All it takes is one special player to separate two evenly matched football teams. Such was clearly the case with Chris McGee in the annual Thanksgiving football game between Boyertown and Upper Perkiomen.

With a little over six minutes remaining in the first half and Boyertown facing fourth-and-three, McGee took the handoff.

"I saw a small crease; the linemen got on their blocks," McGee said of his 18-yard touchdown. "Their guy had me a little high, but I said to myself, "I'm going."'

Then in the second half, with Upper Perkiomen's Kellen Jarrett seemingly in the clear on a punt return, it was McGee making the touchdown-saving tackle.

"He's just a great player," Upper Perkiomen coach Keith Leamer said. "What else can you say? Great athletes make great plays and he certainly did."

McGee's two plays ensured a 7-0 victory for Boyertown (8-4, 8-1 PAC-10) and the team's first ever Pioneer Athletic Conference title.

"This is the first championship that I have ever won," McGee (22 carries for 87 yards) said. "It's a great feeling. This [league title] is definitely another thing to play for. These guys get to come back next year and try to win it again. We're setting up our players for next year."

Weather and poor field conditions played a huge factor in neither offense being able to move the football. The two teams combined for seven first-half punts and two turnovers.

Upper Perk (8-4, 7-2) particularly struggled in gaining only 52 yards in the first half.

"Offensively, we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Leamer said. "We'd get things going and then we would have a delay of game or a holding penalty."

The loss capped a rough end to Upper Perk's season as the Indians suffered their third consecutive loss. Two weeks ago, the Indians dropped a 32-29 shootout to Perkiomen Valley before being crushed by Garnet Valley 35-7 in the first round of the District One Class 3A playoffs last weekend.

"After we beat Lansdale Catholic and Pottsgrove, I think the pressure of the league-title chase and the playoffs got to a lot of our kids," Leamer said. "We didn't play good football the last half of the season. It's disappointing.

"In the middle of the year, we were one of the best teams around. To not keep improving after that was frustrating. These guys had so much more to play for."

Upper Perk linebacker Cody Fleming was a bright spot for the Indians. The junior tallied double-digit tackles, making plays from sideline to sideline.

"I am proud of the kids," Leamer said. "We have to get back to work for next year. I am proud to say that we have been to the district playoffs and the league championship game two out of my first three years. We have a good group coming back."

B UP

First Downs: 9 9

Rushes-Yards: 48-167 35-34

Passing Yards: 41 81

Comp-Att-Int: 2-4-0 9-19-0

Punting: 7-32 6-27

Fumbles: 1-1 0-0

Penalties: 6-45 5-44

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: UP - Shawn Wenhold 8-22, Colin Lepore 9-20, Sean Nevin 18-(minus 8); B - Chris McGee 22-87 1 TD, David Crognale 18-44, Brian Rakowski 8-36

PASSING: UP - Sean Nevin 9-19-0, 81 yards. B - David Crognale 2-4-0, 41 yards.

RECEIVING: UP -Kellen Jarrett 4-38, Colin Lepore 3-24, Dave Kress 1-10, Justin Horning 1-9; B - Brian Rakowski 2-41

Robert Hoffman is a freelance writer. BOYERTOWN 7,

UPPER PERKIOMEN 0

BOTTOM LINE: The victory gave Boyertown its first-ever PAC-10 championship.

HOW THEY SCORED:

SECOND QUARTER

Boyertown 7, Upper Perk 0 (6:09)

Chris McGee 18 run (Nole Saylor kick) The drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:45. The key: McGee appeared to be momentarily stopped on fourth-and-three, but he broke an arm tackle and went untouched the rest of the way.