SHILLINGTON -- Warwick threw everything, including the kitchen sink, at top-seeded Governor Mifflin Friday and the answer for stopping the Mustangs’ powerful rushing attack still never materialized.
It meant more video game numbers for Penn State pledge Nick Singleton.
Singleton, in a District 3 5A quarterfinal no less, chewed up 320 rushing yards and posted 7 touchdowns against the game Warriors, leading Governor Mifflin’s 63-35 victory.
With every touch, GM’s offensive pulse dazzled a packed house during his career-best performance. It included TD runs of 55, 60 and 65 yards, the last coming with 9:21 to play under a running clock.
Eighth-seeded Warwick, behind QB Jack Reed and a quick-strike blueprint, held firm until a key turnover, Warwick’s only one on the night, sent the quarterfinal into a tailspin. GM’s bullish offensive line allowed Singleton and fellow back Aiden Gallen to continue the surge after that.
The defending district 3 champions will host Spring Grove next Friday in the semifinal round. Spring Grove defeated Waynesboro 21-6.
STARS
Let’s start with Singleton, who rolled up 205 rushing yards on 12 first half carries.
And, it was Singleton’s 60-yard TD scamper, his fourth score in the second quarter, that induced the mercy rule in the final 24 minutes.
Gallen chipped in 96 yards on 10 carries, posting touchdown runs of 6 and 14 yards. Reed, picking through the Mustangs early with timely slants to Cooper Reckert and Ryan Fink, connected on 18 of 32 pass attempts for 191 yards.
To their credit, the Warriors (7-5) gambled on every series, fading a handful of fourth-downs while attempting to stay in the struggle. In the end, GM’s talent up front tilted the action, alon with a big defensive play late in the first quarter.
GAME-WINNING MOMENT
Singleton had just countered Warwick’s game-tying touchdown -- A Christian Royer 3-yard run -- with his 55-yard rip to make it 21-14 with 1:07 left in the first quarter.
Two plays later, Reed was stripped as the pocket collapse and Mustangs’ DT Kenndry Arrias Hernandez pounced on the loose ball at the Warriors’ 34. Singleton posted his third TD, a 26-yard sprint, three plays later.
With 4:30 left in the opening half, Singleton capped another series, GM’s longest of the game at 10 plays, for a 35-14 advantage. The Mustangs ran just 32 plays from scrimmage, collecting 443 rushing yards and 44 through the air.
THEY SAID IT
“It was huge. Everybody had a chance to get healthy, a few people had some nagging injuries but everybody was back. Everybody felt great coming off the bye week. We just had to knock off a little rust off early. The turnover turned it around.” -- Mustangs’ QB Eden Johnson, on having last week off as the top seed
“They came out to play football tonight. Their offense really gave us some trouble tonight. We knew their quarterback was really good and he picked us apart, so we have to get back to the drawing board, watch some film and straight some things out because that can’t happen again.” -- GM head coach Jeff Lang
8 Warwick (7-4) 14-0-7-14 -- 35
1 Governor Mifflin (8-0) 21-28-7-7 -- 63
First quarter
GM-Nick Singleton 13 run (Jackson Schools kick), 10:00
W-Ryan Fink 14 pass from Jack Reed (Gage Meckley kick), 4:45
GM-Aiden Gallen 6 run (Schools kick), 3:54
W-Christian Royer 3 run (Meckley kick), 1:18
GM-Singleton 55 run (Schools kick), 1:07
Second quarter
GM-Singleton 26 run (Schools kick), 10:24
GM-Singleton 2 run (Schools kick), 4:30
GM-Singleton 22 run (Schools kick), 3:21
GM-Singleton 60 run (Schools kick), :06
Third quarter
W-Cooper Reckert 12 pass from Reed (Meckley kick), 4:28
GM-Gallen 14 run (Schools kick), 3:12
Fourth quarter
W-Andrew McClune 3 run (Meckley kick), 9:33
GM-Singleton 65 run (Schools kick), 9:21
W-Thomas Jeanes 10 pass from Reed (Meckley kick), 3:02
Team statistics W GM
First downs 20 15
Rush-yards 31-97 31-443
Passing 191 44
Comp-Att-Int 18-32-0 1-2-0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1
Punts-Avg. 2-15 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-25 7-64
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Warwick, Christian Royer 14-48, Andrew McClune 9-39, Colin Winters 4-11, Jack Reed 3-3, Trevor Evans 1-(minus-4); Governor Mifflin, Nick Singleton 15-320, Aiden Gallen 10-96, Eden Johnson 3-18, Brandon Jones 1-8, Delsin McNeil 2-1.
PASSING: Warwick, Jack Reed 18-32-0--191; Governor Mifflin, Eden Johnson 1-2-0--44.
RECEIVING: Warwick, Cooper Reckert 5-82, Kyle Sapovchak 6-49, Ryan Fink 4-40, Thomas Jeanes 1-10, Andrew McClune 1-10, Christian Royer 1-0; Governor Mifflin, Adrian McNeil 1-44.
Follow Eric Epler on Twitter -- @threejacker