Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. Pennridge/Abington photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko Photography. Neshaminy/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography, and CB West/CB East photos provided by Tracy Valko. Check back for galleries of all three games. (CR North photos provided by CR North football)
Stats provided courtesy of the Intelligencer/Courier. For additional football stats and coverage, visit the Intelligencer (https://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school) and Courier Times (https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/)
SOL National
PENNRIDGE 21, ABINGTON 15
Defense has been a calling card for the SOL National Division champion Rams, who were coming off of three straight shutouts. On Friday night, the Rams met their match against a pesky Ghost squad that threw some serious defense of their own at the 
Rams.
“We got punched in the mouth a little bit, but we needed that,” said Pennridge coach Cody Muller, whose squad clinched sole possession of the SOL National crown. “Our guys – they read the headlines a little bit too much. It definitely was a much-needed punch in the mouth.
“Honestly, I give all the credit in the world to coach (Kevin) Conlin over there at Abington. Those kids came ready, they came prepared.”
The Rams took an early lead when quarterback Bobby Croyle raced 24 yards to the end zone for a touchdown midway through the opening quarter. The Ghosts had an immediate answer when junior quarterback Johnny Dzielawa found senior Caleb Baker with a 14-yard touchdown strike. The missed extra point kept the Rams on top 7-6, and they added to that lead when – on the ensuing kickoff – Shane Hartzell eluded every would-be tackler while racing 70 yards for a TD that put the Rams on top 14-6.
With 1:20 remaining in the first half, Dzielawa threw a 30-yard strike to Javon Neely that – after the failed two-point conversion – made 14-12 game at halftime.
The Ghosts took a 15-14 lead midway through the third quarter when Antonio Ditri connected on a 30-yard field goal. The Rams have not had a whole lot of experience falling behind, but they answered, scoring on a Dillon Powles 12-yard run with just under 10 minutes to play in regulation.
“Honestly, looking at the sideline and listening to the kids, they didn’t flinch (when they fell behind), they didn’t bat an eye,” 
Muller said. “They just kept going. They trusted what we were doing, they trusted each other, and they got the job done. I’m really proud of our kids. With everything they faced from January until now, I can’t say enough about our kids and the way they came together.
“It seems like right now everything is divided, everybody is divided, but it’s all credit to our kids for coming together as a family and getting the job done.”
Despite the absence of Elias Dantzler (injury) from their backfield, the Rams had plenty of contributors. Brayden Landherr had 72 yards on six carries while Powles had 50 yards on 10 carries. The Rams finished with 218 yards on the ground.
“Offensively, it all starts up front, and our guys play physical,” Muller said. “The one kid that is constantly standing out from game one until now is Dillon Powles. He’s doing a great job, finding the holes. He keeps his feet moving at all times. There was a couple of times where I remember I was looking. I see him get hit, and I’d say, ‘All right, it’s second and short,’ and the next thing I know he’s still going and it’s first down. He really has done a tremendous job. I’m extremely proud of that kid.”
Making the game even more enjoyable for the Rams was the fact that they had a contingent of fans scattered throughout the 5,000-seat stadium.
“Being on the road the first three games – the first game, nobody was there,” Muller said. “I think our kids do a great job every week of bringing their own energy, so I think between that and being at home and having the home fans gave a little extra boost which was nice.”
For the Ghosts, Frazier rushed for 100 yards. Dzielawa threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns.
Pennridge (5-0 SOL) is the top seed entering the District One 6A Tournament and will host fourth-seeded Coatesville.
“It’s a brand new season,” Muller said. “Our kids have to mentally prepare for another one.”
Abington closed out its season with a 3-2 record in league play.
Abington 0-12-3-0 15
Pennridge 7-7-0-7 21
NORTH PENN 52, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 20
(Stats provided courtesy of @mpcabrey/PAPrepLive)
North Penn’s postgame meeting had just ended when the farewells began. Five games after it started, their season was over. Emotions ran high.
