‘Exceptional’ Trey Blair, defense lead Haverford to seventh straight win

HAVERFORD — Trey Blair knew what the Marple Newtown defense didn’t know Friday.

The Haverford quarterback knew the Tigers would key on him, trying to stop the player who entered fourth in Delaware County in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns. He knew that, without injured receiver Shane Mosley and with running back Chasen Wint making his return after two games out, the Tigers would know little about the threat posed by Sean Reynolds.

So as the Fords hammered away on the ground early, utilizing a read-option around Reynolds’ jet sweeps, Blair read the defense to see how they’d adjust. Once Marple shaded toward the threat of Reynolds, Blair decided it was time to call his own number.

Blair promptly ran for 278 yards on 11 carries — including touchdowns of 74, 85 and 54 yards — and the Haverford defense did its usual stingy job in its fourth shutout of the season, turning a battle of two-loss teams into a 39-0 laugher for the Fords’ seventh straight win.

The Fords’ adaptability has been necessitated by injuries, and Reynolds’ part is the latest version.

“It’s definitely helpful having guys like Sean that teams don’t know about really,” Blair said. “He hasn’t had a lot of jets or carries at all. But he obviously can do it and he’s good at it. It’s pretty nice to have guys like that in the back pocket to use if we need it, and they definitely stepped up and performed tonight.”

In total, the Fords (7-2, 6-1 Central League) rushed for 437 yards on 41 carries, outgaining Marple Newtown, 507-78, in total offense. Reynolds had four carries for 44 yards. Wint, in limited action as he gains strength from a knee issue, gained 53 yards, including a two-yard score. Reserve Colin Rezer added a 10-yard score in the fourth.

That crowd gave Blair room to move the county lead in touchdowns to 14; he’s also the first Delco player over 1,000 yards this season.

“Blair is exceptional,” Marple Newtown coach Chris Gicking said. “He’s on another level.”

A tight game in the first half was opened by a moment of Blair brilliance. On third-and-10, he scrambled and, shrugging off the grasp of Marple Newtown lineman Johnnie Ebert, wriggled out of the pocket to hoist a deep ball to Casey Gilroy, who made a great adjustment and hauled in a 37-yard touchdown.

“It was a scramble drill; it wasn’t really a designed play,” Blair said. “I rolled out and saw (Gilroy) open up for a second. He’s a tall guy, he can jump, he’s got great hands. I figured I’d give him a shot, and it turned out well.”

That would prove to be enough for a defense sculpting a reputation as one of the most fearsome in District 1. The unit has allowed 28 points in their last seven games, blanking opponents more often than it has allowed points.

The defense goes about it with ferocious intensity. Look no further than the massive (and clean) hit that Jimmy Callahan leveled Marple running back Charlie Box with for an eight-yard loss on a pass in the flat in the third quarter, burying the Tigers at the three.

“We definitely have something special here,” linebacker Brian Klee said. “Everybody wants to fly to the ball. … I think we all feed off each other, we all want to make a play. We all want to have each other’s back, and it’s definitely something special.”

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Haverford quarterback Trey Blair, right, slips past Marple Newtown’s Johnnie Ebert during the first quarter at Haverford High School. Blair ran for three touchdowns and 278 yards in a 39-0 Fords win. (Eric Hartline/For MediaNews Group)