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Nonetheless, Coatesville (1-1 Ches-Mont, 5-1 overall) dominated the winless Eagles in the first quarter.
A 32-yard scamper by A’Hara pushed the ball to Shanahan’s 25-yard line on Coatesville’s first possession. Five plays later, the quarterback found Jordan Dougherty streaking across the field inside the 5-yard line. The pass glanced off Dougherty’s fingertips and landed in the waiting arms of Khalil Brewer for a 13-yard scoring strike.
The Red Raiders pinned the Eagles deep on the kickoff and -- after a three-and-out and a decent punt return -- took over on Shanahan’s 27. A’Hara wasted no time as he hooked up with Dougherty for a 27-yard touchdown pass to stake a 14-0 advantage.
"We realized they were going to bring the heat, so we attacked them," A’Hara said. "They were showing us a lot of man-to-man with no safety help and we took advantage. I’ve got some talented receivers who go out and make plays."
The Eagles (0-3, 0-6) made a few plays of their own to stay within reach.
Nick Vaders burst through the line untouched and raced 59 yards for a touchdown in the first minute of the second quarter to trim Coatesville’s lead to 14-7.
The Eagles forced a punt on the Red Raiders’ next possession and began another march. A 15-yard scramble by quarterback Matt Reilly moved the Eagles inside Coatesville’s 15-yard line, but the play was negated on a penalty. The Eagles eventually turned the ball over on downs and watched A’Hara scramble for 45 yards and then hit Brewer for a 20-yard touchdown pass that gave the Red Raiders a 21-7 lead.
Shanahan had another chance to close the gap in the second quarter but fell a few yards short of the end zone when Vaders, who rushed for 65 yards, coughed up the ball inside the Red Raiders’ 5 in the final minute of the opening half.
"The mistakes killed us," said Shanahan coach Paul Myers. "We probably gave away two touchdowns in the first half. You can’t do those things against a team like that and expect to win. They are well-coached and have a ton of talent. But the kids kept at it and we made a game of it."
The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter -- a 2-yard lunge by Coatesville’s Derrick Morgan and a 73-yard reception by the Eagles’ Tom Shrader -- before the Red Raiders’ defense stiffened to shut down any hopes of a Shanahan rally.
"We had our shots in the first half," Reilly said. "And even though we made some mistakes, we proved we could move the ball down the field. And it gave us confidence we can do it again."
It was a frustrating night for Coatesville head coach Tom Nichols, but he expects his team to be ready for next week’s showdown at West Chester East.
"We came out flat," Nichols said. "We are a much better team than the one that took the field despite what the score said. ..But there will be no problem getting these guys ready for next week. It’s a huge game. West Chester East is a great team and it’s going to be a great football game."
NOTES: Shanahan’s Scott Sullivan had seven catches for 22 yards. ..After allowing six points in their first three home games this year, the Red Raiders have allowed 44 in their last two. ..Derrick Morgan and Zach Swisher combined for two sacks. Swisher and Neil Apichella each added a solo sack. ..Take away A’Hara’s runs of 32 and 45 yards and Shanahan’s defense allowed Coatesville just 93 yards on 32 carries.