The Knights had just mercy-ruled the Titans and looked every bit the part of the feared team no one would want to meet in the postseason, but there will be no postseason, there will be no more games.
“It’s the worst,” NP senior Eddie Quinn said. “I unfortunately left my junior year to go to another school. Coming back to play with my best friends was an experience that I never thought I was going to have again, and the season is all over. It’s heartbreaking.”
In an abbreviated season that will include just four 6A teams advancing to the District One 6A Tournament, North Penn occupies the number six spot. The Knights have averaged close to 48 points in the four games since stumbling in a season-opening loss to Neshaminy (35-19), but they will be on the outside looking in when the tournament begins next week.
“It hurts more because we know where we should be,” senior Cam McQueen said. “We have been fighting ever since that first loss, and we know we should be in the playoffs right now, playing for the (district) championship.
“I left it all on the field tonight. I knew this was the last game, might as well empty the tank out there.”
“(I was) throwing every part of my body into every play in the game,” Quinn said.
The game belonged to North Penn. For a while, the Titans kept it close, trailing 7-6 after Jason Christiansen punched it in from two yards out. The Knights blocked the extra point. Khalani Eaton was once again unstoppable, and his third touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the first quarter from 15 yards out was his third of a spectacular finale for the junior star. Eaton finished with 254 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in just five games. His third TD gave the Knights a 21-6 lead.
Carter Hallgren found Zak Fischer with a 13-yard TD pass to make it a 21-13 game, and that score stood until halftime. In the third quarter, Andrew Berry burst up the middle for a 72-yard touchdown run, giving the Knights a 28-13 lead and setting off a celebration on North Penn’s sideline. It marked the beginning of a 31-point second half for the Knights.
“The one guy that nobody knows about is Andrew Berry,” coach Dick Beck said. “Two weeks ago his house caught on fire. It was a tragedy for the family, and they’re displaced right now, but this kid never missed a practice. He had a touchdown run, which was awesome for him.
“Last year he didn’t play as much as he wanted to. He was playing a lot of jayvee. This year – he’s such a hard worker we named him captain. He’s just a top-notch kid, and as a blocker at fullback, he was awesome.”
Ryan Zeltt connected with Levi Carroll for an 88-yard touchdown that put the Knights on top 38-13 at the end of three quarters. The fourth quarter featured a 72-yard Eaton TD run, and a 69-yard Maliq Staten touchdown run to close out another dazzling offensive performance.
“Do we have some backs that can run with the ball or what,” Beck said. “And the O-line…I don’t even want to know what we rushed for or what we averaged per carry.
“The O-line was great all year. We’re dangerous. The quarterback throws the ball so well and the receivers – I’m really happy with these guys. This is a dangerous team. I told (them) they got the short end of the stick. The first week Neshaminy beats us. In a normal year, you lose that first game – this team reminded me of my first team in 2002 when we lost our first game and I think we were 1-2 after three games and barely squeaked in the playoffs and ended up winning the district title and going on to the Eastern final. That’s what this team reminded me of.
“We weren’t great on defense, especially against Neshaminy, and offensively, we made some mistakes, and Neshaminy played real well and beat us. I think by the end of the year – I don’t think anyone wants us in the playoffs.”
The Knights’ offensive line features Darren Miller (right tackle), Cam McQueen (right guard), Colin Davis (center), John Derkits (left guard) and Dan Hicks (left tackle).
“And the tight end who was great all year was Mike Darcy – he really blocked well for us,” Beck said.
For the Knights, especially the seniors, the ending – even with an impressive win – was not easy.
“The friends you make – you just make a new family,” McQueen said. “Working hard, learning a new work ethic. Just growing up to be a man pretty much – that’s what this program taught me. I’ll always remember this team.”
“Getting to see all the kids I used to play peewee ball with growing up,” Quinn said. “And the energy of this team. Everybody on here is always 100 percent. Everybody is happy cheering, no matter what. I never had an experience like this in my life before.
