North Penn, Neshaminy & Upper Dublin were winners in Friday’s opening round of the District One Tournament. Neshaminy/Pennridge photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. CB South/Garnet Valley photo provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of Neshaminy/Pennridge and CB South/Garnet Valley game photos as well as Keith Clemens’ photos of the North Penn/Haverford game…CLICK HERE.
Stats used in the wraps are provided courtesy of Calkins Media. For complete high school football coverage, visit the web sites: http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/fall/football/ and http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/fall/football/
Ten SOL teams were in action when the District One Tournament got underway Friday night, but when the dust had settled, only three were still standing. It’s a stark contrast to 2015 when six SOL teams survived the first round – one in Class AAA (Upper Moreland) and five in Class AAAA, which featured an All-SOL semifinal (North Penn/Neshaminy and Pennsbury Upper Dublin).
In 6A, top-seeded North Penn cruised to an opening round win over 16th-seeded Haverford, but second-seeded Neshaminy had its hands full with 15th-seeded Pennridge before eking out a win. Upper Dublin remained alive with a convincing win in 5A.
CLASS 6A
#1 NORTH PENN 56, #16 HAVERFORD 7
Workmanlike was the word coach Dick Beck used to describe his team’s performance in its demolition of the visiting Fords. The Knights took a modest 14-7 lead into the second quarter and then reeled off 28 unanswered points to go into halftime with a 42-7 lead.
“I thought the O line – of all the games – tonight they really shined,” Beck said. “We moved the ball with a lot of consistency, running the ball up front – running at them.”
The offensive line – a question mark because of its inexperience at the beginning of the season – has become yet another strength of the team. Comprising the line are Keith Caputo (left tackle), Joe Cataldi (left guard), Matt Bevan (center), Ryan Cody (right guard) and Bobby Ryan (right tackle) along with tight ends Owen Thomas and Nick Vasger.
“They were pretty good tonight,” Beck said.
A testament to their effectiveness was the Knights’ ability to move the football. They finished the night with 237 yards on the ground, effectively spreading the ball around between a long list of running backs. Sophomore Xzavier Gorski – who saw action in the second half – led the Knights with 69 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Quarterback Reece Udinski also was on top of his game, connecting on 11-of-15 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.
“Reece was almost spot on tonight,” Beck said. “I think he threw one bad pass the whole night.”
Nick Dillon put the Knights on the board with a one-yard touchdown at the 9:50 mark of the first quarter, and his second of four one-yard touchdowns gave the Knights a 14-0 lead.
The Fords briefly made things interesting when wide receiver Jordan Mosley hauled in a Jake Ruane pass and took it 65 yards to the house to make it a 14-7 game.
But not for long.
Dillon’s third one-yard TD to open the second quarter ignited the 28-0 tear that – after a Ricky Johns interception – included a Udinski one-yard TD run, a four-yard TD pass from Udinski to Nick Vasger as well as Dillon’s fourth one-yard touchdown that sent the Knights into halftime with a 35-point lead.
As impressive as the Knights were offensively, they were equally dominant on defense, shutting out the Fords over the final three quarters.
“Defensively, what can I say,” Beck said. “Our defensive front seven – we’re not big, but we’re very athletic. Kids run around, they’re aggressive.
“I loved our focus tonight. I was really happy about our focus.”
North Penn (11-0, 7-0 SOL) will host Spring-Ford in a quarterfinal game next week. The Rams defeated Central Bucks East 38-7.
Haverford 7-0-0-0 7
North Penn 14-28-7-7 56
#2 NESHAMINY 26, #15 PENNRIDGE 21
The Redskins survived an opening round scare to edge a gutsy Ram squad with 19 unanswered points in the second half, and any thoughts that the Rams wouldn’t be able to stay with the high-powered Redskins went out the window in a hurry in a first half that saw the visitors open up a 21-7 halftime lead.
“Our team played their hearts out tonight in an exciting game,” Pennridge coach Jeff Hollenbach said. “I am extremely proud of this team and the effort they put forth tonight on the field, this was a heartbreaking defeat for us.”
Jagger Hartshorn put the Rams on top 7-0 with an 11-yard touchdown run, but Oleh Manczyk hauled in a 72-yard touchdown pass from Mason Jones, and the two teams were deadlocked. Junior quarterback Oliver Jervis – in his first start – answered with an 81-yard TD pass to Ryan Cuthbert that gave Pennridge a 14-7 lead, and the Rams had officially served notice that this would be a war.
When Joe Devine returned a blocked punt 36 yards for a touchdown, the Rams led 21-7 at halftime.
“We didn’t take care of the ball, which is definitely uncharacteristic of our team and what we’ve done all year,” Neshaminy coach Steve Wilmot said. “You have to give Pennridge credit.
“They’re a tough team. When I saw that we drew Pennridge in the first round, my gut instinct was ‘Oh boy, that’s a tough draw.’ They’re well-coached, and they have good players, and we just didn’t take care of the ball in the first half. We had fumbles, we had a blocked kick, we had interceptions. We had some things that were uncharacteristic of things that we’ve been doing all year.”
