BOYERTOWN - If he had it to do over again, he would have just let the ball roll out of bounds.

 

On the game's opening kickoff, Phoenixville senior Will Killeen fielded the ball a foot inside the sideline instead of letting it continue out of bounds.

 

If the ball had gone out of bounds, the Phantoms would have started the game at their 35-yard line. But Killeen fielded the ball and headed upfield. He didn't get very far before he got hit and fumbled the ball. Boyertown's Chase Stewart recovered at the Phoenixville 15.

 

"I haven't been playing that position," said Killeen. "They put me in there to try to make a play. I made a mistake. But our defense played great and held them out. I thank them a lot."

 

The Phantoms limited the damage to a field goal.

 

Killeen redeemed himself with a 28-yard touchdown and a second-half interception while Phoenixville's defense made one big play after another, allowing the Phantoms to escape Boyertown with a 21-18 Pioneer Athletic Conference victory to ruin Homecoming for the Bears Friday night.

 

"All our seniors have been trying to make big plays all year," said Killeen. "It's a lot of fun."

 

The offensive numbers say Boyertown (3-2, 3-4) should have won this game. The Bears rolled up 347 yards and 18 first downs while holding the Phantoms (4-1, 5-2) to just 126 yards and eight first downs.

 

The defense turned the tide for Phoenixville, recovering three fumbles, intercepting two passes, making a huge stop inside the five-yard line at the end of the first half, and recording two monster sacks as the Bears drove for the potential tying field goal in the final two minutes.

 

"We have a young, solid defense," said Killeen. "They do a great job stepping up when we need it."

 

After Killeen's game-opening gaffe, Phoenixville's defense forced Boyertown to settle for a 29-yard George Sotter field goal.

 

The Phantoms then went three downs and punt. On Boyertown's first play after the punt, Ryan Schwager (98 yards on nine carries, five catches for 82 yards) raced 64 yards around the right side for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

 

But the Phantoms quickly got on the board with a 12-yard run by sophomore quarterback Tony Romano. Derek Ryan then recovered a Boyertown fumble, and Phoenixville capitalized with a 30-yard TD run by Anthony Nattle for a 14-10 lead.

 

On the next series, Rick Yenchick picked off a David Crognale pass. Two plays later, Romano connected with Killeen on a 28-yard TD strike for a 21-10 advantage.

 

The Bears kept the ball for the last 9:31 of the half but came away with no points.

 

Eighteen plays moved the ball from the Boyertown 20 to the Phoenixville nine-yard line. On fourth down, Sotter drilled a 26-yard field goal. But the Phantoms were called for roughing the kicker and the Bears elected to take the three points off the board and accept a first down at the four with 16 seconds and no timeouts remaining.

 

Crognale flipped a pass in the right flat to Stewart, who was flattened immediately at the three. With no other way to stop the clock, Crognale spiked the ball with one second left in the half.

 

But Sotter's 19-yard field goal try was wide right.

 

"In hindsight, we could have kept the points on the board and it would have been 21-21," said Boyertown coach Mark Scisly. "If we punch it in, it's 24-21. That's a risk you take. As a coach, at that time, you've got to do what you think is best. It came back to haunt us."

 

While holding the Phantoms to only two first downs in the second half, the Bears closed to 21-18 late in the third quarter on Crognale's 12-yard TD run and Crognale's two-point conversion pass to Schwager.

 

But Boyertown's first possession of the fourth quarter ended on Killeen's interception and its second possession ended in the Bears' only punt of the game.

 

Boyertown got the ball back once more at its 40-yard line with 2:08 to go.

 

A sack by Mike Cress pushed the Bears back to the 28. But three straight completions by Crognale moved the ball to the Phoenixville 24.

 

Khalil Ervin stopped Crognale for a three-yard loss. Then, after an incomplete pass, Ervin sacked Crognale and forced a fumble that was recovered by Phoenixville's David Eggeling with 41 seconds remaining, sealing the victory.

 

"Injuries, penalties (six for 65 yards), turnovers," said Scisly. "It was an uphill battle tonight. Against a good team, you can't do that.

 

"All year, we've had too many penalties and too many mistakes. We just have to fix it. We've tried everything we can to motivate them not to do it. But give them (Phantoms) credit. They were ready to play. Our kids fought tonight. They didn't give up. It was a tough one."

 

The Phantoms remained one game behind unbeaten Pottsgrove in the PAC-10 standings.

 

"You go out each and every week like it's a championship game," said Killeen. "Coach says that every week. It was a big win."

 

NOTES

Crognale was back in the lineup after missing last week's game against St. Pius due to a neck injury suffered two weeks ago against Pottsgrove. ... Ian Repko recorded a sack for the Bears. ... Stewart injured his right knee on a third-quarter kickoff and was carried off the field. ... Longtime Boyertown statistician Ross Smith was on the sideline for his 200th game with the Bears. The team has a 91-109 record during that span.