Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday in the District 1 Tournament. CB South/PW photos provided courtesy of Karla Donohoe, CB West/Downingtown East photos courtesy of Kim Supko, North Penn/Haverford photos courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography, Upper Dublin/Phoenixville photos courtesy of Shannon O’Sullivan & Springfield Twp/Pope John Paul photos courtesy of Michael Rice Photography. CLICK HERE to view Suburban One Sports’ FOOTBALL GALLERIES. Check back for galleries of all five games.
District 1 6A quarterfinals
#1 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 35, #8 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 0
(Final game stats provided by CB south)
The Titans may have been a heavy favorite to win Friday’s 1 versus 8 game, but coach Tom Hetrick wasn’t taking them lightly.
The Titans took just a 14-0 lead into halftime after a tightly contested first half but then blew the game open with a 21-point second half.
“Once you get this far in the playoffs, everyone is good,” CB South coach Tom Hetrick said. “PW has some very good football players. Dan Chang is a very good football coach. He gets those guys schemed up well, and their technique is sound.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. They have a real good defense, and they came out – we took a little bit of time getting some traction early on, but we just stayed the course. You have to keep grinding, you have to keep getting the yards and hope maybe the three-yard gain becomes – you pop one for 17 or you pop one for 20.
“We were able to do that because we just stayed consistent, stayed with the game plan. It’s a long football game. I was proud of our ability to not get frustrated early, just keep grinding.”
With five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, the Titans got on the scoreboard, thanks to a 20-yard touchdown run by quarterback Owen Pinkerton.
With the Titans clinging to that one-touchdown lead, they turned a fake punt into a touchdown when punter Cade Crim connected with sophomore Braylen Cape, who raced 60 yards for the score and a 14-0 lead heading into halftime.
Hetrick credited special teams coordinator Adam Collachi for a call that sent the Titans into halftime with a two-possession lead as well as momentum.
“That was his decision for the fake punt that put us up 14-0,” Hetrick said.
Jimmy Wade’s eight-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter gave the Titans a 21-0 lead, and then it was Pinkerton taking it in from seven yards out to make it a 27-0 game heading into the fourth quarter.
Cape closed out the scoring for the Titans with a six-yard TD run, and the successful two-point conversion gave South its final margin of victory.
“Our whole defense played lights out tonight,” Hetrick said. “Their tailback (Everett Baker) is a good player, 26 (Christian DiCiurcio) is a good fullback. We were able to largely do a pretty good job on the run game. They were throwing the ball around the field, and as a whole, we had bodies on bodies. We were covering people, and the defensive front three or four were getting after it all night.
“Eddie Bowen was and is relentless tonight. He was absolutely everywhere. He plays this game like a man possessed. He had a couple of sacks. He’s a very good football player, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s on my side.”
While the Titans’ stingy defense stole the spotlight, their offense was effective as
well.
“Jimmy Wade ran the ball a couple of times really well,” Hetrick said. “Braylen Cape made some plays, and Owen Pinkerton continues to make plays for us, so I was just happy with how the offense was able to stay the course.”
Sharing the load for the Titans’ ground game were Pinkerton (88 yards), Cape (78 yards) and Wade (65 yards).
The Colonials managed just 25 net rushing yards. Quarterback Caiden Leszczynski threw for 103 yards.
Wade’s six tackles – five solo – led the Titans’ defense while Bowen had five tackles, four solo that included two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Hetrick credited the contributions of his coaching staff in not only his team’s win Friday but in their remarkable season.
“Johnny Cataldo, my ‘D’ coordinator has done a great job,” Hetrick said. “This coaching staff – we’ve been together for a long time, and these guys are loyal. They’re just good people, they take care of these kids. We all speak the same football language, and that’s so important.
“I can’t say enough about the guys that coach with me. I just love them to death.”
Included on Hetrick’s coaching staff – in addition to Cataldo and Collachi – is offensive coordinator Bart Szarko.
Central Bucks South (12-0, 7-0 SOL) will host North Penn in a District 1 6A semifinal game Friday. Plymouth Whitemarsh saw its successful season end with a SOL American Conference title and an overall record of 9-3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-0-0-0 0
Central Bucks South 7-7-13-8 35
#3 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 35, #11 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 21
(Game info/stats courtesy of ADRobinson3 X/The Reporter)
There are defining moments in every game.
