Quakertown defeated Pennridge 21-0 in Thursday’s annual Thanksgiving Day game. Photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for a gallery of photos of all the action.
QUAKERTOWN 21, PENNRIDGE 0
(Statistics provided by Kev Hunter/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/2021/11/25/quakertown-stuffs-pennridge-wins-92nd-annual-battle/
PERKASIE – Fred Retter – at 6-3, 260 – is an imposing figure on the football field.
A fan walking by the senior captain after Thursday’s no-doubt-about-it win said, “Just write ‘Beast,’” and there’s no mistaking that the Panthers’ standout lineman is something of a beast on both sides of the football, earning first team all-league honors at both defensive end as well as on the offensive line.
When it was over, Retter – in the middle of a jubilant postgame scene – was overcome with emotion as he bid farewell to his teammates and coaches.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” he said. “We had a great season, and I’m so proud of the guys, so proud of the coaches. We came out this season and balled out. After all the hard work we put in, it finally paid off, and I can’t believe how awesome it was this season.
“All these guys are what really made it so special this season. We came out together, we had great chemistry. I don’t know if it will ever get as good as this.”
For the Panthers and their fans who created a sea of blue in the packed stands at Helman Field, it might be difficult, if not impossible, to top the magical 2021 season. Quakertown closed out its season with a 13-1 record with the only loss coming at the hands of top-ranked Garnet Valley in the District One 6A semifinal last Friday.
“The season was just awesome,” senior Tyler Woodman said. “It was a dream come true, and this (win) was icing on top of the cake.
“We lost last week, and we wanted to go out with a bang – beat Pennnridge because they’ve been our rival ever since we were young, so it was definitely amazing.”
Amazing might actually be an understatement describing a season that will go down in the record books as the very best in program history.
“I think back to some of the good teams we had in 14-15, and you say, ‘Man how can you ever compare to them?’” Quakertown coach George Banas said. “You get a team like this, and it’s like there’s another level.”
Despite all their success, the Panthers knew just how important it was to notch a win over their archrivals on Thursday. And not just a win but a convincing one, and that’s exactly what they got.
“It was huge to come away with a victory like we did, with the score the way it was and pretty much how we played,” Banas said. “To me, there was no doubt.
“I told them before the game I thought we were the better team. We even had it on our shirts – ‘Be the standard’ – from opening week of camp. I talked to them again today. I said, ‘It’s full circle. You’ve got to be the standard today, you’ve got to play under control and let the scoreboard talk.’”
But even the scoreboard – which showed that the punishing Panthers’ defense had pitched a shutout – couldn’t tell the whole story of a contest the Panthers owned. The Rams were led by senior quarterback Logan McGowan’s 68 rushing yards on seven carries, but as a team, they managed just 148 yards total offense with a good portion of those yards coming late in the game after the outcome had long since been decided.
“This was so important because now you don’t have any naysayers,” Banas said of the decisive win. “You can’t say, ‘Oh, we had a great season, but…’ There’s no ‘but’ left.”
The Panthers seized control of Thursday’s game early with Woodman putting the visitors on the scoreboard with two minutes remaining in the first quarter when he punched it in from two yards out for a 7-0 lead after a Riley Gaj PAT.
In the second quarter, Woodman – who had a game-high 79 rushing yards – scored on a 13-yard run, sending the Panthers into halftime with a 14-0 lead. The lone disappointment in a half Quakertown dominated was the loss of junior running back John Eatherton to an injury.
The Panthers all but put the game out of reach when quarterback Will Steich capped a scoring drive midway through the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown plunge that gave Quakertown its final margin of victory.
It was an impressive bounce-back win just six days after their only loss of the season.
“It feels awesome,” Steich said. “Last week we left everything we had on the field, we tried our best. To be honest, they were just a better team than us. We still could have won the game, but you had to do a lot of perfect things, and that’s hard to do in this game.
“Today we just rallied. This is a very important game to both towns. Whoever wins has a lot of bragging rights and that trophy I’ve never seen in my years here.”
“Quakertown will be the first on that new trophy,” Woodman said. “(Also), this community has bounced back so much from the pandemic from our success. Everyone has been cheering for us, it’s just something positive for the community, for sure.”
The student body and community once again turned out in force to support their squad.
“I told them at halftime – ‘We’re not just playing for the guys in here, we’re playing for them out there too,’” Banas said. “I always tell the kids to take a breather, look around and take it all in during the game, but I don’t know how many do.
“So that’s why pregame we marched down the track, and we stopped in front of the bleachers. I told them all to make sure they found their family and friends and just acknowledge them and just take it all in, so we made that happen.”
As expected, there was no shortage of emotion in Thursday’s game that saw the two teams combine for 21 penalties – 15 of those were called on the Rams, who accumulated 138 yards of penalties.
“It’s tough when you’re playing a rival and people get chippy,” Woodman said.
“For me, there’s a number in my head,” Steich said. “If you’re up by more than three touchdowns and the other team is still talking, you might talk back, but other than that, I kind of keep my mouth shut.”
Thursday’s game marked the end of the line for an outstanding senior class.
“It’s something you dream (of) as a coach – to be good but to be so personable,” Banas said. “To have the combination of good football players and just super high quality kids – it’s unforgettable. I could walk away tomorrow, and I’d be content with this group. It’s real tough to replace them.”
For the seniors, it was difficult to see it end.
“Ever since we were younger, the senior class has been so successful,” Woodman said. “We’ve been so close-knit.
“Honestly, what I’m going to remember most are the times people don’t see – which is in the locker room, joking with each other, making fun of each other, and just being friends, best friends.
“This is such a brotherhood, and people don’t see that all the time. They don’t see the behind-the-scenes. Being on a football team, you’ve got everyone (covering) your back. It means so much to me, and I know it means so much to the seniors.”
“Just playing with these guys – the relationships you make are awesome,” Retter said. “We were playing with these guys since we were in elementary school all the way up until now. All the work we put in led up to this moment.”
Quakertown closed out its historic season with a Suburban One Continental Division title, a trip to the district semifinals and a program record 13 wins. Pennridge wrapped up its season with a 7-5 record overall. The Rams were 5-2 in conference play.
Quakertown 7-7-7-0 21
Pennridge 0-0-0-0 0
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