Scott Huff highlights big wins by William Tennent, CB South and Cheltenham and recaps all of last weekend’s SOL football action. To view photos of the PW/Upper Moreland, Abington/CR South and Upper Dublin/Wissahickon games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
William Tennent shocked the Suburban One League National Conference world as the Panthers (2-2, 1-0) scored a stunning 20-17 upset of Neshaminy (2-2, 0-1). Tennent scored the game winner on an 18-yard scoring pass from Joe Lutz to Jimmy Lewicki with just 1.6 seconds left in the game.
“There are really three levels of excitement in winning this game,” said William Tennent head coach Biz Keeny. “The first is that to watch the excitement of the players on the sideline right after the game was tremendous. We haven’t had that type of atmosphere very often lately.
“Secondly, the seniors have had some very tough years and it was great to see them come out with a win against a team with the tradition of Neshaminy,” added Keeny. “And finally, it was great to see how we responded at the end of the game to put a winning scoring drive together.”
“I told the players after the game that our one’s (first team) can play with anyone in this league,” continued Keeny. “We were awful week one, but we have improved every game since then. We have made tremendous strides, and now it is up to us to continue making progress.
“We have Council Rock North this week, and we have gone from being the hunter to the hunted,” added Keeny. “I hope we come into the week with enjoyment for what we have done, but with a focus on what is ahead.”
Keeny – who coached Tennent to an SOL Continental Conference title in 2004 and a PIAA District One playoff berth in 2006 – is happy to be back in the contender conversation around the league.
“The conference is going to be much more competitive this year than in year’s past,” said Keeny. “We came up with a huge win and it is up to us to build on that win.”
There is no more flying under the radar for Central Bucks South as the unbeaten Titans (4-0, 1-0) have been more than impressive at the outset of the 2012 season. There are even whispers around the area that South could put an end to the North Penn dominance in the Suburban One League Continental Conference.
“This league is too good a league to even talk about anything like that,” insisted Central Bucks South head coach Dave Rackovan. “There are quality teams up and down the schedule within our conference, and we have one of those teams this week in Souderton.
“Last year we had crazy game with them that we lost,” added Rackovan in reference to the 44-42 loss to the Indians. “The games with Souderton have been great to watch – except if you are coaching.
“Souderton is a physical football team with an explosive runner in Anthony Williams,” continued Rackovan. “And Ed Gallagher prepares his teams very well. You always have to be ready.”
Gallagher will have to prepare for CB South sophomore sensation Josh Adams. Adams is coming off a four-touchdown performance against Hatboro-Horsham where he carried the ball 28 times for a staggering 325 yards.
“I was a little surprised to find out how many times we gave him the football,” said Rackovan. “Josh has proven that he could make the jump from freshman to varsity football. He gets hit every snap, and he has proven to be very durable.
“Josh is a very instinctive runner that sets up his blockers well,” added Rackovan. “He is an accelerator with great vision. He has been everything we had hoped he would be – and more.
“Our goal is to remain focused and concentrate on our next game,” continued Rackovan. “Souderton is going to be a real challenge for our football team.”
Cheltenham (3-1, 1-0) finally put its best team on the field this season and the Panthers were impressive in a 33-14 SOL American Conference victory over Springfield.
“We had some injuries, and we have had to deal with some discipline issues,” said veteran Cheltenham head coach Joe Gro. “It was nice to see what we could do with everyone playing at the same time.
“We scored the first five times that we had the ball, and the starters didn’t play after that,” added Gro. “Springfield (a 2-A school) played real hard, but it is going to be difficult for them playing 4-A schools – and good 4-A schools at that.
“We have some game-breaking running backs in Mark Thompson, Hyneef Dockery, Greg Morris, and Ahjavon Patrick,” continued Gro. “Dockery and Thompson are really fast, and Morris has been our leading rusher and scorer as a sophomore. It was nice to have them all on the field in the same game.”
