Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. CB South/CR South photos provided courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography. Pennridge/PV photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for photo galleries.
Stats used in the wraps are provided courtesy of the Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier Times. For complete high school football coverage, visit the web sites: http://www.theintell.com/sports and http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports.
NORTH PENN 13, PENNSBURY 3
Ryan Zeltt spent the better part of Friday’s non-league game at Pennsbury wearing the jersey of senior quarterback Kolby Barrow, who was sidelined with an injury. Wearing Barrow’s jersey – a switch necessitated when Zeltt’s was all but ripped in half on the opening series – certainly had nothing to do with the freshman quarterback’s performance, but Zeltt certainly didn’t look the part of a rookie in his varsity debut.
It was Zeltt’s four-yard touchdown run with 1:14 remaining that sealed the Falcons’ fate.
“I really was proud of the freshman quarterback,” coach Dick Beck said. “He made some big-time throws. A throw running to his left that he hit Nate Brown when we’re in second-and-15 – he hits him to get us in third-and-one -was just a humungous play.
“Then his scoring on play action – I felt like they probably know that play action is coming, and that’s fine. You don’t have to throw it – tuck it and run and get in the end zone. He drove for the pylon and got it – a great play. Unfortunately, he threw some great balls, and a couple of them were dropped. I thought for the most part he had a great night for a freshman. He’s going to be a really good player.”
There was nothing pretty about Friday’s game. The Knights turned the ball over four times in the first half but trailed just 3-0. Those points came after a Shane Simmons interception on the Knights’ opening possession gave the Falcons the ball on North Penn’s 27. A 10-yard run by quarterback Drew Hensor gave the Falcons first-and-goal from the one, but they managed only a 22-yard Brady Burgfectal field goal.
“It was a pretty sloppy game – too many fumbles, too many turnovers, but I thought we really played good defensively in the second half,” Beck said. “Early in the first drive, we got sucked in on a fake.
“I think we did a good job keeping contain, keeping the quarterback in front of us – inside of us, not letting him get outside and run. I think he’s the most dangerous kid on their team. We were just trying to keep him in the pocket as much as possible. We were covering him in man defense pretty good.”
In the third quarter, an interception by Kenny Grandy gave the Knights the ball on the Falcons’ 24-yard line. Several Evan Spann runs set the stage for an eight-yard touchdown run by Khalani Eaton, spotting the Knights a 7-3 lead with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.
Both teams had opportunities but costly turnovers hurt both sides. Neither team scored again until Zeltt’s late TD run.
Not to be overlooked in the win was the standout play of the Knights’ defense.
“I thought Nate Brown played really well,” Beck said. “Ethan Spann, a sophomore, made a great play on a fumble recovery, keeping contain on the quarterback. Kenny Grandy had a big interception.”
North Penn (2-1) will host Pennridge in Friday’s SOL opener, and Pennsbury (0-3) will travel to Central Bucks East for a non-league game next Saturday.
North Penn 0-0-7-6 13
Pennsbury 3-0-0-0 0
ABINGTON 19, CHELTENHAM 7
This is a date players from both sides circle on their calendars, and when the dust had settled on the latest edition of the rivalry game between the neighboring schools, the Ghosts had earned the important win.
Coach Kevin Conlin could exhale at last after watching his team limit a dangerous Panther squad to just seven points.
“It’s a hold-your-breath offense for them because every play they could score, and it’s not just one guy – it’s every one of them,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “It’s the wideouts, it’s both running backs, and the quarterback can hurt you.
“I think our defense did a fantastic job tonight, preparing all week for them because they knew this was going to be their biggest challenge.”
There were catalysts galore on defense for the Ghosts. Conlin singled out a few.
“Blaise Zucaro played a really great game,” the Ghosts’ coach said of his junior linebacker. “Oreck Frazier coming back from an injury for the past couple of weeks really helped solidify the defensive backfield.
