Check out the results for SOL football teams in action Friday. Check back to view photos of the Hatboro-Horsham/Cheltenham, Upper Dublin/Upper Merion and Pennsbury/Neshaminy games. Neshaminy/Pennsbury photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography.
Stats used in the wraps are provided courtesy of Calkins Media. For complete high school football coverage, visit the web sites: http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/and http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/.
NESHAMINY 16, PENNSBURY 14
FAIRLESS HILLS - Will Dogba - bloodied and bruised – walked with a noticeable limp as he exited Falcon Field with his teammates. The gauze in his nose a souvenir of a bloody nose, the limp a reminder of the ankle he’d twisted when he was hit at the end of a long run in the opening half.
“I feel amazing, I feel amazing,” Dogba said. “I was super determined.
“The seniors were the ones closest to me when I first got here. They’re the ones I played jayvee with. I love them, and I’m not ready to give them up yet, so I had to run hard tonight. It was win and get in. That’s all that was going through my mind the whole game. Every injury I got – I had to pop back up because I had to get these guys to the playoffs.”
While Dogba did his part – rushing for 197 yards, so did his teammates, and the Redskins are in the coveted field of 16 teams in the District One AAAA playoffs.
“I’m just so happy for our seniors,” coach Steve Wilmot said. “We have 17 seniors – they’ve have three head coaches in three years.
“Ever since day one I got the job, they’ve been nothing but cooperative. They’ve worked so hard. They’re a talented bunch, and I really thought they were a seven-win team. At the beginning of the season, I thought we might be an eight-win team, but things happen. I’m happy for them. To not make the playoffs with this group of kids would have been a disappointment.”
The Redskins were seeded 18th and on the outside looking in on the district power rankings heading into Friday night’s game. Anything less than a win would not have been good enough, but the Redskins got the win and kept their season alive.
“This means so much to us,” linebacker Kyle Smith said. “It’s my senior year, and all of us seniors – we really wanted to go to the playoffs. That was our goal to go to playoffs, and we just have to keep building every day.
“It feels great. I’m really excited for next week. We’re going to work twice as hard next week, and we’re going to plug away.”
The Redskins scored on their first possession, capping the drive with a touchdown when Mason Jones found Zach Tredway from 13 yards out. The ‘Skins not only led 6-0 but had served notice that this could be their night. They upped that lead to 13-0 in the second quarter when Jones took it in from two yards out.
Pennsbury answered with an 80-yard scoring driving of its own. Highlights of the drive included a 34-yard pass from Mike Alley to Luke Snyder, and back-to-back runs by Alley – the first for 20 yards and the second for 18 – to set up a four-yard touchdown run by Chris Rupprecht. The extra point by Chris Knop made it a 13-7 game with 1:34 remaining in the first half.
It looked as though the ‘Skins were going to add to their lead after a 44-yard run by Dogba put them in scoring position, but a holding penalty backed the ‘Skins up, and the threat ended when John Hose came up with an interception in the end zone.
“I screwed up – I should have kicked a field goal,” Wilmot said. “I’m kicking myself for not kicking a field goal.”
Wilmot didn’t hesitate to call Dylan McDonald’s number in the third quarter when his team’s drive stalled on the Falcons’ 16-yard line. The senior placekicker delivered, nailing a 33-yard field goal that turned out to be the difference in the game.
“Dylan’s the captain of the soccer team,” Wilmot said. “During the course of the year, his leg was tired, and ever since soccer ended – unfortunately early, he’s been booming kicks.
“That was huge – any points you get in a game like this is huge.”
The Redskins’ defense came up with a stop on the Falcons’ ensuing possession with Smith delivering the big play – a sack. The Falcons’ defense returned the favor, coming up with a stop of their own and taking over – after a Redskin punt – on their own 49.
A 26-yard completion on third down from Alley to Vinnie Ratamess took the ball to the Redskins’ 10-yard line, and two plays later, Alley found Snyder with a five-yard touchdown pass. After the Knop extra point, it was a 16-14 game with 3:32 remaining.
“(After they scored), we just had to stay on top of each other and say we’ll get them on the next play,” Smith said.
The Redskins, who couldn’t convert a first down, were forced to punt, and the Falcons took over on their own 39 with under two minutes remaining. The Falcons marched to the Redskins’ 35, but back-to-back incompletions were followed by another Smith sack.
“I was just going,” Smith said of the play. “I just went and got the guy. I was not going to stop.
“The key was just play as a team and just trust teach other. We trust each other, and that’s why we came out with a win today. In the offseason, we work really tough – we push each other every day, and that’s what we do during the season too.”
“Kyle Smith is a very, very good football player,” Wilmot said. “If someone’s going to make a play like that, it’s going to be him.