Cheltenham will put its early first place conference standing on the line when the Panthers travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh next week to take on the defending SOL American Conference champions.
“We will find out if we can play some real football against PW,” said Gro. “Any chance of winning anything goes through Plymouth Whitemarsh. We’re excited to see how good we are.”
That Was The Week That Was In the Suburban One League
National Conference
Pennsbury (2-2, 1-0) left its calling card as the team to beat in the conference as the Falcons soared to a 51-2 victory over Harry S Truman (2-2, 0-1). Daquan Mack was back from injury and punished the Tigers with a 162 yards four touchdown performance. Mack scored on runs of one, two, 31, and six yards to feature a 393-yard Falcon rushing performance. Pennsbury broke open the game with a 24-point third period.
Council Rock South (0-4, 0-1) remained winless on the season as the Golden Hawks were gunned down by Bensalem (2-2, 1-0) – 35-20. The defending SOL National champions had a two-touchdown performance turned in by Christian Crane, who also rushed for 110 yards. Quarterback Greg Paprocki fired a 28-yard scoring pass to Vince Alimenti.
Next: Council Rock South Golden Hawks @ Pennsbury Falcons
Last Year: Pennsbury 13 – Council Rock South 10.
Bensalem (2-2, 1-0) moved into a first place conference tie as the Owls soared to a 35-20 victory over Council Rock South (0-4, 0-1). Alex Archangeli registered a blue-chip outing with a four-touchdown performance. Archangeli – who rushed for an even 100 yards on 16 carries – scored on runs of nine, four, 13, and two yards. Ian Pisarchuk rushed for an additional 93 yards for the Owls. Quarterback Kevin Hopkins completed six of seven passes for 167 yards – and Donnie Reed caught four passes for 102 yards.
Abington (3-1, 1-0) moved into a first place conference tie as the Ghosts edged Council Rock North (1-3, 0-1) – 19-17. The Abington defense held Rock North to just 165 yards of total offense and seven first downs. Dylan Collins threw a pair of touchdown passes – one of 17 yard to Kendall Stewart – and the other of nine yards to Gage Gormley. Craig Reynolds led the Ghosts in rushing with 80 yards on 20 carries.
Next: Bensalem Owls @ Abington Ghosts
Last Year: Abington 46 – Bensalem 13.
William Tennent (2-2, 1-0) moved into a first place conference tie as the Panthers clawed Neshaminy (2-2, 0-1) – 20-17. The Panthers had not beaten Neshaminy since 1991. WT scored on an 18-yard scoring pass from Joe Lutz to Jimmy Lewicki with less than two seconds left in the game to secure the win. Lutz completed eight passes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jeff Ledford scored a receiving touchdown, while Cameron Jenkins scored a rushing touchdown for the winners.
Council Rock North (1-3, 0-1) led 10-7 at the half but the Indians could not hold off Abington (3-1, 1-0) in a 19-17 loss. Rock North scored on a 50-yard touchdown run by AJ Nielsen and on a 13-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Brandon Mcllwain to Matt Carbo. Mcllwain completed 11 passes for 79 yards. Max Pedinoff booted a 31-yard field goal for the Indians.
Next: William Tennent Panthers @ Council Rock North Indians
Last Year: Council Rock North 20 – William Tennent 9.
Neshaminy (2-2, 0-1) was upset in the final seconds as the Redskins lost a 20-17 contest to William Tennent (2-2, 1-0). Neshaminy led 10-6 at the half and 17-13 with just 1:10 left in the fourth period. Hugh Hart fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Denny Lord to give the Skins the lead late in the game. Neshaminy outgained Tennent 343 yards to 245 yards of total offense but could not beat the Panthers on the scoreboard.
Harry S Truman (2-2, 0-1) had a brutal conference opener as the Tigers were caged by Pennsbury (2-2, 1-0) – 51-2. The good news for Truman was that the game was competitive on the scoreboard in the first half with the Falcons holding a 14-2 lead. Truman managed just 87 total yards of offense and only six first downs. The lone score came when Pennsbury snapped the ball out of its own end zone for a safety.