West’s came in the third quarter with the two teams deadlocked 14-14.
“There was this sequence of plays in the third quarter that really swung the entire outcome of the game,” West coach Rob Rowan said. “Jackson Lindenmuth blocked a field goal, and Vance Morelli returned it for a 70-yard touchdown. That put us up 21-14.
“The ensuing kickoff – we pinned them pretty deep, and we got a three-and-out, and that led to a relatively short field. Ry (Clemens) had an incredible run, and in a blink, it was 28-14. We were able to put another one on at the start of the fourth quarter and made it 35-14. At that point, we kind of broke it open.”
The Cougars – after driving to West’s 15 – were forced to settle for the field goal attempt after Clemens came up with a huge sack for an eight-yard loss and then a Downingtown East pass attempt was incomplete. That set the stage for Lindenmuth’s block and Morelli’s TD that gave the Bucks a lead they would not lose.
“Offensively, Vance Morelli stepped in and did some really nice things for us,” Rowan said. “He’s such a dangerous weapon, and he’s a guy that we just have so much trust in. He’s a big play waiting to happen, and we saw that on the blocked field goal, and he took it 70 yards back to the house.”
Earlier in the game, in the first half, the Bucks got on the scoreboard on a five-yard touchdown run by quarterback Noah Miller and then opened up a 14-7 lead when Clemens scored on a 16-yard run. The Cougars evened the score in the closing seconds of the half.
“(Downingtown East) had about 100 yards of offense in the first half, and it came on two really big plays in the pass game,” Rowan said. “Outside of that, I thought our defense played really well.
“We opened the game and scored on our first drive, moved the ball pretty methodically down the field. I don’t want to say we were in control because we weren’t – it was 14-14 at the half, but I felt that if we were playing our best, we would be able to find ways to win the game, and our guys did.”
After Morelli’s 70-yard touchdown run that gave the Bucks the lead for good, Clemens scored on a 50-yard touchdown run to make it a 28-14 game.
In the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, Miller’s 45-yard touchdown run on third-and-long put the Bucks on top 35-14 before the Cougars scored a late TD.
Rowan credited a player whose name doesn’t show up in the box score.
“Defensively, Matt Berman is a guy that’s been a key cog in the middle of the defense all year,” Rowan said. “I thought he played his best game this week. He was just excellent. He’s a guy that really stepped up in the moment.”
Miller led the Bucks with 27 carries for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He completed two passes for 44 yards. Clemens had 12 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns and connected on all five of his PATs.
Central Bucks West (10-2, 6-1 SOL) will travel to #2 Downingtown West for Friday’s District 1 6A semifinal.
“We go back-to-back Downingtowns,” Rowan said. “I have never played them in the seven years I’ve been here. This will be the first time, and that was the first time we played Downingtown East.
“I think it’s great – our program has so much tradition and pride, and the Downingtowns certainly have a lot of tradition and pride. I just think it’s great for high school football.”
Downingtown East 0-14-0-7 21
Central Bucks West 6-8-14-7 35
#4 NORTH PENN 29, #5 HAVERFORD 21
(Game info courtesy of @DTMattSmith X/Delaware County Times)
In classic district quarterfinal battle that featured some impressive plays by running backs on both sides, one of the game’s biggest plays was a blocked punt.
It came late in the second quarter with the Knights trailing 8-7.
“I thought we were going to block a punt the whole week,” North Penn coach Dick Beck said. “I just felt like we were going to get one. We had practiced it for the last three weeks.
“I liked it last week, but I just couldn’t get the right opportunity. I felt like I could be aggressive on this one. With their running back (Liam Taylor), you want to take your chances where you get your chances.”
The Knights’ coach picked the perfect spot, and junior Aiden Ashley delivered, blocking the punt that was scooped up by senior Cole D’Ambrosio and taken to the Fords’ 12-yard line. Matt Bucksar did the rest, connecting with Matt Pownall for a touchdown that – after Bucksar ran it in for the two-point conversion – sent the Knights into halftime with a 15-8 lead.
