Plymouth Whitemarsh's bid to upset Abington in a nonleague football game Friday night was severely hampered by a poor start.
The Colonials yielded two scores before they had a chance to settle in at Stephen A. Schwarzman Stadium. They never recovered, and bowed to the host Ghosts, 18-7, at the Graveyard.
PW, coming off a 35-7 romp over Methacton, slipped to 1-1; Abington, which opened with a 35-20 triumph against Central Bucks East, improved to 2-0.
The Ghosts are preparing for the Suburban One League National Conference campaign. Last year, they shared the championship with Neshaminy and Council Rock South.
The Colonials, with several athletic skill-position players, are expected to contend for top honors, possibly with Norristown, in the Suburban One American Conference.
Abington scored on the fourth play of its first possession, with a 36-yard burst by halfback Ray Schreiner setting up quarterback Ken Cropper's 1-yard keeper.
On the ensuing series, defensive end Rob Phillips stripped quarterback Russhon Phillips near the line of scrimmage and scampered 36 yards to pay dirt. A failed two-point conversion toss left Abington (2-0) with a 12-0 advantage.
Schreiner, a 5-foot-7, 165-pound senior, carried 17 times for 85 yards to spark a shotgun-spread offense. Cropper, who transferred from Cheltenham over the summer, hit on 4 of 7 throws for 69 yards.
"Our offensive line had trouble at times, but they were able to hold their blocks long enough for me to make big plays," Schreiner said. "Also, we didn't really panic at all."
Phillips (20 carries for 106 yards) and fullback Corey Kelly (10 for 51) combined for 157 rushing yards to spearhead the Colonials' option attack.
"The bottom line is, our defense stoned them," Schreiner said.
With his team ahead by 12-7 in the fourth quarter, Schreiner all but sealed matters with a 3-yard TD burst. He set up his score with a 36-yard reception and 19-yard carry.
The Colonials (1-1) put together an eight-play, 66-yard scoring series at the end of the first quarter. A 31-yard, left-side pass from Phillips to speedy halfback Xavier Ellington set up Kelly's 4-yard TD run.
Late in the second quarter, Cropper's bomb to wideout Josh Lee was picked off by Kelly in the end zone.
Abington's defense was led by end Bryan Osei, tackle Ryan Epps, middle linebacker Myles Grasty, and outside linebacker Tom Kennedy.
In two outings, Schreiner has gained 157 yards on 25 attempts. Cropper, a 1,576-yard passer last season, has converted 9 of 12 passes for 198 yards and a score. He has three rushing TDs.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7 0 0 0 - 7
Abington 12 0 0 6 - 18
A: Cropper 1 run (kick failed)
A: Phillips 36 fumble return (pass failed)
PW: Kelly 4 run (Haney kick)
A: Schreiner 3 run (kick blocked)
Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019, robrien@phillynews.com, or @ozoneinq on Twitter.
