into halftime. Quarterback Pat Moriarity accounted for all five Harriton touchdowns on his way to 375 yards through the air. Moriarity spread the ball around, connecting with tight end Ryan Kelly and halfback Juwan Valentine each for dazzling 50-plus-yard touchdowns.

“I've never seen a high school kid that can put the ball where he can put it and throw the ball like him, but there are other things he needs to work on,” said Harriton head coach Matt Barr.

Halfback Andre Pendleton caught three passes for 152 yards receiving and two scores. The second of Pendleton's touchdowns was an 80-yard strike from Moriarity that capped the Rams' scoring in the first half.

“He still has a long way to go. But he's extremely talented and he can be a great player,” Barr said of Pendleton. “We have to continue to develop some of our young guys.”

Marred by a rash of second-half penalties and lethargic play, Harriton saw themselves letting the game slowly slip away in the second half, but the offense scored enough points in the first half to ensure the big upset. The near-comeback gave Barr much to think about in terms of where this team is headed.

“We need more tough kids. We had a good game plan, but a lot of our kids don't have a lot of football experience. They just need to get tougher,” said the fifth-year head coach. “It's just a lack of mental toughness.”

A blocked Harriton field goal attempt seemed to swing the momentum in Upper Darby's favor in the third quarter after the play led to a touchdown drive for the Royals. The score made it 34-20 going into the fourth quarter. Upper Darby then scored with 2:53 remaining in the game to bring the score to 34-28, but that's as close as the Royals got. Upper Darby got the ball back with no timeouts left and 1:25 left to play, but Harriton's defense made key plays to stifle the suddenly hot Upper Darby offense.

Players celebrated after a rushed Royals final throw sailed just out of reach of the intended receiver. It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect game.