“I never thought this was going to be our last game. I knew we wouldn’t have a shot at the playoffs, but they told us we could schedule more games, and I thought other teams would want to play us to keep playing, but they said they couldn’t find any.”
And therein lies their disappointment. It’s not the district championship they won’t be playing for – although they would have relished the chance to try. It’s the fact that the ending came much, much too soon.
“We’re turning in equipment, and we’ll get to watch the other guys,” Beck said. “We had a chance to beat Neshaminy and we didn’t. That’s on us.”
As for adding games to his team’s schedule, the Knights’ coach tried.
“No one will play us,” Beck said. “I tried to call people, and they didn’t call us back. It is what it is.”
North Penn closed out its season with a 4-1 record. Central Bucks South (2-3) will host Central Bucks West in a non-league game Friday.
Central Bucks South 6-7-0-7 20
North Penn 21-0-17-14 52
NESHAMINY 34, PENNSBURY 0
Chris James is listed as 5-7, 180 pounds in the Redskins’ program. Those numbers are meaningless when the senior running back steps onto the gridiron. James was at his elusive best in Neshaminy’s league finale against archrival Pennsbury, finishing 
with 268 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries in a brilliant outing.
“I keep saying the same thing – he’s the franchise,” coach Steve Wilmot said. “He’s the heart and soul of our team, and he another good night tonight.”
James had touchdowns on runs of six, 28 and six yards to send the Redskins into halftime with a 21-0 lead. His fourth TD in the third quarter from two yards put the Skins on top 27-0. David Miller’s four-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the Redskins their final margin of victory. Miller had 116 yards on just 13 carries as Neshaminy piled up 386 yards on the ground and 472 yards overall.
Neshaminy’s defense – on the heels of a 21-0 win over Central Bucks West – shared the spotlight with James and the Redskins’ offense. The Falcons managed 172 yards of total offense – only 60 on the ground.
“I think our linebackers tonight were pretty solid – John Hutchinson, Jordan Denis, Nick Poplawksi and Greg Orleski,” Wilmot said. “A lot was asked of them this week. The two outside linebackers were assigned to the pass and the two inside guys were assigned to the run. I think they did a nice job.
“I think our defensive line is playing its best football of the year also. 
All four of those kids – Jack Dunkley, Tedo Sakhokia, Nate McGlone and Nick Soska – are playing real well.”
The Redskins saw their slim chances of earning one of four spots in the District One 6A Tournament slip away when all four of the top teams earned wins. Neshaminy finished fifth in the final power rankings.
“We got off to a fast start this year and we had that letdown against Pennridge, but I think right now our defense is playing really well for us – two shutouts in a row, and offensively, I think we have a pretty good identity right now,” Wilmot said. “This would have been a good year to go to playoffs because I feel like we’re peaking at the right time.
“You think back to the beginning of the year – everyone was just happy to be playing football. It is what it is.”
Neshaminy (4-1 SOL) will take on Central Bucks South in a non-league game on Nov. 13.
“We have a little bit of a bye week,” Wilmot said. “We’re going to back off Monday and Tuesday. What’s good for our program is we still have a 10th grade game left, and we still have a varsity and jayvee game left. Our 10th grade game is next week, and my plan is to flip things around – maybe have our older kids play scout team and coach our younger kids up a little bit. Again, we’re trying to sustain a program. We have a lot of quality seniors this year, and we have to make sure our future is pretty solid too.”
Pennsbury 0-0-0-0 0
Neshaminy 6-15-6-7 34
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 40, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 20
The Bucks have played the toughest schedule in the SOL, facing four teams in the top 10 of the District One 6A power rankings in its first four games – three in the top five.
On Friday night, the Bucks took matters in their own hands, erupting for 20 points in the third quarter to turn a 20-20 tie into a convincing win over their neighboring rival.