“We struggled a little bit on offense,” Beck said. “I thought we left a couple of touchdowns on the field in the first half.
“We had a couple of open receivers – threw it over his head, dropped an open pass that would have been a nice gain. A couple of mental errors one way or the other, but the blocked punt was huge. Cole D’Ambrosio scooped it and ran to the 12, and then Matt (Bucksar) threw a great pass for a touchdown to Matt Pownall.”
Bucksar’s TD pass came with just 31 seconds remaining in the half, still plenty of time for the Fords to throw a scare into the Knights.
“At the end of the first half, there was 30 seconds to go,” Beck said. “They have the ball on their own 30-yard line, so we line up in a loose coverage. They run trap for 60 yards down to the 15- or 20-yard line. We stopped them the next play, and then they tried to kick a field goal, and they missed it.”
Haverford tied the score at 15 late in the third quarter, but the Knights answered when – on fourth-and-three – Josiah Coleman took it to the house from 41 yards out, putting the Knights on top 22-15 heading into the final frame.
Late in the fourth quarter, Pownall came up with a huge interception and then – on his team’s ensuing possession – raced 79 yards for a touchdown that put the Knights on top 29-15.
Forty seconds later, the Fords score on a 52-yard completion to make it a 29-21 game with 1:04 remaining. The Knights recovered the Fords’ on-sides kick, and a win was ensured.
“Josiah Coleman had an incredible touchdown run and then Matt Pownall had a big
touchdown run at the end,” Beck said. “I think their running back (Liam Taylor) ran the ball at least 40 times.
“I think the quarterback only kept it once on the option, and he didn’t pitch the ball once on the option. The back is so slippery – once he finds the crease, you’re like – ‘Uh oh, he’s in the secondary, and you’ve got to tackle him.’ If they had 45 plays, the running back probably carried the ball 40 times. They’re tough to figure out in one week because they run that option.” The Knights’ coach credited the efforts of several players on the defensive side of the ball.
“Vinnie Montmore and Jack Silvers, and I thought Nate Schepian and Azarias Fortson really, really played well for us at the end position,” Beck said. “Cole D’Ambrosio and Christian Johns-Wallace have been so good for us at linebacker. I think they were big factors tonight.”
North Penn (10-2, 5-2 SOL) will travel to top-seeded Central Bucks South for a District 1 6A semifinal Friday. The Titans defeated the Knights 14-8 in their regular season meeting Oct. 4.
Haverford 8-0-7-6 21
North Penn 7-8-7-7 29
District 1 5A quarterfinal
#6 UPPER DUBLIN 35, #3 PHOENIXVILLE 28
(Game info courtesy of @EdMorrone X/ The Mercury)
Fans might have gotten the idea that it was going to be a wild one when the two teams combined for 21 points just over three minutes into the game.
And in a contest that came down to the wire, it was the Flying Cardinals escaping with yet another close win. Turns out they’re pretty used to nail biters. Three times this season, UD won one-score games – twice on the final plays of the game.
“I think that helped us – we’re not afraid of the moment,” UD coach Bret Stover said, going on to describe the game’s wild start. “It was 14-7, and there was still nine minutes left in the first quarter.
“They ran their first play for an 80-yard touchdown run. We went right back down and tied it on a touchdown pass (Kevin Etkin to Ryan O’Sullivan for a 16-yard TD). They ran the kickoff back to our 10-yard line and scored.”
The Cards tied it on a two-yard touchdown run by Jordan Fields.
Early in the second quarter, Etkin connected with Fields, who took it 60 yards for the score and a 21-14 UD lead.
Again, the Fords answered – this time with a 90-yard kickoff return, and the two teams went into halftime deadlocked 21-21.
“It was like we were all saying – what is going on?” Stover said. “But no one panicked, no one yelled at each other. We were moving the ball. They didn’t really have any continuity on offense.
“I’ve been in those games where you get the kickoff return or the pick 6, whatever it might be, and as a play caller, you never get in the flow. I think that happened to them a little bit. The wind was also a factor, and it was really blowing hard one way on the field.”
The second half started on a shaky note for the Cards, who drove down the field but saw the drive end when the Cards fumbled the ball into the end zone.