In the third quarter, Manczyk – with a touchdown already to his credit – delivered a spectacular catch, shedding the defender who lost the battle for the ball and racing 76 yards for a touchdown to make it a 21-14 game.
“Obviously, Mason has to get him the ball, and Mason got him the ball very well in the second half,” Wilmot said of Manczyk. “But talk about going out there and making plays, he went out there and made some big-time plays in the first half and the second half.
“He was just on fire. He’s a young guy. He doesn’t do everything perfect. Zach Tredway was a little hobbled – he had a bone bruise on his leg from the previous game, so he wasn’t the same old Zach Tredway, but Oleh definitely picked up the slack. Again, he doesn’t run every rout perfect, but athletically, he just makes some plays.”
With the Redskins trailing 21-14, Jones found Mike Garlick with a five-yard touchdown pass. A penalty erased the successful extra point, and the Rams blocked the second try, allowing Pennridge to maintain a 21-20 lead.
“I’ll tell you the truth – that extra point didn’t bother me at all because we had to score again to win anyway,” Wilmot said. “It is what it is.
“We had to score anyway, and that’s what everyone was saying on the sidelines.”
The Redskins took a lead they would not lose when Jones found Manzyk with an 11-yard touchdown pass that put the ‘Skins on top 26-21. The Rams turned the ball over on downs, and a Redskins win was ensured.
“The game was similar to our first game with them in that we had the lead in the middle of the fourth quarter and could not hold on,” Hollenbach said.
In the early season meeting, the Redskins rallied for a 31-14 lead, and they did it again on Friday.
“We’re very pleased,” Wilmot said. “Our team showed a lot of heart.
“Pennridge showed a lot of heart. They had a lot going on over the course of the week. Coach Hollenbach said they had the funeral for their player who died (Iziah Lewis) this morning, so it was an emotional game for them, but I think our guys showed a whole bunch of heart being able to come back after the adversity of the first half.
“We made some key fourth down plays. Cory Joyce had a key fourth down reception to keep a drive alive, and that was really important. With Zach out, we switched our formations around so that Cory was in the middle. We put Oleh by himself where Zach usually is.”
The Rams finished the game with 228 total yards but most of that came in the first half as the Redskins’ defense stood tall in the second half.
“Our defense played very well tonight,” Wilmot said. “I think coach (Neil) French and coach (Jay) Weidenbaugh had a real good plan.
“They did get some passes on us, but overall, I was real happy with the way we stopped their run game.”
While the Rams had three interceptions – all in the first half, Jacob Gordon delivered an interception for the ‘Skins.
“He’s done that for us all year,” Wilmot said. “That was his seventh of the year. He’s no stranger to interceptions, and he played good as usual. Our whole defense played pretty good.”
Jones – who had 40 pass attempts – finished the night with 263 yards and four touchdowns. Manczyk was on the receiving end of six passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Will Dogba quietly had another 100-yard night with 122 yards on 28 carries.
For the Rams, Jervis threw for 128 yards and a TD.
While Pennridge (5-6, 3-3 SOL) is off until its Thanksgiving Day game at Quakertown, Neshaminy (11-0, 6-0) will host 10th-seeded Garnet Valley in a quarterfinal game next week. The Jaguars upset seventh-seeded Central Bucks South 21-14.
Pennridge 14-7-0-0 21
Neshaminy 7-0-7-12 26
#10 GARNET VALLEY 21, #7 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 14
The visiting Jaguars scored a touchdown with 11 seconds left, breaking a 14-14 tie and sending the Titans to a heartbreaking defeat.
Making the loss even more difficult to swallow was the fact that the Titans – who never trailed – took a 14-7 lead into the final quarter when the Jaguars closed it out with 14 unanswered points.
Earlier, Sam Thompson’s 20-yard touchdown run gave the Titans a 7-0 lead after one quarter, but the Jaguars answered with a TD in the second quarter to make it a 14-14 game at the half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Thompson’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Jack Gardy gave South a lead it held until the final quarter.
Thompson accounted for the bulk of South’s offense with 241 yards, throwing for 162 yards and one TD and rushing for 79 yards and one touchdown.
Central Bucks South (5-1) closed out its season with an 8-3 record. Garnet Valley will travel to Neshaminy for a second round game.
Garnet Valley 0-7-0-14 21
Central Bucks South 7-0-7-0 14
#8 SPRING-FORD 38, #9 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 7
The Patriots lost quarterback Matt Szczypiorski to an injury in the first quarter, and they never found their stride. The Rams led 14-0 after one quarter and took a 28-0 lead into halftime on their way to the win.
East managed just 164 total yards while the Rams had 356.
Central Bucks East (4-2 SOL) closed out its season with an 8-3 record. Spring-Ford will travel to North Penn for next week’s quarterfinal.
