Pennridge’s P-Block was the 12th man during the Rams’ memorable run to the District One AAAA semifinals.
By Mary Jane Souder
PERKASIE – There was no hiding the immense disappointment the players were feeling after Pennridge’s 35-24 season-ending loss to Spring-Ford in a District One AAAA semifinal game on Saturday afternoon.
But it wasn’t only the players.
Equally disappointed were the fans, most notably the students who occupied the Rams’ student section, better known as P-Block.
“It’s depressing for us too,” said senior Joe Garrity, one of the leaders of P-Block. “It’s our senior year, it’s the last time we’re cheering for them on the football field. It’s different now.”
Garrity went from one Ram player after another in a poignant postgame scene on Poppy Yoder Field, offering a hug or a word of encouragement.
“They mean everything to us, everything,” senior Andy Graff said of the students who comprise P-Block. “They’re our 12th man.
“It’s the best feeling ever when they’re chanting your name because you did something good. Even the kids that don’t play, they still cheer them on.
“At school, they’re more jacked up than we are. They’re just nuts. They give us mottos every week. They’re a big inspiration to us.”
Just as the Rams reached new heights this season, so did their student section.
“We do this every year,” said senior Jesse Roehrer, the leader of P-Block. “Since my freshman year, this has been the biggest group that we have ever had.
“We’ve gotten so many people to come out. We just try to get the team hyped up and get in the other team’s head and just cheer on the team as hard as possible.”
“We do things to get them pumped up,” Garrity added. “We find out information about the other team, we know the other team’s roster, we know undercover stuff. We just help them out. We get them pumped up the Thursday before, the Friday of the game. We’re always out there with them. That’s why we call ourselves the 12th man.”
The P-Block had its rituals and superstitions. Occupying a spot at the top of the student section was a sign that read simply ‘Micahtron’ in reference to junior wide receiver/defensive back Micah Stutzman.
“We’re very superstitious about it,” Garrity said. “Every time we had that sign we won. The one game we never should have lost against Bensalem we didn’t have that sign.”
P-Block has its own Facebook page and boasts 800-plus members. Their pregame ritual includes a tailgate, and when it’s game time, they are ready to go.
“Someone will think of a cheer, and we’ll tell someone on both ends, and they’ll alert everyone to the cheer,” Garrity said. “When we start the cheer, everyone follows up, and we just try to get as loud as we can.”
“When we can, we like to cheer with the cheerleaders,” Roehrer said. “We’ll sing along with the band when we can. As much noise as possible, as many people as possible – if that means screaming with the band and screaming with the cheerleaders, we’ll do anything to get loud.”
Both Roehrer and Garrity are veterans of P-Block. They’ve been part of it since they were freshmen.
“Freshman year I wasn’t in the front row, I was in the back,” Roehrer said. “No one really knew me. It just feels great to know that the more I stayed with it - I had more power and I became a leader. It just feels great.”
“The best part is helping out,” Garrity said. “I have been best friends with all the football players since my freshman year, and just to see them out there and how well (they did) this year – it means a lot to me.”
For the Rams’ quarterfinal district showdown against Pennsbury, Roehrer was painted green and was the letter ‘N’ emblazoned on his chest.
“This was a spur of the moment thing,” Roehrer said. “It was a little crazy, but I think it’s great. Everyone loves it. Anything to get fired up. It’s for the good of the team.”
And just as the players anticipated games, so did the members of P-Block.
“All week walking through the halls, seeing the football players - every day we go around hype up all the football players, make sure they’re ready to go and make sure everything’s perfect,” Garrity said.
“You’re sitting in class tapping your foot just waiting for Friday,” Roehrer said.
Garrity pointed to the Rams’ win over Central Bucks South – then undefeated – as a highlight of the season.
“It was just a huge win,” he said. “Even the players said it – we helped them win it.”
Graff acknowledged that it had been a special season.
“We didn’t even care if we won,” he said. “ All we cared about was – we just want to play with each other. We just wanted to keep going.
“That’s what hurts the most – not being able to play with such a good group of kids. This is my absolute favorite season by far, and I have played football since I was five. I love this team more than anything.”
And that love extended beyond the sidelines to the student section known simply as P-Block, the 12th man of a Rams’ squad that will forever occupy a special place in the program’s history.
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