“We put another player back there – Chris Kretschman – who was playing defensive end before. We moved him around tonight, and he really played well for us too.”
Tamir Berthau was the undisputed offensive star for the Ghosts, throwing for a pair of touchdowns and breaking a big run for a third.
“He’s our biggest threat, there’s no doubt about it,” Conlin said. “He took a lot of big hits, and he bounces up. He’s not the biggest kid, but he’s very athletic, very durable, and he’s very tough. He comes back from those bumps and bruises and doesn’t let it affect him
Berthau found Caleb Baker from 15 yards out for a touchdown that put the visitors on top 6-0 after one quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Berthau connected with Baker again, this time from 21 yards to give the Ghosts a 12-0 lead.
“That was big for us,” Conlin said of jumping out to an early lead. “They were 2-0 coming in, but we lost to a really good team in Northeast.
“We wanted to get the ball downfield on them. They did a really good job early on, but Tamir made a really nice throw at the end of the first quarter to really help open it up a little bit. He actually made two really good throws – one in the first and the second.”
The Panthers benefitted from a Ghost miscue to get on the scoreboard late in the half when Adonis Hunter scored on a one-yard run to make it a 12-7 game at the intermission.
“We went back for a punt, and the snap went over the punter’s head,” Conlin said. “They got the ball on the one-yard line, and that’s how they scored.
“That was pretty tough for the defense considering they’d worked their hardest, and we put them in a bad position. We have a lot of kids that are great teammates, and they picked each other up at halftime. There was no yelling or screaming. With a kid like Tamir, he’s like their guys – he can break one at any moment.”
That’s exactly what Berthau did in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 45-yard TD burst that put the Ghosts on top 19-7.
“This is big, it’s really big,” Conlin said of the win. “Coming out of the Northeast game, our kids were a little hesitant. We knew how good they were, but it was a tough loss.
“We went back to the drawing board and righted the ship a little bit. We’re hoping to carry that on against a good Bensalem team.”
Abington (2-1) will host Bensalem in Friday’s SOL opener, and Cheltenham (2-1) will travel to Norristown for a non-league game.
Abington 6-6-0-7 19
Cheltenham 0-7-0-0 7
WILLIAM TENNENT 35, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 10
The visiting Panthers raced out of the gate to a commanding 21-3 halftime lead and never looked back en route to their second win of the season.
“CR North is a team that’s very similar to us with numbers,” Tennent coach Richard Clemens said. “It’s a game we wanted to play because both the coaches think it’s going to be a good matchup.
“They’re a good team, they’re a solid team. We got some breaks that went our way today. We played really hard. Our offensive coach, Cordero Newkirk, called an excellent game, and the kids executed, and we were able to come away with a win. The defense played well. Our D-coordinator, coach Doug Guenther, did a really good job with the defense. It was just a total team effort.”
During a key stretch in the opening quarter, quarterback Matt Miller found Derrik Cosenza with a touchdown strike, and on the Panthers’ next drive – with the Indians keying on Tommy Santiago, the play call for a halfback pass resulted in Santiago finding Cosenza with a TD pass. The tone had been set.
“I’ve said before that Tommy Santiago is the consummate team guy, and he was that again,” Clemens said. “He made a couple of good plays on defense. Matt Miller had a really good game, and he’s the same kind of guy Tommy is. If they said 30 words during practice having to do with anything other than calling the plays, they’ve said a lot. They’re just humble, hardworking kids, and that’s really what the team is becoming over the last couple of years – hardworking, humble kids that want to win football games.”
Clemens lauded the play of his defense, which was led by the strong play of linebackers Drew Forr and Quame Moore.
“I think we held them to one or two first downs up until the third quarter,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Nick DeJesus had a pick on their first drive. He plays corner for us, and he had a very good game. People stay away from him and rightfully so. They threw at him one time, and he got a pick. This (win) was huge for our guys. They’ve been working really hard. They deserve it.”