It was West’s rushing attack that ultimately doomed the Patriots. Sophomore Eli Boehm finished with 186 yards on 15 carries, and junior Donte Mancini had 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 13 carries. All told, the Bucks ran for 318 yards.
For good measure, quarterback Ganz Cooper completed all three of his pass attempts for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In the Bucks’ third quarter surge, Vinny Cherubini had a three-yard touchdown run. Ganz threw a 33-yard TD pass to Boehm, and Mancini had a 10-yard rushing TD.
The Patriots – who scored all 20 of their points in the second quarter – were led by sophomore quarterback Patrick Keller, who completed 15 of 27 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a TD. Ethan Shine had 84 yards and a touchdown, and Mark Lapioli also had a rushing touchdown.
Central Bucks West (1-4 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Friday for a non-league game. Central Bucks East (1-4) will be on the road at Council Rock North.
Central Bucks East 0-20-0-0 20
Central Bucks West 6-14-20-0 40
SOL Continental
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 23, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 7
A four-year drought came to a welcome end when the Indians captured the coveted Rock Cup with its win over neighboring rival Council Rock South. It was the first time since 2015 the Indians notched a win in the annual rivalry game.
“Especially for our seniors, to come out and win this game is very heartwarming for me because of all the hard work they put in during the last offseason,” coach John Greiner said. “Just to see it play out on the game field into fruition really made it all worthwhile in terms of all the time and hard work we put into this thing.”
The Indians made a statement in the opening quarter with a nine-minute scoring drive that culminated with quarterback Mike Sylvester punching it in from a yard out. They took that one-touchdown lead into halftime.
“It was reminiscent of the ground and pound that was taught to me by Galen Snyder of Pennsbury,” Greiner said. “We kept it on the ground and kept chipping away, driving away and getting first downs.
“Unfortunately, on our second drive, we drove all the way down the field again, and we got bunkered down at the half-yard line.”
A 27-yard field goal by Sawyer Koza gave the Indians a 10-0 advantage in the third quarter, but a four-yard touchdown run by Brady Beres made it a 10-7 game. The Indians had an emphatic answer, responding with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Sylvester to Shawn Perry.
“In the second half, we got our bearings and Mikey Sylvester hit Shawn Perry for a 70-yard touchdown pass because of the fact that we established a run game, and they were one-on-one on the outside,” Greiner said. “We took advantage of a matchup.
“From there, the defense did a great job. I give a lot of accolades to our defensive coordinator, Joe King, who came up with a great, great game plan. We held them to (101) yards rushing and just did a great job.”
For good measure, Rock North tacked on a fourth quarter score when Sylvester scored from a yard out.
Brendon Hardy led the Indians with 113 yards on 23 carries, Gavin Papp added 55. Sylvester, who threw for 99 yards, accounted for three touchdowns.
“Brendon Hardy had over a hundred yards rushing, Mikey Sylvester had two touchdown runs and the pass to Shawn Perry, 
Gavin Papp did a good job lead blocking and playing strong safety,” said Greiner, going on to praise his offensive line. “The offensive line – Luke Molden, Connor Atkinson, Blake Koch, Andrew Jones, Justin Nowmos and Josh Huddy. All those guys established the line of scrimmage. They opened up the holes and did a great job, and Anthony Esposito was key in blocking for his fellow running backs.”
The win was a happy ending to a difficult stretch for the Indians.
“Over the past three weeks, we had a game postponed, we had a week-and-a-half we were in limbo,” Greiner said. “I told the kids afterwards – the adversity builds character, and the character leads us to our winning ways.
“The kids did a great job handling all the adversity that was thrown their way the past couple of weeks and came out victorious. I’m happy for the players, happy for the parents, happy for the school, happy for the CR North community.”
For Rock South, Jack O’Neill’s 63 yards on the ground led the attack.
Council Rock North (2-2 SOL) has added three games to its schedule. The Indians will host Central Bucks East on Friday, the following week they will travel to William Tennent, and on Thursday, Nov. 19, Rock North will close out its season at home against Springfield.
