WESTTOWN >> This time of year, revenge isn’t necessarily top priority.
Advancing in the District 1-5A playoffs is at the top of the list, but if the Golden Knights of West Chester Rustin were honest, the last eight days have been pretty sweet.
A week after avenging a 2023 playoff loss to Chester, No. 2 Rustin finally got past No. 6 Upper Dublin, 35-14, in the District 1-5A semifinals, erasing some of the pain from losing to the Cardinals in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 District 1-5A championship games.
“They’ve given us a lot of trouble through the years,” Rustin coach Mike St. Clair said. “That’s one heck of a team. They’re one of the best-coached teams around. It’s almost a relief to get through this game and come out with a win.”
The result is a fifth trip to the 5A title game for the Knights (12-1), who will travel to No. 1 Springfield (Delco) (12-1). Rustin’s one and only district title came in 2008 when it won the 3A bracket.
Chase Hatton led the way for the Knights, carrying the ball 20 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns, while setting the tone defensively, at the safety position.
“It felt amazing,” Hatton said. “I would’t say revenge. We take every game like it is. We don’t look at it that way. We just said it’s another team in our way of our goal. It felt good, but job’s not finished, though, so we just gotta go next week.”
Rustin had the advantage early. Hatton scored on the Knights’ second drive, following a fumble he recovered, and they marched right back to the red zone on their third possession.
Upper Dublin (9-4) stiffened and forced a 35-yard field goal that flew wide left. Two plays later, Jordan Fields broke an 80-yard TD run to even things up for the Cards.
Rustin responded with a scoring drive capped once again by Hatton and the defense tightened back up. Outside of Fields’ big burst, the Knights only gave up 50 yards on 19 first half plays, but still, Upper Dublin hung around.
Halfway through the second quarter, Ryan O’Sullivan blocked a Rustin punt and Kevin Williams scooped it up and ran it in for a touchdown.
Any momentum was quickly washed away when Rustin’s Jojo Magolon returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a TD.
“It was huge, considering there was a block in the back, right in the middle of the field,” Upper Dublin coach Bret Stover said. “Momentum-wise, that’s what high school football is. But when they miss a call that big, that’s bad.”
Rustin had a chance to extend its lead before half, but Hatton was stripped at the UD 11 and it remained 21-14 until the fourth quarter.
Two and a half minutes into the fourth, Magolon struck again, gashing the Cardinals up the middle for a 64-yard TD.
“He had a couple huge runs,” said St. Clair of his fourth running back. “I’m just glad for him, the way he played.”
The Cardinals finished the night with 267 yards, but averaged just 5.2 yards per play, compared to Rustin’s 7.3.
Luke Spitzer had three sacks and a forced fumble for the Knights, and Josh Colonia registered one of each, as well.
Finishing the season with a District 1-5A trophy is all that matters now, for the Knights.
“We’ve been looking forward to this since we were freshmen,” Spitzer said. “We’ve known this group is special and we’re going to prove it.”
For Stover, it was a bittersweet end to another successful season.
“I think they really took us as far as they could,” Stover said. “We ran into a good football team. (Hatton) is a heck of a football player, we knew that coming here. You want this game at home. We’ve had much better success at home against these guys the new do coming down here, but you get to this game, it means a lot. We expect to be in this game. That’s where our program’s at.”
West Chester Rustin 35, Upper Dublin 14
Upper Dublin 0 14 0 0-14
West Chester Rustin 7 14 0 14- 35
Scoring
First
WCR- Hatton 29 run (Adler kick)
Second
UD- Fields 80 run (Miller kick)
WCR- Hatton 6 run (Adler kick)
UD- Williams 15 blocked punt return (Miller kick)
WCR- Magolon 97 kick return (Adler kick)
Fourth
WCR- Magolon 64 run (Adler kick)
WCR- Hatton 4 run (Adler kick)
Team Totals
UD WCR
First downs 10 11
Yards rushing 121 330
Yards passing 146 50
Total yards 267 380
Passing 16-27-0 3-5-1
Fumbles-lost 4-2 1-1
Punts-avg 6-41.8 2-40
Penalties-yds 4-15.5 5-30
Individual Statistics
Rushing: UD- Fields 9-106, TD; Shepherd 8-24; Etkins 7-(-9). WCR- Hatton 20-154, 3 TDs; Magolon 5-77, TD: Loper 10-51; DiAntonio 6-38; McClain 4-12; team 2-(-2).
Passing: UD- Atkins 16-27-0, 146 yards. WCR- McClain 3-5-1, 50 yards.
Receiving: UD- O’Sullivan 5-46; Fields 2-36; Bernan 4-25; Tindal 2-19; Ravitz 1-6; Atherholt 1-4; Lapa 1-0. WCR- Loper 2-45; Matthias 1-5.
Interceptions: UD- Tindal.
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