William Tennent (2-1) will host Souderton in Friday’s SOL opener, and Council Rock North (1-2) will host Wissahickon.
UPPER MORELAND 26, UPPER PERKIOMEN 0
(Statistics provided by Dennis Well/PA Prep Live: http://papreplive.com/football/2019/09/07/upper-moreland-stifles-upper-perkiomen-in-shutout-win/ )
The Golden Bears won for the third time in as many games, and for the second time in the early season, they shut out their opponent. In Friday’s win, UM capitalized on Upper Perk turnovers – three interceptions and three fumbles – and limited the host team to less than 100 yards of total offense. They also ran for 300 yards.
“We played really well on defense obviously, and we were able to run the football with three different backs so we were able to keep them off balance,” UM coach CJ Szydlik said. “The weather really wasn’t a factor because up there it wasn’t even raining.
“It was just one of those things where we were able to run the ball and hold onto it for a while.”
A pair of touchdown runs by Dai-jahn Dukes late in the opening half sent the Golden Bears into halftime with a 12-0 lead. In the third quarter, Cam Jackson scored on a 21-yard run to put the Bears on top 18-0, and he capped a big night when he caught a 25-yard TD pass from Byron Hopkins.
Jackson led the UM ground gainers with 93 rushing yards.
Szydlik acknowledged the play of several catalysts on defense.
“Between Dai-jahn (Dukes), Owen Dunleavy and John Knight, our three linebackers, they played really, really well,” the Golden Bears’ coach said. “Jahaire Johnson had two interceptions.
“They had six turnovers – all from just running to the ball and doing the little things right.”
Upper Moreland (3-0) will host Quakertown in Friday’s SOL opener.
Upper Moreland 0-12-6-8 26
Upper Perkiomen 0-0-0-0 0
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 48, NORRISTOWN 7
This game was over almost as soon as it began. Before fans had settled in their seats, Christian Pierce returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead. When quarterback Chris McLaughlin found Mike Paciello with a 35-yard touchdown, the Colonials led 28-0 after just one quarter. Not a whole lot changed in a second quarter that saw PW tack on 20 points.
By the time the night was over, Brian Dresnin had three touchdowns, including TD runs of 34 and 17 yards in the opening quarter, but he wasn’t the only contributor.
“We spread the wealth tonight,” coach Dan Chang said. “Mike Paciello had to be close to 100 yards. Chris Pierce was up there. Christian Pierce returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, kind of jumpstarted us there.”
With the win, the Colonials upped their early season record to 3-0, a far cry from their 0-3 starts of the past two seasons.
“I think it was great for us to gain a little confidence in ourselves,” Chang said. “Our offense and defense are playing well. We’re playing with some confidence, and now that we’re getting into our league, we’re going to see more and more competition. We have to continue to get better.
“Our scout team on practice days – they are just giving us a great look, and we’re able to improve every day in practice. I can’t give enough credit to our team and our seniors for leading the way. I’m along for the ride here. They’re doing a great job.”
There was plenty of credit to go around in Friday’s win, and the Colonials’ coach lauded the play of his defense.
“I thought our entire defense played well,” Chang said. “We had a lot big plays by Alex Bell, who played linebacker for us last year, and we moved him to D-line. Today he was a terror for the other team.
“In our defensive secondary, our corners – Vince Gillespie and Josh Lynch – got tested. Josh had an interception, and Vince had a couple of pass breakups.
“I thought out D-line and linebackers played great, stopping the run – anchored by our inside guys Zach Trioli and Nate Kern.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-0) will travel to Wissahickon for Friday’s SOL opener.”
Norristown 0-0-0-7 7
Plymouth Whitemarsh 28-20-0-0 48
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 35, QUAKERTOWN 7
Jack Fallon scored three touchdowns in the first half, and Jack Fileppo also had a TD run of 25 yards as the Bucks used a punishing running game to open up a commanding 28-0 halftime lead. They took a 35-0 lead into the final quarter before the visiting Panthers got on the board.