“The kids deserve to play more, especially our kids,” Greiner said. “I don’t want to say our kids have gone through more adversity. Being shut down for over a week and not knowing what was going to happen, we came out last week on two days practice, and we played a really, really good Upper Dublin team and lost 21-6.
“For us to come back from that – we played on Saturday and putting in a full week’s work and just coming out and playing a complete football game against a really tough opponent. Vinnie (Bedesem) always has his team ready to play, and the fact that it’s a rivalry game especially after the short weeks we’ve had is just a testament to our players. It seems like roadblock after roadblock has been set up in front of them, and they’ve conquered all those roadblocks and now they’re getting the confidence they can overcome them and achieve the goals we set. One of the goals is to have a winning season. We’re going to put our best foot forward starting on Monday.”
Council Rock South (2-3, 2-2) will host Methacton on Thursday.
Council Rock North 7-0-9-7 23
Council Rock South 0-0-7-0 7
SOUDERTON 55, BENSALEM 12
Jalen White had himself a night to remember.
The Souderton senior running back put five touchdowns on the board with runs of 67, 8, 11, 18 and 43 yards, finishing with over 200 rushing yards. White’s dazzling outing led Indians to a win that upped their record to 5-0 and clinched sole possession of the program’s first conference crown since 2007.
“Jalen had a great game,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “He was very determined from the start. He ran really well again tonight.
“He maximized his carries last week, and I feel like I have to apologize to him every week. He had six carries last week, maybe 10 or 11 carries this game. He’s not the only weapon. His first carry he took for a touchdown. You can’t ask for much better start to our game from both the offense and defense.”
White raced 67 yards for the score on his first touch, and the Indians’ defense scored on their first play after the ensuing kickoff when Kyle Bob picked off a pass and took it to the house from 30 yards.
“It was 14-0 14 or 16 seconds into the game – it was unbelievable,” said Gallagher, whose team led 35-0 after one quarter and took a 48-6 lead into halftime.
While White stole the spotlight with five TD runs, quarterback Evan Kutzler also had a touchdown run from five yards while Nate Hageman punched it in from a yard out. It all added up a big win that gave the Indians the conference title.
“We’re thrilled,” Gallagher said. “Over the 12 years we didn’t win a championship – when you look how dominant North Penn was in the Continental Conference, it’s a tip of the cap to Dick Beck, his staff and the kids in that program.
“We had some really good teams, but we’d go into the season not having a chance to win a championship. It’s not all about winning championships, but it is a little demoralizing when you have a chance like last year – we didn’t beat North Penn, but we had a chance to win the championship by beating CB South in that last game, and we didn’t get it done. That was one of our best chances. North Penn does not lose much, and they dominated that conference for years.”
Souderton (5-0 SOL) is the third seed in the upcoming District One 6A Tournament and will travel to Spring-Ford for a matchup against the second-seeded Rams.
“Two years in a row in the playoffs,” Gallagher said. “It’s nice when you get to the point where you think it’s an expected outcome, but it’s still getting there you have to do.
“Coming into the season, we didn’t know anything. We were trying to figure out if we’d have a season or not. Thankfully, we were able to take care of business in the games they gave us. We played the five games they gave us, and 5-0 is 5-0. We took care of business, and we’re going to the playoffs.”
Bensalem (0-5) will travel to Springfield Township for a non-league game Friday.
Souderton 35-13-0-7 55
Bensalem 0-6-6-0 12
SOL American
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 35, WISSAHICKON 19
(Statistics courtesy of Ed Morlock/PAPrepLive: https://papreplive.com/2020/10/31/plymouth-whitemarsh-seniors-go-out-with-win-over-wissahickon/)
The Colonials saved their best for last, notching their second win of the season with a victory over Wissahickon on the Trojans’ home turf.
“This was huge for us in many, many ways,” PW coach Dan Chang said. “This is our last game so going out on top is always nice.
