"This [win] was very important to keep on top, be No. 1 in the division, and separate us from everybody else."
Childress, a 6-foot, 175-pound running back-defensive back, burst through a hole in the middle of the line, cut left, and raced 57 yards to the end zone.
Good blocking also enabled the speedster to score on an 8-yard belly play with 2 minutes, 17 seconds left in the third quarter to give Paulsboro a 31-6 lead.
The senior carried the ball eight times for 115 yards and a touchdown.
"He's not your big, burly, fullback-type of kid," Paulsboro coach Glenn Howard said. "He's more like a slasher, halfback kind of kid that's playing fullback.
"He can go long distance on you. He does a nice job catching the ball out of the backfield."
The first big-yardage gainer came when Brandon Keen returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown 2:32 into the game. Mike Maccarone kicked the first of five extra points, and the Red Raiders led, 7-0.
Before the game, Township coach Dave Dale spoke about being burned by the big play in a previous loss and guarding against it. After the loss, he said, "It's a matter of poor tackling on our part, and they're a good football team. We'll come back Monday and work harder."
The Hawks demonstrated that they know how to bounce back from a 14-0 deficit when junior quarterback Jake Campbell (8-for-11 passing for 93 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) engineered a 13-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to Gary Charlesworth.
That cut the Red Raiders' lead to 14-6. Paulsboro's defense kept the home team from scoring again.
Tre Tarpley sacked Campbell in the middle of the third period, and Yusuf Stafford, who had sacked Campbell in the first period, hit him hard late in the third period, causing a fumble that B.J. Carter recovered for Paulsboro on Township's 14-yard line.
Two plays later, Zack Funk (7 of 11 for 73 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson, and Maccarone added the extra point for a 38-6 lead.
"That's the way it started out," Howard said of the big plays. "We were hoping that we could get some other things established, but we'll take those two big plays."
Paulsboro 14 3 21 0 – 38
Haddon Township 0 6 0 0 – 6
P: Brandon Keen 65 punt return (Mike Maccarone kick)
P: Donald Childress 57 run (Maccarone kick)
HT: Gary Charlesworth 9 pass from Jake Campbell (kick failed)
P: FG 41 Maccarone
P: Damere Turner 51 run (Maccarone kick)
P: Childress 8 run (Maccarone kick)
P: Calvin Johnson 8 pass from Zack Funk (Maccarone kick)
Contact staff writer Bill Iezzi at 856-779-3826 or biezzi@phillynews.com.