“I’m pleased with the team football we are playing right now on both sides of the ball,” West coach Rob Rowan said. “Guys are focusing on their execution each play and collectively that’s leading to good football. There are a lot of areas we need to clean up and we will continue to do that as we move forward.”
Fallon – who had TD runs of 12, 21 and seven yards – led the Bucks with 136 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“Jack Fallon has been a difference maker,” Rowan said. “Jack Neri has done a tremendous job playing both ways for us and steering the ship offensively. “Defensively, Tristan Hulme, Jack Fileppo, and Ryan McKenna have really raised their level of play the past two weeks.”
The Bucks added a touchdown in the third quarter on a one-yard Nick Tumolo run. The Panthers – who managed less than a hundred yards of total offense – got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, thanks to Zach Greulich’s 25-yard touchdown run.
Central Bucks West (3-0) will travel to Central Bucks South for Friday’s SOL opener, and Quakertown (0-3) will be on the road at Upper Moreland.
Quakertown 0-0-0-7 7
Central Bucks West 7-28-0-0 35
SOUDERTON 37, HATBORO-HORSHAM 8
Armed with memories of last year’s disappointing ending, the Indians – who dropped the final three games of their season to take themselves out of the running for a district berth – resolved that things would be different this time around.
They certainly are. After Friday’s rout of the visiting Hatters, the Indians improved to 3-0 heading into SOL play next week.
“That’s been the focus of the offseason – trying to get off to a good start,” coach Ed Gallagher said. “Now that we’ve worked to 3-0, the next challenge I gave them after the game was we have to get into our league schedule and we have to get above 3-3.
“Last year we started out 3-0 in our league schedule – we beat Tennent, Pennridge and East, and all of a sudden we lost our last three. Our league is good, there’s no question about it. Look at how our league is doing. We end up being competitive, and most years we either go 4-2 when we’re really good or 3-3 or 2-4. We have to find a way to break the trend. Being 3-0 last year, I thought for sure we would break the trend and we lost all three.”
The Indians led 7-0 after one quarter, thanks to an Andrew Vince three-yard TD run, and they put the game out of reach in a second quarter that saw them score 23 points. Included in the Indians tear was a safety as well as a 10-yard touchdown run by Jalen White – his first, a 32-yard TD reception by Nick Guthre from Vince and an 87-yard touchdown run by DeAndre Wakefield that sent the Indians into halftime with a 30-0 lead.
“We shared the wealth,” Gallagher said. “I remember on the one series we had five carries and scored, and five different kids had the ball. We did that a lot of the game.
“Out of one formation, we ran an RPO (run pass option) – we threw the ball the first time, ran the ball the next time and that opened up another play out of the same formation, a shuffle pass for a touchdown to Guthre. The next time we had the ball we ran the same play, and DeAndre goes 80 yards for a touchdown. We started spreading the field. We have too many weapons to key on DeAndre.”
The Indians scored on their first possession of the second half when Wakefield took it in from 11 yards out, giving the Indians a 37-0 lead. The Hatters got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter when David Metzler found Zehier Cheeze with a 14-yard touchdown reception.
“Our defense played great,” Gallagher said. “We had a safety, we pinned them back a couple of times, forced some punts that gave us short fields, and we took advantage of it.”
Wakefield had 171 yards on just eight carries on a night that saw 13 different players get touches in the Indians’ running game. On the defensive side of the football, Evan Kutzler and Elijah Goods both had an interception.
“We played a lot of kids,” Gallagher said. “My first order of business was – we have a ton of seniors, and I wanted to make sure I got all my seniors in. It was really nice. I put in a backfield of three seniors and then another backfield of three other seniors after that. It was nice because those kids work really hard at practice.”