“Letting our seniors have that feeling one more time was big, and it helps us build for next year.”
The Colonials were coming off back-to-back losses, most recently a 63-35 loss to Upper Moreland a week earlier.
“I don’t know that much changed,” Chang said. “I told my team over the course of the past several weeks – we’re so young, and we were making young team mistakes. We made plenty of those tonight, but we are improving every game. The young guys are starting to learn and understand and just get better.”
Underscoring the Colonials’ youth was the sophomore running back duo of Tommy Hannon and Aiden O’Brien, who combined for 266 with Hannon accounting for 163 of those yards and one touchdown. O’Brien had three touchdown runs.
O’Brien’s 20-yard TD run spotted the Colonials a 6-0 lead after one quarter. Hannon took it in from four yards out late in the second quarter, and O’Brien ran it in for two to put the Colonials on top 14-0.
The Trojans scored back-to-back touchdowns to pull to within one, 14-13. Both came on Aidan DeFeo passes – the first to Jackson Intrieri and the second a 62-yard TD to EJ Schreiner.
O’Brien answered with a 16-yard touchdown, but DeFeo and Schreiner connected again, this time from 71 yards. The two-point conversion failed, and the Colonials led 21-19.
Another O’Brien touchdown run – this one from 13 yards out – gave PW a 28-19 lead on its way to the win.
“Aiden is a two-way player for us as a sophomore, and he’s been doing a great job,” Chang said of O’Brien. “He’s a great athlete, a smart kid, great character kid. He had big plays for us in big situations.”
The Colonials coach credited the efforts of several other players in the win.
“Dylan Duran at tight end blocking for us and as defensive end, Jack Hildebrand at center,” Chang said. “Our offensive line played one of our best games of the year.”
Comprising the Colonials’ O-line are senior Jack Hildebrand, senior Dan Kahley, junior Louis Malfaro, senior Dylan Duran, sophomore Nate Mascio and senior Luke Joseph.
Plymouth Whitemarsh closed out its season with a 2-3 record (1-2 SOL).
“It’s not often you get to end with a win,” Chang said. “It was a tough year all around obviously, but we’re happy that we got to play, we’re grateful that we got to play. We enjoyed it, and we got a lot better as a team. Now we’re hungry for next year.”
Wissahickon (3-2, 2-1 SOL).
Plymouth Whitemarsh 6-8-7-14 35
Wissahickon 0-6-13-0 19
WILLIAM TENNENT 34, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 20
The Panthers bounced back from a disappointing setback to Wissahickon a week earlier that included a late Trojan comeback to defeat the Panthers. They made sure there would be no comebacks this time around.
“It was a relief, it was definitely a joy because of how hard they were working,” Tennent coach Rich Clemens said. “They’re a great group of kids who deserve it and who work hard every day. It’s just nice to see them get a win with two games to go.
“In a season like this – who knows how many are to go, it’s just nice to see them get a win and still maintain a chance for a winning season, which – if I’m not mistaken – would be the first one in 15 years.”
A Mark Miller 15-yard TD pass gave the Panthers an early lead, but the Lions answered with a 25-yard touchdown run by Phil Weinseimer. Tennent came back to take 14-7 lead after one quarter and upped that advantage to 21-7, but the Lions’ Joey Capriotti took it in from a yard out, trimming the Panthers’ lead to 21-14 in the closing seconds of the second quarter The Panthers led 28-14 at the end of three quarters and never looked back.
“The kids have been working extremely hard and playing really hard all year,” Clemens said. “Coach (Cordero) Newkirk did a great job filling in, and all the coaches.
“The kids are continuing to play hard. I really think what the down spots this year have to do with – we pride ourselves in our offseason and the ability to practice and get reps, play 7-on-7 and lift weights and build that camaraderie.
