Check out the results for SOL football teams in action Friday night. Check back for photos of the Upper Moreland/Conwell Egan, PW/Norristown and CR South/Neshaminy games.
Some of the 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/.
SOUDERTON 29, WISSAHICKON 7
It was tough going for the Indians in the first half.
Plagued by a pair of costly turnovers in the red zone, the Indians – despite a decided advantage in total yards – found themselves trailing 7-6 at the intermission.
“Honestly, that’s been the story of our year,” coach Ed Gallagher said. “Through our two scrimmages and now three games, we’ve moved the ball with a lot of success, but we seem to find some way to shoot ourselves in the foot when we get close.
“We aren’t doing much different, defenses aren’t doing much different – we just have to finish drives. I thought in the second half tonight we finally started to show that drive inside that’s going to allow us to finish drives.”
It took a quarterback sneak by Joey Curotto as time expired in the second quarter to get the Indians on the scoreboard, but that’s all it took.
The Indians’ late TD marked the beginning of a 29-0 run to close out the game.
“That momentum we had going into halftime carried out throughout the second half,” senior Jamar White said. “We just said, ‘We’ve got to win this. That’s all there is.’”
The Indians got a huge lift when – early in the third quarter – Jack Morgan blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety that gave Souderton an 8-7 edge and, more importantly, momentum.
“He’s a very emotional leader,” Gallagher said of Morgan. “Jack is one of our more fiery guys. Jack Morgan and Phil Stolfi are the two guys that get the guys going, and the kids respect them.
“For him to go out and back it up by making a play like blocking a punt was just awesome. He made a big hit in the first half, blocked a punt in the second half. He always gives you everything he has, and he’d run through a wall for you. That’s one thing I love about that kid.”
Gallagher went on to credit defensive coordinator Mike Heath for his team’s standout defensive performance.
“Mike does a great job,” the Indians’ coach said. “He puts together a great game plan. He lets our kids play.
“We don’t do anything crazy, confusing. We show some things, but the kids can fly around and play and execute. We tackled a lot better in the second half. I’m just proud of our kids and our staff for getting it done.”
Wissahickon’s lone score came in the second quarter when quarterback Mike Marino, who threw for 200 yards, found Donovan Hartsock with an 18-yard touchdown pass.
White led a stellar Souderton rushing attack with 177 yards and one touchdown. Blake Gular also had more than 100 yards, and Koby Khan put an exclamation point on the Indians’ overpowering second half performance when he raced in from 15 yards out for the 29-7 final.
“It’s awesome getting this win at home, considering the first week we lost to Plymouth Whitemarsh,” said White of the Indians’ overtime loss to PW. “I think we had a lot to show our fans, and that’s what we did. We just executed in the second half and came out with a win.”
Souderton (2-1) will open SOL play at Pennsbury next Friday while Wissahickon (1-2) will travel to Springfield on Thursday.
Wissahickon 0-7-0-0 7
Souderton 0-6-9-14 29
NESHAMINY 27, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 25
(Check out Scott Huff’s complete game story and stats.)
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 20, NORRISTOWN 16
The Colonials upped their early season record to 3-0, defeating the Eagles in a thriller between the neighboring rivals.
PW got on the scoreboard first when Jake Winterbottom took it in from four yards out. A successful two-point conversion put the Colonials on top 8-0. The Eagles trimmed that lead to five after a Shane Hammer field goal, but Nyfeese Nasir’s 32-yard touchdown run gave PW a 14-3 advantage. The Eagles answered with a touchdown to make it a 14-9 game at the intermission.
Norristown’s Khalif Sinclair hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Diavante Lloyd, and the Eagles took a 16-14 lead into the final quarter. The Colonials scored the go-ahead TD when Nasir – who averaged 185 yards on the ground in PW’s first two games – took it in for his second TD of the night early in the fourth quarter. They held on for the 20-16 win.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-0) will open its SOL season on Thursday night at Upper Merion. Norristown (2-1) opens SOL play at Central Bucks West on Friday.
Norristown 0-9-7-0 16
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8-6-0-6 20
PENNSBURY 41, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 19
The Falcons raced to a 35-0 halftime lead, displaying the defense that has been their trademark while also showing off some serious offensive punch as well. Chris Rupprecht, who had 183 yards on the ground, scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to put the Falcons on the scoreboard, and the floodgates were opened.
Mike Alley – who also had a 57-yard touchdown run late in the game – threw a three-yard TD pass to Greg Lichtenstein, giving the Falcons a 14-0 lead after one quarter.
The second quarter belonged to the Falcons – or more specifically Rupprecht, who had three more TD runs to send Pennsbury into halftime with a 35-0 lead, putting the mercy rule in effect.
A 40-yard touchdown run by Brandon McIlwain – his first of two – put the Indians on the scoreboard in the third quarter, and they tacked on 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Pennsbury (3-0) will host Souderton in next Friday’s SOL opener. Council Rock North (1-2) will open league play next Saturday at Central Bucks East.
Council Rock North 0-0-7-12 19
Pennsbury 14-21-0-6 41
PENNRIDGE 34, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
The Rams rebounded from a disappointing overtime loss to Central Bucks East a week earlier to shut out the visiting Bucks in a final tune-up before the SOL season.
Despite dominating play, the Rams found themselves locked in a scoreless halftime tie. Things changed in a hurry in the second half after Nick Hirsch capped a long drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
Hirsch’s second TD run – this one from 13 yards out – put the Rams on top 13-0 at the end of three quarters. The fourth quarter was all Pennridge as the Rams scored three unanswered touchdowns by Dan Hockman (four yards), Conner Hansen (30 yards) and Ryan Gordon (five yards).