“He was out for a couple of weeks with a head injury, but he came back last week as strong as ever. On defense, he’s a playmaker.”
Jacob Gordon’s interception on fourth down sealed the win for the Redskins, who are playoff bound.
As for the toll the game had taken on his body, Dogba wasn’t concerned.
“It’s like that coming out of the backfield,” he said. “You gotta run hard, you gotta run fast, and you gotta trust your line.
“How it ends is how it ends. We get another week to recover.”
“There’s no scale that can measure Will’s heart,” Wilmot said. “What you see on the field is the type of person he is in real life.
“He’s the kindest person you’d ever know, and on the football field, he just gives you every ounce of energy that he has.”
Neshaminy and Pennsbury closed out the regular season with identical 7-3 records overall (5-2 SOL). Pennsbury entered the game the 10th seed in last week’s power rankings.
Neshaminy 6-7-3-0 16
Pennsbury 0-7-0-7 14
PENNRIDGE 51, BENSALEM 26
The Rams broke their habit of slow starts, jumping out of the gate to a 31-0 halftime lead on their way to the convincing win.
Matt Mauer’s 42-yard field goal put the Rams on the scoreboard, and when Judens Desrosiers took it in from five yards out – his first of two touchdown runs on the night, the Rams led 10-0. Nick Hirsch’s 28-yard touchdown run put the Rams on top 17-0 at the end of one quarter, and another Hirsch TD run made it a 24-0 game. DeVon Balmer raced in from 17 yards out to send the Rams into halftime with a commanding lead.
Kenny O’Connell threw for three touchdown passes in the second half for the Owls, but by that time, the Rams were in complete command.
Pennridge was 16th in the District One AAAA power rankings entering Friday night’s game, but early projections – and the 16-team field won’t be official until Sunday – show the Rams just missing out on the playoffs.
Pennridge is 7-3 overall and 5-2 in SOL play with a Thanksgiving Day game scheduled against Quakertown. Bensalem closed out its season with an 0-10 record overall.
Pennridge 17-14-7-13 51
Bensalem 0-0-14-12 26
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 33, SOUDERTON 7
The Indians took a short-lived 7-6 lead after Camerin Carroll’s 86-yard kickoff return, but Sam Thompson’s second touchdown run – this one from 25 yards out – gave the Titans a lead they would not lose.
South led 13-7 after one quarter, and Thompson’s third touchdown run put the Titans on top 20-7. A two-yard touchdown pass from Thompson sent the Titans into halftime with a commanding 26-7 lead.
While the Titans’ offense was piling up the yardage, their defense limited the Indians to less than 100 yards of total offense in the opening half and just two first downs.
It was still a 26-7 game after three quarters and Thompson put the finishing touches on a big night by taking it in from six yards out for his fifth touchdown and a 33-7 South lead.
Central Bucks South closed out its season with an overall record of 4-6 (3-4 SOL) while Souderton finished the year with an identical 4-6 record overall but was 2-5 in conference play.
Souderton 7-0-0-0 7
Central Bucks South 13-13-0-7 33
NORTH PENN 63, ABINGTON 21
North Penn captured sole possession of its third straight National Conference crown with its win over Abington.
The Ghosts had an answer to Nick Isabella’s early 27-yard touchdown run when David Kretschman connected with Kyle Pitts for a three-yard TD that knotted the score 7-7.
Nyfease West’s 13-yard touchdown run ignited a 34-0 North Penn tear that also included Reece Udinski touchdown passes to Isabella and Ricky Johns as well as TD runs by both Isabella and West – his second. The Knights took a commanding 41-14 lead into halftime.
The Knights, who accumulated over 500 yards of total offense, ran the ball for 385 yards. They spread the ball around with West (96 yards) and Isabella (92 yards) leading the balanced attack.
Kretschman had a big night for the Ghosts, throwing for over 200 yards.
North Penn (8-2, 7-0 SOL) will be in action in next week’s District One AAAA Tournament while Abington (1-9, 1-6 SOL) will face Cheltenham on Thanksgiving Day.
Abington 7-7-0-7 21
North Penn 21-20-15-7 63
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 24, QUAKERTOWN 23
(For a complete game story and stats, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/cb-east-wins-thriller-over-quakertown-0057407)
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 32, WILLIAM TENNENT 6
Eddie Shields, who threw for over 200 yards, found teammate Kyle Taylor from 25 yards out in the closing seconds of the first half to send the Bucks into halftime with a 6-0 lead. The late TD was set up when the Bucks took over on the 25 after a botched Panther snap on a punt.
The Bucks upped that lead to 12-0 when the duo hooked up again with Taylor hauling in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Shields. A nine-yard touchdown run by Griffin Shields after a Jake Reichwein interception gave the Bucks a 19-0 lead at the end of three quarters.
