WAYNE – Coming into the season opener, Wayne Valley knew it had to keep the Downingtown West passing game in check. They could not get that accomplished and it cost them a ball game.

The Whippets used big plays in key spots to turn away the Indians, 24-13, leaving Valley with a lot of work to do as they move forward.

“This was not good enough,” was the message that Indians coach Roger Kotlarz gave his team after the game. “We have to get better, and it starts with tomorrow. Where we go from here is all about what you do tomorrow and the next day.”

The Indians spotted Downingtown a 10-0 lead a minute into the second quarter before they finally put together an offensive march. A Vincent Marrone pass to Sam Bumbaco of 10 yards capped an 80-yard drive to end the first half and get the Indians within 10-7.

They were victimized for a 54-yard scoring pass from Will Howard to Dan Byrnes made it 17-7, a deep pass that was one of the things Kotlarz had spotlighted prior to the game.

“The wheel route, the posts, that was what we focused on, but we lapsed at the wrong time,” he said. “I thought we did a solid job on their run game, but we can’t trade a zero gain for a 50-yard play, certainly not on defense.”

Wayne Valley got within 17-13 on a Marrone to James Pollack touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Whippets came right back with a 23-yard pass to open a scoring drive. It ended with a third down TD pass from Howard to Andrew Ciliberto of 5 yards with 8:06 left in the game.

Howard was 9 for 9 for 148 yards in the second half, and was 14-17 for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the game, further exemplifying the frustrations in the Indians secondary. Only a pair of missed field goals kept the Whippets from taking a more comfortable lead.