Next: Neshaminy Redskins @ Harry S Truman Tigers
Last Year: Neshaminy 31 – Truman 0.
Continental Conference
Central Bucks South (4-0, 1-0) remained unbeaten as the Titans rolled to a 49-21 victory over winless Hatboro-Horsham (0-4, 0-1). Super Soph Josh Adams rushed the ball 28 times for 325 yards and scored four touchdowns. The Titans rushed for a total of 380 yards. Quarterback Jon Pileggi completed 12 of 15 passes that included a nine-yard touchdown pass to Matt Weeks. Weeks caught five passes for 55 yards.
Souderton (3-1, 1-0) opened its conference schedule with a victory as the Indians collected a 28-17 win over Central Bucks West (2-2, 0-1). Anthony Williams raced for 109 yards on 12 carries and scored on touchdown runs of two and 60 yards. Dan Knight and Jarrett Reinhard each scored solo touchdowns for the Big Red. Souderton rushed for 223 yards.
Next: Souderton Indians @ Central Bucks South Titans
Last Year: Souderton 44 – Central Bucks South 42.
Pennridge (3-1, 0-0) handed Academy Park (3-1) its first loss of the season as the Rams throttled the Park in a non-league contest – 37-15. Junior running back Michael Class scored a total of four touchdowns to spark the victory. Class scored on scoring runs of one and 73 yards and rushed for 214 yards on 21 carries. Class also scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Alex Krivda and on a 64-yard kick off return. The Rams accumulated 398 yards of total offense. Krivda also threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Micah Stutzman.
Central Bucks West (2-2, 0-1) opened its conference schedule with a loss as the Bucks were defeated by Souderton – 28-17. Central Bucks West led 3-0 early and scored on a pair of long distance touchdowns. Kevin Duggan scored first on an 80-yard run, while quarterback Cody Riemenschneider fired a 51-yard scoring pass to Kurt Logan.
Next: Pennridge Rams @ Central Bucks West Bucks
Last Year: Pennridge 21 – Central Bucks West 10.
North Penn (2-2, 1-0) opened its defense of a conference title with a 42-7 victory over Central Bucks East (2-2, 0-1). Steve Gozur rushed for 102 yards and scored three touchdowns to highlight the Knight attack. North Penn pounded out 24 first downs and 467 yards of total offense. North Penn split quarterback duties between Mike Berstecher and Austin Shearer. Berstecher completed seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, while Shearer completed nine passes for 108 yards.
Quakertown (1-3, 0-0) took a trip to the Poconos as the Panthers were defeated by Pocono Mountain East – 41-21 – in a non-conference game. Mike Sawyer scored all three touchdowns for Quakertown with two rushing scores and a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown. Shannon Gibat – a member of the Panther girl’s soccer team – was the place kicker for Quakertown.
Next: Quakertown Panthers @ North Penn Knights
Last Year: North Penn 35 – Quakertown 0.
Central Bucks East (2-2, 0-1) could do little to stop defending conference champion North Penn (2-2, 1-0) as the Patriots were humbled by the Knights – 42-7. The lone touchdown for CB East came in the second period on a one-yard run by Chris Burian. Quarterback Zach Nielson completed 13 of 16 passes for 166 yards. Vince Careghini caught six passes for 76 yards.
Hatboro-Horsham (0-4, 0-1) remained winless for the season as the Hatters were topped by unbeaten Central Bucks South (4-0, 1-0) – 49-21. Hatboro-Horsham led 14-7 early in the game on the strength of a pair of touchdown runs by Luke Spahits. Spahits – who rushed for 100 yards on just eight carries – scored on runs of 55 and 20 yards. Steve Palo also scored on a one yard run for the Hatters.
Next: Central Bucks East Patriots @ Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
Last Year: Hatboro-Horsham 40 – Central Bucks East 14.