Souderton (3-0) will travel to William Tennent for Friday’s SOL opener, and Hatboro-Horsham (0-3) will host Upper Dublin.
“I think we have the makings of a playoff team,” Gallagher said. “We have to keep going in the right direction, not read our press clippings too much because we’ve now beat three teams that haven’t won a game yet (Pottsgrove earned its first win Friday 41-21 over Boyertown). Let’s not get too excited, but I’m very happy with the way we’re playing.”
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-0-8 8
Souderton 7-23-7-0 37
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 34, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 7
The Titans took care of business in a hurry, opening up a 21-0 halftime lead on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win. The Titans’ defense allowed less than 100 yards of total offense to the struggling Golden Hawks.
South quarterback Carter Hallgren – filling in for Josh Consoletti (injured) – completed 9-of-14 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Once again Sean Smith was the Titans’ top target, hauling in five passes for 115 yards and three TDs. Jason Christianson turned in a workmanlike effort on the ground, finishing with 84 yards and three touchdowns.
A seven-yard TD run by Christianson spotted the Titans a 7-0 lead after one quarter, and his second TD, a one-yard plunge, upped that lead to 14-0. When Hallgren connected with Colin Crabtree on a 50-yard touchdown pass, the Titans led 21-0. They went on to open up a 34-0 lead after three quarters before the Golden Hawks got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter when Sal Mastromarco caught a 49-yard TD pass from Matt Striffolino.
Central Bucks South (2-1) will host Central Bucks West in Friday’s SOL opener, and Council Rock South (0-3) will be on the road at Harry S Truman.
Council Rock South 0-0-0-7 7
Central Bucks South 7-14-13-0 34
ACADEMY PARK 17, HARRY S TRUMAN 14
(Statistics provided by Al Thompson/PA Prep Live: http://papreplive.com/football/2019/09/07/daniels-return-enables-outplayed-academy-park-to-take-down-truman/)
The visiting Tigers didn’t get on the scoreboard until the final quarter, rallying from a 9-0 deficit to take a 14-9 lead only to watch the host team win it at the end, thanks to a 64-yard kickoff return by Brian Daniels for a TD after the Tigers took their first lead of the game.
Academy Park took a 2-0 lead into halftime, thanks to a safety after a bad snap on a punt in the second quarter. They added a touchdown late in the third quarter to go on top 9-0 only to watch the Tigers come storming back. Cam’ren Harris capped a long Truman drive when he took it in from a yard out, and after a three-and-out for Academy Park, the Tigers mounted another scoring drive with Dajuan Harris racing for paydirt from 20 yards out.
Terrence Rogers led the Tigers with 88 yards on the ground.
Harry S Truman (1-2) will host Council Rock South in Friday’s SOL opener.
Harry S Truman 0-0-0-14 14
Academy Park 0-2-7-8 17
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 48, NESHAMINY 6
The visiting Whippets wasted little time before flexing their muscles, opening up a 21-0 lead after one quarter and never looking back. In the opening frame quarterback Will Howard connected on three touchdown passes – all to Julian Williams.
By the time the night was over, the Whippets had amassed 400 yards of total offense. The Redskins’ lone score of the game came in the second quarter when Brody McAndrew found Dawson Obringer with a 53-yard touchdown pass.
Neshaminy (1-2) will travel to Council Rock North for Friday’s SOL opener.
Downingtown West 21-7-13-7 48
Neshaminy 0-6-0-0 6
PERK VALLEY 24, PENNRIDGE 6
The visiting Rams didn’t get on the scoreboard until the third quarter, and by that time the Vikings had a 21-0 lead. Quarterback Bobby Croyle accounted for the Rams lone score when he punched it in from one yard out.
It won’t get any easier for the Rams (1-2), who will travel to North Penn for Friday’s SOL opener.
Pennridge 0-0-6-0 6
Perk Valley 0-14-7-3 24
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 47, WISSAHICKON 0
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