Long late drive lifts Downingtown East past Malvern Prep, 14-13

Downingtown East went on a 90-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter and converted a two-point try to edge visiting Malvern Prep, 14-13, in a nonleague game Saturday at Downingtown West High School.

With the Cougars trailing by 13-6 and at their own 10-yard line with less than five minutes remaining, Downingtown East quarterback Trey Lauletta threw a screen pass to fullback Mike DiStefano who hugged the sideline for a 48-yard gain.

Later in the drive, running back Drew Harris, who rushed for 68 yards on 17 carries, split he Malvern defense for a 34-yard run, setting up Lauletta to rush 5 yards for the score.

The Cougars had missed an extra-point attempt in the second quarter and Downingtown East coach Mike Matta decided to go for the two-point conversion with 3 minutes, 43 seconds left in the game.

Lauletta - who was 8 for 15 for 100 yards, a TD toss and an interception - threw a play-action pass to wideout Tyler Kroft, giving Downingtown East a one-point lead, its first of the game.

Meanwhile, the Cougar defense held Malvern quarterback Thomas Rumer to 5-for-12 passing for 56 yards and two interceptions.

"Not our finest performance, but our best effort," Matta said.

"I'm proud of the way we persevered. We could've packed it in - I mean, they looked like they had things going their way - and we didn't."

The Cougars are on a five-game winning streak and upped their record to 5-1.

Malvern Prep is 2-3.

Two Malvern unsportsmanlike conduct penalties helped swing the game.

The first occurred after the Friars' Robert Scaramuzza rushed 2 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter putting Malvern ahead, 13-6.

But excessive celebration moved the ball back 15 yards and Rumer, who was holding on the kick, failed to handle the snap.

Then after Lauletta's fourth-quarter touchdown, referees called another unsportsmanlike penalty on the Friars edging the ball closer to the end zone at the 3-yard line for the two-point conversion.

"Totally unacceptable," Malvern coach Kevin Pellegrini said of the costly penalties.

"It's not what I expect of my players and I can't accept it."

The Friars jumped out to a 7-0 first-quarter lead when Rumer rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, a score that was made possible by Malvern wideout Michael Bolte's 33-yard reception earlier in the drive.

Downingtown East replied in the second quarter with aplay-action pass from Lauletta to Kroft, a foreshadowing of the two-point conversion later in the game.

The Cougars failed on the extra point.

Malvern Prep   7 0 6 0 - 13

Downingtown East   0 6 0 8 - 14

MP: Rumer 1 run (Dollfus kick)

DE: Kroft 4 pass from Lauletta (kick failed)

MP: Scaramuzza 2 run (kick failed)

DE: Lauletta 5 run (Kroft pass from Lauletta)