“We have a lot of guys that are athletic guys, but they weren’t fulltime football players like some other places might have had, so in the beginning of the year, they had a learning curve from being athletes to becoming good football players. Normally, they would have taken that step in the offseason, but without the offseason, we’re seeing them mature now.”
There were more than a few catalysts but none stood out more than senior Eric DeJesus.
“The big game came from Eric DeJesus – offensively and defensively,” Clemens said. “He’s a football player, and we’ve made a conscious coaching decision to try and get him some touches, and it paid off. He scored twice and had a pick.”
DeJesus wasn’t the only player to step up in the Panthers’ win.
“Our quarterback Matt (Miller) had a nice rebound game – he had a couple of nice runs, and I was very impressed with the way he led the team,” Clemens said. “Derrik (Cosenza) is always going to be a force. Ryan Emmerich had a big pick, Fernando Delgado as well.
“Our offensive line has one senior, Mike Costello, and he does a great job leading the young guys, but none of them have played varsity football as starters until this point except for our tight end, and those guys came together tonight.”
In addition to Costello, who anchors the line at center, Connor Fithian and AJ Meltzer line up at tackle while Cormac Savage and Dylan Drulis are the guards. Owen Clark plays tight end.
“Those guys were big – I think they dominated the game up front,” Clemens said. “Our defense has been stellar all year, and they continue to play well.”
William Tennent (2-3 SOL) will host Quakertown in a non-league game next Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (1-3, 2-3), the lone District One 3A team, will enter postseason play.
New Hope-Solebury 7-7-0-6 20
William Tennent 14-7-7-6 34
UPPER DUBLIN 32, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
(Stats provided courtesy of Andrew Robinson/PAPrepLive: https://papreplive.com/2020/10/31/carl-puts-upper-dublin-in-position-to-shut-down-hatboro-horsham/)
The Flying Cardinals cemented their spot as the top team in District One 5A with a no-doubt-about-it win, but it was the way they won that mattered most to their coach.
“We figured we were going to be in (districts) regardless of the outcome,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “The focus for us this week was to get better, and we did it.
“We really, really did get better at all three phases.”
UD punter Owen Carl had a superb night.
“My punter was unbelievable – he pinned Hatboro inside the five three times,” Stover said. “That was really the catalyst for us, and Dave Sowers put together a package defensively.
“We had a scoop and score touchdown on a fumble, we had two safeties – one of the safeties was a blocked punt in the end zone. We had them backed up the whole night, and we took advantage of it.”
Jake Rossman scooped up a Hatter fumble and ran it in from five yards out to spot the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. John Kohlbreenner was on the receiving end of a 25-yard Colin O’Sullivan pass that put the Cardinals on top 14-0 with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The Cardinals led 16-0 when they came up with their first of two safeties in the contest – this one a Jacob Gondek block of a punt out of the end zone. Kohlbrenner caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this one a 20-yarder from Nicholas Rodriguez that put the Cardinals on top 23-0 late in the second quarter.
“Our two quarterbacks both played well,” Stover said. “Rodriguez threw for a touchdown and ran for one. O’Sullivan threw for one. We had a dual threat with both quarterbacks, and it was nice to get both of them reps because you never know when you’re going to need both of them.”
Rodriguez ran it in from 28 yards out to make it a 30-0 game after three quarters. Tristan Cairnes came up with a sack in the end zone for a safety that gave the Cardinals their final margin of victory.
Upper Dublin (4-1, 3-1 SOL) will host a District One 5A semifinal game next Friday against Wissahickon. The two teams met in the season opener, a 31-27 UD win.
“It’s bittersweet because you have a team like Cheltenham would figure in this – no doubt in my mind,” Stover said. “But you play what was put in front of you.
“We thought we weren’t going to get any games at one point, and we ended up getting five. We’re just happy to have a sixth, and if we’re fortunate enough to get a seventh, great, but if not, we got six games for our seniors. That, to me, is exciting.
“The other thing is the sixth game will be in our stadium, so it’s another opportunity for our fans to see us play, and our seniors get another game at home. It’s great.”