“We got all the way down – we have a seven-and-a-half or eight-minute drive,” Stover said. “Jordan spins out – he bounces twice, and then the ball pops into the end zone, and the officials called it a fumble, a touchback.”
It was a call that raised eyebrows on the UD sidelines, but the Cards rebounded and scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Etkin connected with O’Sullivan for an eight-yard touchdown.
“They had something going,” Stover said of the Etkin to O’Sullivan connection. “Whenever we needed conversion or moving the chains, we went there.”
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Phantoms evened the score 28-28. With 32 seconds remaining, Etkin found O’Sullivan for his third touchdown pass of the night – this one from 22 yards out to put the Cards on top 35-28.
“They scored with seven minutes left, and we literally went all the way down the field from our 20,” Stover said. “Third-and-short, first down; fourth-and-short, first down and just ate the rest of the fourth quarter up, which was awesome, and we scored with 32 seconds left – Kevin to O’Sullivan again, and you’re like, ‘What just happened?’
“We had a crazy play at the end. They tried to do a hook-and-ladder.
We hit the kid as he was pitching it, the ball goes forward, and we recovered the fumble. They ruled it was an illegal forward pass. There was only 12 seconds left at this point. They had one more heave, it fell incomplete, we knelt on it, and here we are. We’re in the final four.”
The UD coach – after his team survived another close one – gave credit to his players.
“When you get to November, your players have to step up,” Stover said. “I told the kids – ‘Just make the plays. The play doesn’t care who makes them. They’re going to be out there tonight – go out there and make them.’
“O’Sullivan, Etkin and (Eric) Berman offensively. Freshman (Tyler) Greenberg with another big pick for us. His brother is an inside linebacker for us, and he played very well up front. Everybody contributed.
“It was a total team effort even though we gave up big special teams plays and things you’re not really proud of. It was interesting to see (Phoenixville) implode and start yelling at each other. That’s when you know you have them on the hook, and you’ve got to finish them off, and we got them to that point. I honestly think because we were in some of the games we were in this year – I think what we’ve experienced, and this coaching staff we have – it’s certainly not all me, but this coaching staff didn’t let us get off the rails. Everybody was on the track, we still had the same goal, we stayed with the game plan. Ed (Wall) came up with a great game plan. Except for the first play, I think we kept them in check offensively.
“I’m just happy to have one more week with these guys.”
Upper Dublin (9-3, 6-1 SOL) will travel to #2 West Chester Rustin for Friday’s District 1 5A semifinal contest. Rustin routed Chester 45-16 in a quarterfinal game Friday.
Upper Dublin 14-7-0-14 35
Phoenixville 14-7-0-7 28
District 1 4A final
#1 POPE JOHN PAUL II 49, #2 SPRINGFIELD TWP 7
The dust had not settled on Friday night’s season-ending loss when coach Chris Shelly asked his players to head to the bus – the Spartans’ final postgame meeting would take place back at the field that meant so much to all of them.
The tears, the farewells, they would wait until they were back home again.
“I’m so, so proud of them,” Shelly said. “I really didn’t want to talk to these guys here. I want to go back to our field and talk to them in our locker room.
“These guys have meant so much to me – they’re so special to me. The way we went out was not what we wanted, but we still have a chance to look on it with more perspective and see how much we did as a football team this year.”
The game began out on a shaky note for the Spartans, who fumbled on their second play from scrimmage. The Panthers took over at the Springfield 30 and punched it in three minutes into the game.
The Spartans had an answer, marching 45 yards for the equalizer when quarterback Jack McGuckin scored on a two-yard run midway through the quarter. CJ Johnson delivered the big play on the drive, taking it 31 yards to PJP’s four-yard line.
With 8:23 remaining in the second quarter, the Panthers took a 14-7 lead. It marked the beginning of a 21-0 tear to close out the half that sent the Panthers into halftime with a 28-7 lead.
PJP added three touchdowns into the third quarter, and the Spartans – who advanced to the district final for the first time in nine years – saw a special season come to an end.
Springfield Twp closed out its season with a 9-3 record, 4-1 in the SOL.
Springfield Twp 7-0-0-0 7
Pope John Paul II 7-21-21-0 49
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