Phoenixville/Unionville football game

Phoenixville’s football team dropped a second straight close game to start the 2009 season with a 23-9 loss to Unionville last Friday night in steady rain at Washington Field.
Phoenixville held a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on three field goals by junior kicker John McInally, but the Indians rallied with 16 points later in the fourth period.
The Phantoms rushed for 143 yards on 46 plays and quarterback Tom Romano completed 4 of 9 passes for 32 more yards, giving Phoenixville 175 total yards on 55 snaps. Unionville rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on 33 attempts and had no passing attempts all evening.
The Phantoms’ Sam McQuiston rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries. Phoenixville recovered two fumbles and lost one fumble itself.
McInally, who doubles as a soccer team defender for the Phantoms, booted field goals of 32, 30 and 29 yards in the contest. He has also been contributing long kickoffs and is in his first year of punting for the gridders as well.
Unionville marched 67 yards in 12 plays after taking the opening kickoff and scored on a 1-yard plunge with 5:26 on the clock for a quick 7-0 lead. However, from that point forward, the clash turned into an even game.
Coach Bill Furlong’s Phantoms start their Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) schedule Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against St. Pius X at Coach Mich Stadium.
This will be Phoenixville’s final meeting against St. Pius X before the Winged Lions merge with Kennedy-Kenrick to form John Paul II High School in Upper Providence Township starting with the 2010 campaign.
Brandon Johnston played a good game at defensive end for the Phantoms in his first start, and Greg Porter doubled at tight end and defensive end for a full game for the first time and responded well. One of Porter's hard hits resulted in a Unionville fumble that the Phantoms recovered.