Hatboro-Horsham (0-5, 0-4) is scheduled to host Upper Moreland on Thanksgiving Day.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-0-0 0
Upper Dublin 14-9-7-2 32
Non-league
QUAKERTOWN 37, UPPER MORELAND 6
The Panthers had a point to prove, and they certainly played like a team on a mission in Friday’s non-league contest, winning in convincing fashion over the previously unbeaten Golden Bears.
“I think we played with a chip on our shoulder,” coach George Banas said. “All week in the paper, people are talking about district playoffs. The Souderton conversation comes up that they played nobody all year.
“The paper comes out today, and Drew Markol picks Upper Moreland to win the game. That just gets under their skin, it gets under my skin too. Unfortunately, we’re dealt the teams we’re dealt with who we play this year.”
Souderton is undefeated and poised to compete in the District One 6A playoffs. Quakertown suffered its only loss at the hands of the Indians, falling to Souderton 28-23 in a game it led at halftime in week one.
“The schedule didn’t do us a whole lot of favors, playing Souderton week one to work out the bugs, but I think we’re a really good team,” Banas said. “I think the kids believe we’re a good team. I think tonight we had to prove that we could beat a good team.”
Upper Moreland brought a 4-0 record into Friday’s game and was coming off a 63-45 rout of Plymouth Whitemarsh.
“They’re very talented,” Banas said. “Their quarterback (Byron Hopkins) is really good, number 11, their wide receiver (Jahaire Johnson), is a really good receiver, and number five (Anthony Broderick) is super fast.
“I think we really had an axe to grind to prove something – to ourselves and everybody else that we can hang with a good team and beat a good team.”
The Panthers led 2-0 after one quarter, thanks to a safety on the Golden Bears’ second possession after a Quakertown quick kick gave UM the ball on the one-half yard line.
In the second quarter, the Panthers put a pair of touchdowns on the board, the first on a nine-yard Tyler Woodman run and the second on a Brady Williams one-yard plunge to cap a 99-yard drive to go on top 16-0 at the half.
“Our offensive line did a heck of a job moving the ball,” Banas said of James Lacy (left tackle), Vinnie Pellegrini (left guard) Freddie Retter (center), Blake Griesemer (right guard) and Anthony Schiller (right tackle). “Brady Williams and Tyler Woodman really did the workload running the ball on the drive and did a really good job with it.”
Woodman ran the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown and a 23-0 lead that held until the end of the third quarter. He duplicated that feat after the Golden Bears scored early in the fourth quarter, this time taking it to the house from 83 yards for a 30-6 Quakertown advantage.
“Right after they scored their touchdown, we went with our hands team because we thought – it was the fourth quarter, they had to try and come back, so we figured they would try an on-sides kick, but they kicked it deep to Woodman, and he returned another one,” Banas said.
Later in the quarter, quarterback William Stiech found Zach Fondl with a 14-yard touchdown connection.
Also playing a starring role in the win was Quakertown’s defense.
“They put up 63 points last week and the week before that put up huge numbers,” Banas said of UM’s 47-28 win over Springfield the preceding week. “Watching film this week, we really thought we were going to have our hands full because they have weapons everywhere, their line is good, and they’re aggressive.
“To be able to keep them to six was a phenomenal job by the defense as a whole. Bryan Sherry really had a great night at D-end. Freddie Retter at the other D-end as well had a really good night.
“Our linebacking core was able to contain them – Julian Renner, Kaden Roesener and Micah Kunkle really played well, and Tyler Merwarth is in command of defense at safety. He made an exceptional play in the end zone right before the half when they were trying to score where he knocked the ball out of bounds.”
Quakertown (4-1, 3-1 SOL) will travel to William Tennent for a non-league game on Friday. Upper Moreland (4-1, 4-0) will be competing in the District One 4A Tournament.
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-6 6
Quakertown 2-14-7-14 37
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