H.S. Football: Gibson leads Bonner past Upper Darby
By HARRY CHAYKUN
hchaykun@delcotimes.com
UPPER DARBY — Ismir Gibson was credited with 12 carries for Monsignor Bonner in the Friars’ 33-13 Upper Darby Bowl victory over Upper Darby Friday night.
He ran hard his first 11 rushes and stopped suddenly on carry No. 12.
“I had trouble with my left hamstring last year,” the 5-8, 170-pound senior said. “This year it’s been the right hamstring.”
While his hamstrings were sound Friday night, Gibson danced up and down Memorial Field for 141 yards and three touchdowns, earning the most valuable player award for the bowl game. He sat out the second half and knows he will have to spend some time making sure his legs are sound before he gets back to practice.
“That’s what we’ve been expecting of him,” Bonner coach Tom Oropeza said of Gibson.
Gibson had what he called “a big debut.” He ran 57 yards for a score on the third play of the game, went in from 5 yards out five minutes later, then he added a 17-yard TD dash three minutes into the second quarter.
“The coaches just told me to play hard,” Gibson said. “The (offensive line) made sure the holes I had to run through were wide open. They did what they had to do, and I got a chance to show my talent.”
Oropeza credited Tyler Ramirez (298 pounds), Angelo Masorli (235), Thomas Murtha (270), Domenic DiGalbo (272) and Joshua LaMarra (170 pounds) with helping his team pick up 229 yards on the ground.
“Our seniors on that line are leaders,” the coach said.
Gibson and the rest of the Friars, didn’t think of playing at Memorial Field as being on the road.
“They said that even though it was (Upper Darby’s) home field, we use it for a home field, too,” said Gibson, who played CYO football at St. Cyril School in East Lansdowne. “And we didn’t want to lose on our field.”
Gibson’s touchdowns came on Bonner’s first, second and fourth possessions. He turned left end on the first scoring run and broke out of the grasp of several would-be tacklers for the third TD.
Upper Darby’s Keith Davis picked off Bonner quarterback James Haley 8:49 before halftime, and five plays later junior Soncarly Winpea (140 yards on 16 carries before he went out with hamstring woes) shot up the middle on a 73-yard scoring run for the Royals’ first six points.
Haley put the finishing touches on Bonner’s next scoring drive 47 seconds into the fourth quarter, and sophomore sprinter Malik Jones added six points with a 23-yard dash 2:47 before the final whistle.
“We’re happy with some things and know we have things we can do better when we get ready for Chestnut Hill next week,” Oropeza said.
Upper Darby junior quarterback Nii Kotei Nikoi and senior Fred Thorpe (three catches for 53 yards) got together on a 45-yard scoring completion with 1:03 left.
“We lost to a very good football team,” Upper Darby coach Rich Gentile said. “We did some things well when we were running the ball. But we had problems in the second half.
“We don’t want to lose, but we know that nothing about this game will have any effect on how we stand in the Central League. We’ll be back to work Monday for our game at Lower Merion next Saturday.”