Pennridge (2-1) will host North Penn in next Friday’s SOL opener. Central Bucks West (0-3) will host Norristown.
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0 0
Pennridge 00-13-21 34
QUAKERTOWN 42, CHELTENHAM 6
Tom Garlick found Kyle Baskin with a 56-yard touchdown pass on the first offensive play of the night, and the Panthers were off and running. They went on to open up a 28-0 lead after an 18-yard TD run by Rob Burns before the visiting Panthers interrupted their run with their only score of the night – a 77-yard Branden Mack touchdown pass to make it a 28-6 game.
The Panthers closed it out with a pair of TDs – the first on another Garlick to Baskin connection and the second on a carry by Burns. It was the third touchdown run of the night for Burns, who finished with 131 yards. Garlick, who threw for 122 yards, also accounted for three touchdowns – two in the air and one on the ground.
Quakertown (3-0) will travel to William Tennent for next Friday’s SOL opener. Cheltenham (1-2) will host a red hot Upper Dublin squad.
UPPER MORELAND 20, CONWELL EGAN 10
The Golden Bears found themselves on the short end of a 3-0 halftime score, but they took their first lead when quarterback Casey Decker took it in from one yard out late in the third quarter. It turned out to be a short-lived lead as Egan ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown and a 10-6 advantage.
Decker scored on a nine-yard keeper early in the fourth quarter to put the Bears on top 13-10, and Rodney Morgan put the finishing touches on the win when he took it in from 13 yards out in the closing seconds for the 20-10 final.
Upper Moreland (3-0) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday night in the league opener for both schools.
Conwell Egan 0-3-7-0 10
Upper Moreland 0-0-6-14 20
UPPER DUBLIN 63, ABINGTON 14
The Flying Cardinals were unstoppable, scoring early and often on their way to the mercy rule win. Ryan Stover led the way with four touchdowns, and when the senior quarterback punched it in from one yard out, the offensive onslaught had just begun.
Kaleif Lee scored his first of two touchdowns, this one from two yards out to put the Cards on top 14-0 before Abington quarterback David Kretschman’s long touchdown pass made it a 14-7 game. Mike Sowers hauled in a 20-yard touchdown strike from Stover, and again, the Ghosts answered to make it a 21-14 game.
That, however, was the Ghosts’ last hurrah. Upper Dublin, which took a 35-14 lead into halftime, closed out the game 42 straight points that included late TD runs by Naiim Huff and Nick Sonetto.
Upper Dublin (3-0) will travel to Cheltenham for next Friday’s SOL opener while Abington (0-3) will host Neshaminy.
Abington 7-7-0-0 14
Upper Dublin 21-14-21-7 63
UPPER MERION 14, SUN VALLEY 13
The Vikings’ defense made a late-game stand to preserve the win with CJ Rose recovering a fumble after Sun Valley had first-and-goal. The offense collected a key first down, and a win was in the books for the Vikings.
The two teams exchanged first quarter touchdowns with Kori Smith taking it in for the Vikings. That 7-7 tie stood until the third quarter when Sun Valley scored to go on top 13-7, but with 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Isaiah Graham-Mobley took it in from 16 yards out. Anthony Littlewood’s extra point proved to be the difference in the game.
Smith had a big night for the Vikings, finishing with over 100 yards rushing and one TD.
Upper Merion (2-1) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh in Thursday’s SOL opener.
Sun Valley 7-0-6-0 13
Upper Merion7-0-0-7 14
DOWNINGTOWN EAST 28, NORTH PENN 24
In a wild ending, the Knights saw the potential winning touchdown waved off in the closing seconds because of an illegal procedure call. The Cougars sealed their fate with an interception, forcing the Knights to absorb a heartbreaking road loss.
Things certainly looked promising for the Knights when they opened up a 21-7 lead. They got on the scoreboard early, turning a Cougar fumble into a touchdown when Nick Isabella took it in from one yard out. Another Downingtown East fumble set the stage for a one-yard TD run by Reece Udinski, and the Knights led 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Cougars got on the scoreboard late in the quarter, but a 47-yard touchdown run by Nyfease West, who finished with more than 150 yards on the ground, put the Knights on top 21-7 after a Brett Bealer extra point. Downingtown East trimmed that lead to 21-14 at the intermission.
The third quarter belonged to the Cougars, who scored back-to-back touchdowns to go on top 28-21, but a Bealer 32-yard field goal made it a four-point game heading into the fourth quarter (28-24). Neither team scored in the final frame, although the Knights came within a penalty of pulling off the big win.
North Penn (1-2) will travel to Pennridge for its SOL opener on Friday night.
North Penn 14-7-3-0 24
Downingtown East 7-7-14-0 28
WILLIAM TENNENT 54, OXFORD 14
The Panthers found themselves staring at an early 8-7 hole in Friday night’s game at Oxford, but quarterback Tyler Lynch found Mike Pitcher with a 28-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a lead they would not lose.
Lynch had another big game, passing for three touchdowns and rushing for another as the Panthers won in a rout.
William Tennent will host Quakertown in next Friday night’s SOL opener. Both teams take identical 3-0 records into the game.
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 45, HATBORO-HORSHAM 20
The Crusaders sprinted to an early 14-0 lead, but when quarterback Casey Walsh hooked up with his favorite target, Calvin Broaddus, for a 42-yard touchdown pass, the Hatters trailed by just a 14-6 margin. The Crusaders answered with 31 unanswered points to go into the final quarter with a 45-6 lead. The Hatters scored a pair of late touchdowns.
Hatboro-Horsham (0-3) will travel to Upper Moreland on Thursday for its non-league opener.
Lansdale Catholic 14-10-21-0 45
Hatboro-Horsham 6-0-0-14 20
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