Neshaminy defeated Abington 35-14 in a District One AAAA semifinal game. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
Heartbreak Ridge – Author Charles Dickens may not have written the preseason preview for the 2013 Neshaminy football team, but none-the-less the title of every preseason article penned about the Redskins could have been titled Great Expectations.
Neshaminy (12-1) is right where most everyone thought it would be – in the PIAA Quad-A District One Final – and the Redskins will now face resilient North Penn (10-3) for the district championship. Neshaminy is loaded with senior talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the football, and that magnificent talent was on display as the Skins advanced to the district title game with an effortless 35-14 victory over a very good Abington (10-3) football team.
It was not that long ago, though, that the waltz to the district title game was in serious doubt. Neshaminy suffered its only loss of the season three weeks ago when the Redskins were literally run over by Pennsbury 31-3 in what proved the be the Suburban One League National Conference title game.
“We were embarrassed,” said Neshaminy head coach Mark Schmidt. “But we closed our ears (to the critics), kept our head down, and wanted to bounce back from the Pennsbury game and represent ourselves well. And we have done that.”
“Pennsbury showed us that we weren’t the greatest football around,” said Neshaminy senior Luke Carrezola who manhandled the Abington offensive line all night from his defensive end position. “After that (Pennsbury) game on Friday night, we met at the school early Saturday morning. We knew what we wanted to do, we knew how to do what we wanted to do, and we were determined to go out and fix it.”
“In August we were confident that we would be a very good football team,” said Neshaminy junior running back D’Andre Pollard, who rushed for 208 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns against the Ghosts. “But after the Pennsbury game, we knew that it wasn’t going to be easy.”
However, the Neshaminy victory over Abington on a cool and damp November night was just that – easy.
The Redskin defense was dominating in the first half and allowed the explosive Ghost offense to generate just 44 yards of offense and 2 first downs – and also scored a defensive touchdown. And the Redskin offense was just as dominant with 244 first half yards that created three rushing touchdowns.
The 28-0 halftime lead had those in attendance wondering if Neshaminy would actually turn the PIAA Quad-A District One semifinal game into a shocking ‘mercy-rule’ contest.
Ironically, the first Neshaminy touchdown was set up by a turnover – by the Redskins. A fourth down pass was intercepted by Abington on its own 2-yard line, and the poor Ghost field position gave Neshaminy a short field on its second drive.
Senior fullback Denny Lord capped the five-play, 28-yard scoring with a 1-yard touchdown burst. Dylan McDonald booted the first of his five successful extra points to give the Skins a 7-0 lead.
Abington fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by Neshaminy senior Devon Brown. It took the Redskins just a single play to score as Pollard ripped through the heart of the Abington defense for a 39-yard touchdown scamper.
The most impressive scoring drive of the game came in the second period when Neshaminy marched 89-yards on 15 plays to assume a 21-0 lead. Lord capped the drive with his second touchdown run of the game – this one a 3-yard bolt. Featured in the drive was a 24-yard pass completion from senior quarterback Tyler Wombough to senior Cole Creighton.
Creighton would become a defensive touchdown maker moments later. The senior linebacker ‘scooped and scored’ on a 28-yard fumble recovery for the fourth Redskin touchdown of the first half.
Abington scored on its second possession of the third quarter to slice the lead to 28-7. Senior tailback Craig Reynolds – who rushed for a team-high 141 yards on 18 carries – found the end zone on an electric 39-yard touchdown burst. Sean Seidenburg converted the first of his two successful points after touchdown.
Neshaminy answered back in the third period with its lone touchdown drive of the second half. The march started when Creighton picked off an errant Ghost pass and returned the ball to the 44-yard line. Five plays later, Pollard bulled his way to pay dirt with a 12-yard scoring run to boost the lead to 35-7.
Abington would score in the final minutes of the game when Abington junior Juawine Sowell – playing in the backfield in place of Reynolds who left the game with a leg injury – scored on a marvelous 66-yard scoring dash. The 35-14 score would become the final margin of victory for Neshaminy.
“This is just a great group of kids that I have here this year,” said Schmidt. “The kids get it. They understand what is expected, and they work hard to get.”
And there are more Great Expectations to be accomplished by these 2013 Redskins.
Notes: There was a delay in the game when Neshaminy assistant coach Dave Ferrera experienced chest pains while coaching from the Redskin coaching perch in the press box and taken by ambulance from the stadium…Schmidt said that coaches told him that Ferrera was ‘alert’ during a phone conversation after the game…The rumored site for the neutral field district title game between Neshaminy and North Penn right now is Souderton…Abington will now close out its season with a Thanksgiving Day meeting at rival Cheltenham.
Abington Ghosts 0 0 7 7 - 14
Neshaminy Redskins 14 14 7 0 - 35
N: Denny Lord 1 run (Dylan McDonald kick)
N: D’Andre Pollard 37 run (McDonald kick)
N: Lord 3 run (McDonald kick)
N: Cole Creighton 28 fumble return (McDonald kick)
A: Craig Reynolds 39 run (Sean Seidenburg kick)
N: Pollard 12 run (McDonald kick)
A: Juawine Sowell 66 run (Seidenburg kick)
Abington Ghosts Neshaminy Redskins
8 First Downs 18
205 Rushing Yards 288
26 Passing Yards 44
231 Total Offense 332
3-37 Punts / Average 3-37
5-42 Penalties / Yds. 8-80
Abington:
Rushing: Craig Reynolds 18-141-TD; Juawine Sowell 5-64-TD; David Kretschman 7-0. Totals 30-205- 2 TD.
Passing: David Kretschman 2-14-1; 26 yards.
Receiving: Shamar Farmer 1-18; Craig Reynolds 1-8. Totals 2-26.
Interceptions: Craig Reynolds
Neshaminy:
Rushing: D’Andre Pollard 29-208- 2 TD; Blake Sullivan 5-36; Denny Lord 4-11- 2 TD; Trokon Buesmail 3-10; Will Dogba 5-10; Mason Jones 4-8; Cale Kitchenman 1-5; Tyler Wombough 1-0. Totals 52-288- 4TD.
Passing: Tyler Wombough 3-10-1; 44 yards.
Receiving: Cole Creighton 1-24; Denny Lord 1-10; Hamiid Pack 1-10. Totals 3-44
Interceptions: Cole Creighton.
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