Abington edged Upper Dublin in a battle of neighboring rivals Friday. To view photos of the game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
This was a classic high school football game between two intense neighborhood rival schools - played before a huge crowd on a crisp September Friday night - and a thriller that came to a final play in the fourth quarter.
Host Abington withstood a furious final Upper Dublin drive in the waning moments to defeat the Cardinals 27-20 in front of a packed house at Schwarzman Stadium. The exhilarating victory was the 100th in the career of Ghost head coach Tim Sorber – and it was a memorable triumph.
“I haven’t seen a crowd like this since we opened the place 10 years ago against Cheltenham,” smiled Sorber. “It was a great crowd – and a great game. I hope these people all come back and see some more great high school football.”
“This was a great atmosphere to play a football game – it is like a small college stadium,” said Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover. “We talked all week about wanting a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, and we had that chance.”
The final Cardinal drive was engineered by Upper Dublin junior quarterback Ryan Stover – son of the UD head coach. Upper Dublin fell behind 27-20 late in the final period, but Stover drove the Cardinals from the UD 29-yard line to the Abington 25-yard line and saw a potential touchdown pass batted down by Ghost linebacker Daron Boone on the final play.
“All I can say about Stover is Wow!” said Sorber as Stover torched the Abington defense for 221 yards on 19 completions and a pair of touchdowns. “I might have to talk to my AD about canceling their contract for next year. He is outstanding.”
“I was proud of the way that Ryan played both as his head coach and as his father,” said Coach Stover. “Whether he is in the office at school or at home, Ryan watches a lot of film and puts in a lot of time. He has a high football IQ.”
Upper Dublin put up impressive numbers in the air against the Ghosts – but Abington put up equally impressive numbers on the ground against the Cardinals.
Abington senior running back Juawine Sowell rushed the ball 34 times for 221 yards – matching the passing totals of Stover. But it was the play of the Ghost return teams in the first period that swayed the final outcome in Abington’s favor.
Sowell cradled the opening kickoff at the Ghost 20-yard line and jetted 80 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. An extra point attempt was blocked, and at the 11:46 mark of the first period Abington led 6-0.
After a Ghost defensive stop on the first Cardinal series, senior Jordan Neely cradled a punt at the Ghost 10-yard line and jetted 90 yards for a touchdown. This time, placekicker Matt Bevilacqua added the PAT to give the Ghosts a 13-0 lead.
Upper Dublin would rally to take a 14-13 halftime lead.
Stover capped a six-play scoring drive that covered 65-yards with a gorgeous 35-yard touchdown pass to Matt Thompson. Cole D’Andrea added the placement to slice the lead to 13-7.
Upper Dublin would take the lead in the second period as Kalief Lee capped a scoring march with a 1-yard touchdown burst. The drive covered 78 yards on nine plays as D’Andrea added the PAT to give the Cardinals a 14-13 lead.
Abington would regain the lead in the fourth period. Junior quarterback David Kretschman culminated a 10-play, 73-yard drive with a 1-yard score on a quarterback sneak. Bevilacqua boosted the lead to 20-14.
Upper Dublin came right back with a scoring drive of its own. The Cardinals travelled 50-yards in nine plays for the tying score. Stover fired a 10-yard scoring dart to Will Derr to knot the score at 20-20. Abington’s Cole Midwood blocked the PAT.
Abington scored what proved to be the winning touchdown late in the fourth period when Kretschman drilled sophomore George Reid on a 34-yard scoring play with 1:25 left in the game. The final scoring drive was set up by an interception by Neely – his second of the game.
“Coach Sorber always talks about handling adversity,” said Neely who had fumbled on the previous series with the Ghosts driving for a touchdown. “I knew that I had to stay mentally strong and do what I could do to help us win the game.
“Next week we get Neshaminy, and the seniors on this team have never beaten Neshaminy or Pennsbury,” added Neely. “This was a big win against a rival school, and it should help us get ready for next week. We look at playing Neshaminy and Pennsbury as a huge challenge.”
Upper Dublin presented the Ghosts with a huge challenge in the final non-league game – and the unbeaten Ghosts emerged victorious
Upper Dublin Cardinals 7 7 0 6 - 20
Abington Ghosts 13 0 0 14 - 27
A: Juawine Sowell 80 kickoff return (kick blocked)
A: Jordan Neely 90 punt return (Matt Bevilacqua kick)
UD: Matt Thompson 35 pass from Ryan Stover (Cole D’Andrea kick)
UD: Kalief Lee 1 run (D’Andrea kick)
A: David Kretschman 1 run (Bevilacqua kick)
UD: Will Derr 10 pass from Stover (kick blocked)
A: George Reid 34 pass from Kretschman (Bevilacqua kick)
Upper Dublin Abington
14 First Downs 19
21 Rushing Yards 235
221 Passing Yards 83
242 Total Offense 318
5-55 Penalties / Yards 3-35
6-20 Punts / Average 2-30
Upper Dublin:
Rushing: John Lee 10 carries – 41 yards & TD; Kalief Lee 3 (minus 3); and Ryan Stover 8 (minus 17). Totals 21-21& TD.
Passing: Ryan Stover 19 completions-221 yards-2 touchdowns-2 interceptions.
Receiving: Matt Thompson 5-84 & TD; Will Derr 5-52 & TD; K. Lee 3-18; Rockwell Wright 2-42; J. Lee 2-18; Michael Sowers 1-14; and Gary Fields 1-3. Totals 19-221-2 TD.
Abington:
Rushing: Juawine Sowell 34-221; David Kretschman 11-12 & TD; and Michael Brooks 2-2. Totals 47-235 & TD.
Passing: David Kretschman 12-20-0; 83 yards & TD.
Receiving: George Reid 4-46 & TD; Daron Boone 2-21; J. Scott 2-11; Shamar Farmer 1-3; and Jordan Neely 3-2. Totals 12-83 & TD.
Interceptions: Jordan Neely (2).
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