Another Shields touchdown pass – this one to Kevin O’Hanlon from 14 yards out – put the Bucks on top 25-0, and that lead grew to 32-0 after another Shields to Taylor connection – this one for 67 yards. Tennent broke the Bucks’ shutout bit with a Dan Costello four-yard TD run.
Central Bucks West closed out its season with a 3-7 record (3-4 SOL) while William Tennent was 4-6 overall (1-6 SOL).
William Tennent 0-0-0-6 6
Central Bucks West 0-6-13-15 32
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 56, UPPER MERION 13
The Flying Cardinals capped a perfect regular season with yet another convincing win, opening up a 35-7 lead after one quarter and extending that to 49-13 by halftime.
Senior quarterback Ryan Stover put the Cards on the scoreboard with a 25-yard run, and UD led 8-0 after the successful two-point conversion from Justin Horn to David Bryant. The Vikings had an answer when Isaiah Graham-Mobley hauled in an 80-yard pass from Jarrett Quinn, and it was an 8-7 game after a Botros Barsoum extra point.
Kaleif Lee’s 46-yard touchdown run – his first of two in the half – put the Cardinals on top 15-7 after the first of six Todd Sprit extra points. Evan Scott scored on a four-yard run, and Jack Rapine was on the receiving end of a 19-yard TD pass from Stover. Lee capped a big first quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals – sparked by a 27-yard TD pass to Mike Sowers and a 27-yard interception return by Scott – went on top 49-7 before Graham-Mobley caught a nine-yard touchdown pass for the Vikings.
Upper Dublin (10-0, 7-0 SOL) will begin play in the District One AAAA Tournament while Upper Merion (3-7, 1-6) will host Pottstown for its Senior Night game next Friday.
Upper Dublin 35-14-0-7 56
Upper Merion7-6-0-0 13
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 56, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
Nafeese Nasir capped a dazzling regular season with a six-touchdown night to lead the Colonials to a rout of the Spartans.
After a blocked punt by the Colonials, Nasir took it in from eight yards out to put PW on the board. When Nasir caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Joe Stobert, the Colonials led 21-0, and they upped that led to 28-0 after Nasir raced in from 53 yards out. By halftime, Nasir had six touchdowns – five on the ground, and the Colonials had a commanding 42-0 lead. The senior running back finished with 184 yards on the ground – all in the first half.
Plymouth Whitemarsh entered the game tied for 14th in the District One AAAA power rankings. After Friday’s action, the Colonials (8-2, 5-2 SOL) were projected to be the 16th seed in the 16-team field. Springfield (3-6, 2-5) entered the game the second-seeded team in Class AA.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 42, CHELTENHAM 28
Casey Walsh had himself a day, throwing for five touchdowns and leading the Hatters to the win in their conference finale.
It was Walsh finding Jordan Mason for a 10-yard touchdown to open the scoring, but the Panthers had an answer, knotting the score 7-7. The Hatters went on top 14-7 after Adam Suder scored from one yard out, but a Branden Mack one-yard run knotted the score. Walsh’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Brandt-Crews put the Hatters on top 21-14 after one quarter.
Walsh was just getting started, and the senior quarterback – who has rewritten the record books for the Hatters – found Mason with a TD pass and a 28-14 lead. Mack raced in from 40 yards out, and it was a 28-21 game, but not for long. Walsh found Calvin Broaddus for a 42-yard touchdown, and the Hatters led 35-21 at halftime. The two teams exchanged fourth quarter touchdowns.
Hatboro-Horsham (5-5, 5-2 SOL) is off until Thanksgiving Day when the Hatters will host Upper Moreland. Cheltenham (4-6, 3-4) will travel to Harry S Truman next Friday for a non-league contest.
Cheltenham 14-7-0-7 28
Hatboro-Horsham 21-14-0-7 42
UPPER MORELAND 35, WISSAHICKON 16
The Golden Bears opened up a 35-0 lead after three quarters before the Trojans scored 16 points in the fourth quarter after the outcome had been decided.
Rodney Morgan led the Golden Bears with 200 yards on the ground, and his touchdown runs of five, 15 and nine yards spotted the Bears a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. When Nick DeLucas took it in from one yard out, the Bears led 28-0 heading into halftime.
Morgan’s fourth TD run in the third quarter gave the Bears a 35-0 lead and put the mercy rule into effect.
On a night that saw both teams accumulate more than 300 yards of total offense, Trojan quarterback Mike Schoenleber had a big night, throwing for 249 and a TD.
Upper Moreland (8-2, 5-2 SOL) was the second-seeded team in the District One AAA power rankings entering Friday night’s game. Wissahickon closed out its season with a 1-9 record overall (0-7 SOL).
Upper Moreland 14-14-7-0 35
Wissahickon 0-0-0-16 16
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