PHILADELPHIA - The convoy of school buses winding along Route 73 toward the City of Brotherly Love would have seemed laughable at the start of the school year.

Yet there they were -- roof lights blinking defiantly against the cold December sky -- tasked with transporting Pottsgrove students, alumni and cheerleaders to the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals at Northeast High School.

The trip seemed so out of reach at the beginning of the season, Grove's Friday night keystone found itself stuck with a previous commitment.

"The band will not be there," Pottsgrove's choral director Cynthia Foust announced on a fan bus. "They are in West Chester for the Christmas parade. They signed a contract because nobody expected us to get this far."

Although the marching band was missing, the Falcons would not battle Archbishop Wood alone. Pottsgrove on Tuesday notified students the school would operate a fan bus. Those who signed up paid for their bus seat and a ticket to the game. Parents and other fans also took advantage of the transportation. Pottsgrove sold out of spots the morning of the game.

"We had 82 people on the two buses," Foust said.

Pottsgrove Athletic Director Gary DeRenzo was happy with the turnout.

"It's nice seeing our kids want to come out on a Friday night when there's a whole bunch of other choices," DeRenzo said. "You always have a fan base that's loyal. We kind of picked up some guys on the way; former alumni, some people that are just good football fans."

And that level of devotion was needed. The logo on Archbishop Wood's helmets is known as the motion W; it is an iconic piece of sports imagery created for the University of Wisconsin. There, it is a symbol for the Badger's particular brand of skull crushing football. It stands for massive offensive lineman, punishing running backs and a stout defense. And unfortunately for Pottsgrove, it represented all of those things for Wood as well.

The Vikings dominated the fall much the same way Pottsgrove did; with their offensive line. Boston College commitment Frank Taylor and Rutgers bound Brandon Arcidiacono pave the way up front for backs Desmon and Brandon Peoples, cousins who are heading to Rutgers and Temple, respectively. The defense is powered by Taylor and Florida recruit Colin Thompson, as well as future West Virginia Mountaineer Nate Smith.

Wood's star-studded roster got to work early and often, scoring the first touchdown before the fans could even find their seats. Gashing the Falcons for huge running plays while containing the potent Grove ground game, the Vikings entered halftime with a seemingly insurmountable 35 to nothing lead. The Falcons faithful who made the bus ride would find themselves waiting until the third to get to flex their vocal chords. 

Pottsgrove quarterback Tory Hudgins provided that spark, breaking free for a huge run to put the Grove in scoring position with 4:23 left to play in the quarter. For the first time, the sizable portion of the Falcon's Nest student section who made the trip had something to cheer about. They would not have to wait long for their next opportunity. Hudgins brought them to their feet again, this time with a scoring plunge -- on a decidedly shorter run -- that finally put the Grove on the board.

Hudgins would force the cheerleaders to dance to their own rendition of "Hail To The Victors" once more, this time hitting Johnny Fowler on a long touchdown pass early in the fourth. DJ Ludy then took the snap before scampering around the right side for a surprise two point conversion. Refusing to die, Pottsgrove found one more highlight reel play before the game was out. Steve Ambs managed to block and recover a Vikings punt in the end zone, providing a parting shot for the season that established the game's final score, 41-22.

"That was a good team," said Lower Pottsgrove Township Manager Rodney Hawthorne as he walked across the wind-whipped turf toward the fan buses. Hawthorne's son, Bill, is the Grove offensive coordinator. "And they beat us good."

As they filed into heather gray seats and settled in for the long trip home, a sense of pride permeated those who braved the cold to see their Falcons fight.

"They weren't even supposed to compete in the PAC-10," said Pottsgrove alumni Dennis Daye. "I'm proud of them." 

Editor's note: the spelling of Cynthia Foust was corrected 12-3-11.