High School Football:
Pennsauken Gets 1st Win Of Season At Camden

Saturday, October 6, 2001

By Anonymous PHS football fan

Pennsauken High School finally has something to cheer about: its first win of the season, a 14-12 come from behind effort over the Panthers of Camden High School. The first three quarters of the game was for the most part a penalty filled, see-saw battle with the Panthers of Camden High emerging with a 12-6 lead going into the fourth quarter.

This is where the real story begins!

With the ball on their own 10 yard line and trailing the Panthers of Camden High by a score of 12-6, the Indians put together a clock devouring, 19 play, 90 yard drive that reminded this writer of John Elway's "The Drive". The hard running of fullback Darnell Rippey and tailback Reggie Miller helped the Indians move the ball to the Camden 40 with about 4 minutes to play. Facing a fourth down and 6, quarterback Andrew Virnelli took a bootleg around left end for 7 yards and the first down to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, again facing forth down and long, Virnelli scrambled left and underhanded a pass to wideout Tawan McNair, who made the catch falling out of bounds for another huge first down. Virnelli then took a quarterback draw down to the two yard line where he took a vicious hit. On the next play, running back Reggie Miller scored untouched from the two for the lead. Placekicker Steve Wallace added the second of his two point after attempts, which in the end, created the margin of victory.