Central Bucks East 0-0-7-0 7
Spring-Ford 14-14-7-3 38
#6 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 33, #11 SOUDERTON 21
The Indians didn’t win their opening round game, but they gave the favored Cougars all they could handle in a contest that saw the two teams enter the final quarter deadlocked 14-14.
“There are no regrets here,” coach Ed Gallagher said. “Our players gave everything they had. They just came up a little short.
“I’m very proud of their efforts – they made a point of restoring the pride in Souderton football, and I hope the underclassmen will follow their example and give the same effort next year.”
The Indians took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter when Joey Curotto found Brandon Taranga with a 28-yard touchdown pass. The Cougars answered with a TD of their own, but a Koby Khan six-yard touchdown run allowed the Indians to regain the lead. A late score by the Cougars knotted the score at halftime.
Downingtown East took its first lead of the night in the fourth quarter and never relinquished it. Khan tacked on his second touchdown run of the night, but it wasn’t enough.
Khan closed out his high school career with another big night, finishing with 178 yards and two touchdowns. Curotto threw for 159 yards in a contest that saw the Indians finish with 363 yards while limiting the Cougars to 257.
Gallagher lauded the strong offensive performances of Khan, Taragna an Curotto.
“The defense also played well,” the Indians’ coach said. “Jack Morgan, Shane Day and Ben Yerk led the way.”
Both Taranga and Yerk had interceptions for the Indians.
Souderton (2-4 SOL) closed out a successful year with a 6-5 record and their first trip to the postseason since 2010.
Souderton 0-14-0-7 21
Downingtown East 0-14-0-19 33
#4 COATESVILLE 42, #13 ABINGTON 0
The Ghosts ran into a powerful Raider squad that turned a fumble recovery into an early touchdown. At the end of one quarter, Coatesville led 21-0 and never looked back, limiting the Ghosts to 185 total yards of offense.
Darryl Davis-McNeill – a question mark heading into the game – was a workhorse for the Ghosts, finishing 76 yards on 30 carries. Quarterback Billy Griffenburg threw for 123 yards.
While Coatesville will face fifth-seeded Ridley in a quarterfinal game, Abington (5-1 SOL) closed its season with a 6-5 record. The Ghosts – who were coming off a one-win season – will look to build on the foundation laid in Kevin Conlin’s first year at the helm.
Abington 0-0-0-0 0
Coatesville 21-7-7-7 42
35 RIDLEY 35, #12 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 7
CLASS 5A
#4 UPPER DUBLIN 34, #13 STRATH HAVEN 20
The Black Knights got on the scoreboard with 3:27 remaining in the first quarter, but the Flying Cardinals had an answer. Boy, did they have an answer, reeling off 34 unanswered points before the Knights scored a pair of late touchdowns. By that time, UD’s starters were watching from the bench.
“We didn’t come out of the locker room ready to play,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “I guess I’ll take the hit for that.
“Strath Haven’s touchdown sure woke us up. There is a feeling out process playing teams for the first time.”
Justin Horn’s 10-yard touchdown run knotted the score 7-7 early in the second quarter. The Cardinals took a lead they would not lose when Naiim Huff took it in from 29 yards out, and Huff’s second TD of the quarter sent the Cardinals into halftime with a 20-7 lead.
Horn’s four-yard touchdown run – his second of the game – put the Cardinals on top 27-7, and Malik Bootman’s 36-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the third quarter capped a dazzling 34-0 run for the Cardinals.
Strath Haven scored a pair of meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter against UD’s jayvee.
“They got two late scores, but I’m glad we got our young guys into a playoff game,” Stover said. “I think it helps your program progress year to year.”
A key to the win was the play of the Cardinals’ defense. Mike Cottom and Max Winebrake each intercepted a pass, and Bootman had a fumble recovery. The Cardinals turned those three turnovers into 21 points and a big win.
Upper Dublin (9-1, 6-1 SOL) will host fifth-seeded West Chester Henderson in a second round game next week. Henderson crushed 12th-seeded Sun Valley 42-16.
“We are going to need every hand on deck to keep playing,” Stover said. “We need to clean up some things going forward or our trip this offseason will be short lived.”
Strath Haven 7-0-0-13 20
Upper Dublin 0-20-14-0 34
#3 MARPLE NEWTOWN 35, #14 UPPER MORELAND 7
Sterlen Barr’s four-yard touchdown run with a minute remaining accounted for the Golden Bears’ lone score. The Bears managed just 159 total yards with Barr finishing with 95 yards on 24 carries to lead the way.
Marple Newtown seized control of the game early, opening up a 13-0 lead after one quarter and extending that to 21-0 at halftime. That lead grew to 35-0 before Barr broke up the shutout bid.
Upper Moreland (5-6, 3-4 SOL) is off until its Thanksgiving Day game at Hatboro-Horsham. Marple Newtown will face West Chester East in a quarterfinal game.
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-7 7
Marple Newtown 13-8-14-0 35
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