Pennridge notched a scintillating 21-14 win over Neshaminy in its home opener at Helman Field on Friday night.
By Scott Huff
Somewhere both Lloyd ‘Poppy’ Yoder and Wayne ‘Pud’ Helman were smiling.
Pennridge – the beloved high school of both Yoder and Helman – opened up the newly refurbished Helman Field with a resounding 21-14 victory over Neshaminy in a battle of Suburban One League National Conference powers. The overflow crowd was in excess of the seating capacity of 5,000 fans in the inaugural football game played at the complex.
Pennridge – which closed legendary Poppy Yoder Field last Thanksgiving morning with a 27-7 win over Quakertown – had played at the iconic field for an incredible 84 years.
The very first memory for the Ram fans at the opening of Helman Field will bring to mind the spectacular performance of Pennridge senior Joe Unangst. Unangst rushed for 212 yards on 22 carries and caught three passes for an additional 76 yards and a touchdown for a more than grand total of 288 yards of total offense. He also returned both punts and kickoffs and anchored the Ram secondary on the defensive side of the football.
“We all love Poppy Yoder Field, but this place is pretty awesome,” said Unangst. “I love the turf field – and I love running on this field.
“People have said all along that Pennridge might not be able to compete with the teams in our new league,” added Unangst in reference to the Rams move to the SOL National from the SOL Continental. “I think tonight we showed that we can play with those teams.”
“You can tell that Joe is a great three-sport athlete,” said Pennridge head coach Jeff Hollenbach. “He has great vision – great feet – and he gets that by playing both basketball and baseball. He is a terrific football player.”
Neshaminy entered the game with a terrific running back of its own in senior D’Andre Pollard. The Villanova-bound speedster had a highlight reel 76-yard touchdown run and finished with 160 yards rushing.
“I was pleased with the way we were able to make big plays on both offense and defense,” said Neshaminy head coach Mike Frederick. “We got the big run from D’Andre, and we got the big interception return for a touchdown by (Bonafice) Stevens, but we didn’t sustain drives – and we had far too many big 15-yard penalties.
“This is a league where teams are going to beat each other up every week,” added Frederick. “We have to learn from tonight – and we have to get better.”
The key to the game might not have been the outstanding performance of Unangst, but the equally outstanding defensive performance by Pennridge in the second half.
“It says quite a bit about the defensive game plan that (Ram defensive coordinator) Dave Heying put together,” said Hollenbach. “To hold a team like Neshaminy – with a running back like Pollard – scoreless in the second half is amazing.”
Pennridge scored on its first offensive possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Rams scoring drive covered 84 yards on just 7 plays and culminated on a gorgeous 19-yard scoring strike from junior DeVon Balmer to senior Imeir Simmons. Senior Ethan Aigeldinger connected on the first of his three points after touchdown.
Pennridge scored on its first possession of the second quarter to assume a 14-0 lead. The Rams scoring drive covered 85 yards on just five plays with Balmer again firing a 19-yard scoring strike – this time to senior tight end Ian Mosser.
Neshaminy would create a halftime deadlock with a pair of long distance second period scores.
The Skins scored on the dazzling 76-yard scoring burst by Pollard and added the 37-yard interception return for a touchdown by Stevens. Dylan McDonald was perfect on both of his placements.
Pennridge would score what would prove to be the winning touchdown in the third period.
Unangst returned the second half kickoff 37 yards to give the Rams excellent field position. And on third-and-11 from the Skins’ 45-yard line, Balmer tossed a shovel pass to Unangst who jetted through a frustrated Neshaminy defense for the touchdown.
“The coaching staff did a great job of picking me up,” said Balmer who threw two first half interceptions, but recovered to throw three touchdown passes and passed for 144 yards. “We look at every game like a playoff game, and we have to come back this week and play against a good Abington team.”
The game against the Ghosts will be played this Thursday night at Helman Field – and the Rams have never lost at Helman Field in the storied history of the school.
You can look it up.
Neshaminy Redskins 0 14 0 0 – 14
Pennridge Rams 7 7 7 0 – 21
P: Imeir Simmons 19 pass from DeVon Balmer (Ethan Aigeldinger kick)
P: Ian Mosser 19 pass from Balmer (Aigeldinger kick)
N: D’Andre Pollard 76 run (Dylan McDonald kick)
N: Boniface Stevens 37 interception return (McDonald kick)
P: Joe Unangst 45 pass from Balmer (Aigeldinger kick)
Neshaminy Pennridge
7 First Downs 18
171 Rushing Yards 277
53 Passing Yards 144
224 Total Yards 421
5-34 Punts / Average 0-0
6-63 Penalties / Yards 3-25
Neshaminy
Rushing: D’Andre Pollard 17-160 & TD; Matt Magdelinskas 1-11; Zach Tredway 1-4; Daulton Fox 1-2; Cale Kitchenman 1-1; and Mason Jones 2 (minus 7). Total 23-171- & TD.
Passing: Jones 6-14-0; 53 yards.
Receiving: Tredway 2-28; Trevor Lay 2-22; Denzel Hughes 2-3. Totals 6-53
Interceptions: Boniface Stevens 2 & TD.
Pennridge
Rushing: Joe Unangst 22-212; Nick Hirsch 11-31; Imier Simmons 3-15; DeVon Balmer 6-10; Matt Firuta 2-9. Totals 44-227.
Passing: Balmer 9-13-2; 144 yards 3 TD.
Receiving: Unangst 3-76 & TD; Simmons 3-33 & TD; Ian Mosser 1-19 & TD; Hirsch 1-10; and Jordan Garis 1-(minus 4). Totals 9-144 & 3 TD.
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