BOYERTOWN — Mired in an 0-2 start for the third straight season and reeling from an emotional loss to Perkiomen Valley the week before, Methacton quarterback Conner Derrickson knew something had to give.

 

"After that loss last week, everyone in the locker room didn't want to feel that way again,' Derrickson said. "We came out fired up and ready to go.'

 

Derrickson ignited the Methacton offense, accounting for all four of the team's scores as he threw for 133 yards and ran for an additional 136 in the Warriors' 25-7 victory over Boyertown at BASH Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

The win marked their fourth straight victory over Boyertown.

 

"It's just important for us to get into the win column,' Methacton head coach Paul Lepre said. "Being 0-2, a similar scenario to which we started off last year, I know the kids were confident coming into this week. They were trying to take last year's win (48-10 over Boyertown) and try and do the same thing. You can't repeat what you do, you have to go out and play the game.'

 

Derrickson accounted for 68 percent of Methacton's total offense (396 yards) as the senior quarterback connected with Louis Cotteta for two scores on consecutive drives, one coming off a beautiful play-fake in the second quarter, and ran for an additional two scores. He capped off his performance with a 48-yard touchdown run on a read-option keeper to end Boyertown's comeback hopes.

 

Cotteta, a senior, finished the game with six receptions for 96 yards while rushing for 55 yards on seven carries.

"I can't say enough about my offensive line,' Derrickson said. "They are a great group of guys who opened up a lot of holes and really got our offense going.'

 

"But also, having a lot of weapons like (Cotteta and Akeem Walcott) is great. They make me look good.'

Boyertown quarterback Lawrence Garnett finished the game with 56 rushing yards on 21 carries and one score while Hunter Vogels contributed 83 yards, but the Boyertown offense was unable to get anything going late, turning the ball over on downs on two of the team's three drives in the second half.

 

"Their offense kept our offense off the field,' Boyertown head coach George Parkinson said. "We only had limited time to execute our offense and get it going.'

 

Meanwhile, Methacton's offense was clicking right along.

 

With the score tied 7-7 following a Derrickson one-yard sneak and a Garnett eight-yard keeper, the Methacton quarterback executed a beautiful play fake that sucked in both Boyertown safeties, allowing Cotteta to emerge wide open down the field. Derrickson hit the streaking receiver in stride for the 54-yard score before they connected for a 13-yard score the next drive, capping off a 14-play, 80-yard drive for a 19-7 advantage that carried into halftime.

 

"Defensively we really need to get a whole lot better,' Parkinson said. "We're giving up way too many big plays.'

One of those big plays was negated to start the half as a Cotteta 71-yard touchdown was wiped from the board because of a holding penalty. The penalty proved to be costly as Boyertown's defense stiffened up, stopping the Warriors on fourth down on the team's next two possessions.

 

"It seemed like we were on our way to the end zone and the "boom,' they came up with four big defensive downs and we turn the ball over,' Lepre said.

 

But just like that, the Bears' defense snapped.

 

With the ball at the Boyertown 48 after two straight Cotteta runs for first downs, Derrickson executed a perfect read option, keeping it and dashing through the Bears' line en route to the dagger. Following a Boyertown turnover on downs, the Warriors held onto the ball for the last 6:23 to close out the victory.

 

"We have a couple of plays where we do the dual read,' Lepre said. "It's been pretty effective for us so far.

"Conner does a good job leading our offense and tonight was representative of that.'

 

Follow Sam Stewart on Twitter @Samuel_Stewart7