His night may have started out slowly, but by the final horn Penn Manor's P. J. Rehm had the smile of a winner.
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Rehm had a career game as the Comets (10-2) advanced to the semifinals of the District Three Class AAAA playoffs with a 34-12 victory over South Western, Friday night in the Mustang Corral.
Penn Manor will play the winner of today's Bishop McDevitt-Governor Mifflin contest next weekend, at a site, day and time to be determined.
It was the third post-season win in history for the Comets, who locked down their first 10-win season and deepest post-season run to date.
"This definitely puts this senior class on the map," said Comets coach Todd Mealy.
Rehm completed 17 of 24 passes for a personal best 324 yards and three touchdowns, shaking off an interception on his fourth throw of the night.
Rehm threw a 35-yard TD to Demetrius Dixon (6 catches, 158 yards) and a 9-yard score to Jared Shearer in a 20-point second-quarter uprising that set the tone for the Comets. His 24-yard toss to Aaron Frederick (4-103) in the fourth quarter iced the Comets' cake.
While Rehm was taking what the South Western defense was giving him, the Comet defense was taking. Period.
Behind the inside play of down linemen Nate Ruhl, Kenny Tomaszfski, Bryan Weaver and Andrew Torres, the Comets held the Mustangs' Wing-T offense to 82 yards total yards in the first half, 33 before a late rally.
"We were coming quick off the ball," said Torres.
"We were trying to stay pretty basic," Weaver said. "Everyone had a key. You read your key and do your job and success will come."
"We were so well-coached this week," declared Tomaszfski, who had three tackles for losses in the first 16 minutes. "It was assignment football and we knew as long as we executed, we were going to win."
"Part of it is familiarity," said Mealy. "Our kids are very familiar with the Wing-T. And the other (part) is confidence. We played, up front, extremely confident and physical.
"When you shut down the run when you're playing a Wing-T team, that puts them in bad situations."
The Mustangs (10-2) went three-and-out on five possessions and had no first downs until, from punt formation, J.R. Mummert took the short snap and rambled 18 yards to the Comet 38.
Quarterback Ian Smith hit Levi Sager for 31 yards to the 7, with 23 seconds left, but the Comets held as time ran out.
Penn Manor held again on the first series of the second half as, taking lessons learned from the late drive, the Mustangs moved 65 yards to the Comet 7. But a procedure penalty backed them to the 12 where the drive died.
"That was phenomenal," Tomaszfski said. "They came out and spread us out. To stop them was really huge."
By then, South Western had become one-dimensional because Rehm was from another dimension.
"We were just playing tonight," said Rehm, "playing straight-up ball."
The Comets broke on top with 5:11 left in the first quarter, going 59 yards in eight plays. Key in the drive was a 34-yard slant to Frederick, giving Manor first-and-goal at the 1. Garrett Young went over right guard on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Then came a pivotal second quarter as the Comets found the end zone three times.
Rehm picked up 14 yards on a waggle run, then found Dixon for 17 yards to the Mustang 1. For the second time in the evening Young went the yard to paydirt, this time on a toss play to the left.
Getting the ball back, Manor went 71 yards in eight plays. Shearer twice earned 11 yards up the gut before Rehm hit Dixon for a 35-yard TD.
The Rehm-Dixon connection struck again on the first play of the Comets' next possession, 56 yards to the SW 9. Two plays later Rehm found Shearer on a perfectly executed middle screen and the senior back went untouched 9 yards for the score.
Taking over at the 12 after the Mustangs' drive died, Manor took almost nine minutes off the clock, driving 86 yards to the SW 2. Young fumbled through the end zone, stretching for the pylon and the Comets were denied.
For the moment.
After a three-and-out by the Mustangs, Rehm found Frederick for 20 yards, then 25 to the SW 34, taking a big hit from Billy Utz as he released the ball.
Four plays later he found Frederick down the left side for a 24-yard TD and a 34-0 lead.
South Western did finally crack the scoreboard with 6:55 left on a 38-yard TD pass from Ian Smith to Mike Felton. Bobby Porter completed a 16-yard strike to Kyle Mahorney as time expired.