American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-1, 1-0) began its defense of a conference title as the Colonials marched to a 21-7 victory over Upper Moreland (2-2, 0-1). Terry Brown – who rushed for 110 yards on 13 carries – scored an offensive and defensive touchdown for PW. Brown scored on a 10-yard run and also found the end zone on a 30-yard interception return. Corey Kelly – who rushed for 75 yards on 12 carries – scored on a 30-yard run.
Cheltenham (3-1, 1-0) opened its conference schedule with a win as the Panthers clawed Springfield (3-1, 0-1) – 33-14. Senior Mark Thompson rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries. Thompson scored on a 50-yard run and caught a 56-yard scoring pass from Hyneef Dockery. Thompson caught two passes for 81 yards. Greg Morris carried eight times and scored a touchdown.
Next: Cheltenham Panthers @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Last Year: Plymouth Whitemarsh 30 – Cheltenham 12.
Norristown (1-3, 1-0) was a winner in its conference opener as the Eagles rallied for a 27-20 victory over winless Upper Merion (0-4, 0-1). The game was the first to be played at the new home of Norristown – the Norristown High School Athletic Complex. Darius Wills scored a pair of touchdowns for the Birds – one of 60 yards – and the other for what proved to be game winner from nine yards out. Joe Smith – who rushed for an even 100 yards on 13 carries – scored on a 46-yard run in the fourth period.
Upper Dublin (2-2, 0-1) could not limit the big plays as the Cardinals were clipped by Wissahickon (3-1, 1-0) – 41-21. Mike Lee scored a pair of touchdowns for UD – one on a 90-yard run late in the game – and the other on a two-yard run. Khalid Weems scored on a one-yard run at the outset of the second half, while quarterback John Derr ran for 88 yards and passed for 62 more yards.
Next: Norristown Eagles @ Upper Dublin Cardinals
Last Year: Upper Dublin 35 – Norristown 14.
Wissahickon (3-1, 1-0) exploded for 27 second quarter points as the Trojans marched to a 41-21 victory over Upper Dublin (2-2, 0-1). Gordon Bentley was the big-play master with a 63-yard touchdown reception and a 73-yard punt return. Khalil Boyd scored on a strip/lateral from Bentley and cruised 65-yard to pay dirt.
Springfield (3-1, 0-1) played its first Suburban One League contest in decades as the Spartans were defeated by Cheltenham (3-1, 1-0) – 33-14. Springfield quarterback Chris Stone scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns for the Spartans. Springfield had outscored non-league opponents by a staggering 112-20 coming into the contest.
Next: Springfield Spartans @ Wissahickon Trojans
Last Year: Did Not Play
Upper Moreland (2-2, 0-1) opened its conference schedule with a loss as the Golden Bears dropped a 21-7 contest to defending conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh. The lone score of the game for Upper Moreland came in the fourth period on a touchdown pass from Charlie Hooker to Tyler Whitmore. Hooker completed 16 passes – seven to Dan Cummings. Robert Knox rushed for a team-high 60 yards on 22 carries,
Upper Merion (0-4, 0-1) remained winless for the season as the Vikings lost a tough 27-20 contest to host Norristown (1-3, 1-0). Upper Merion – which has now lost 24 straight games – had a three touchdown pass performance from quarterback Carmen Fortino. Running back Hassan Gardner had a game-high 134 yards on 36 carries.
Next: Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ Upper Merion Vikings
Last Year: Upper Moreland 21 – Upper Merion 7.
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
1. Central Bucks South Titans (4-0)
2. Souderton Indians (3-1)
3. North Penn Knights (2-2)
4. Pennsbury Falcons (2-2)
5. Pennridge Rams (3-1)
6. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (3-1)
7. Wissahickon Trojans (3-1)
8. Abington Ghosts (3-1)
9. Neshaminy Redskins (2-2)
10. Cheltenham Panthers (3-1)
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