SOL Football Forecast (10-26-23)

Football Forecast – 9

By Scott Huff

NO-DOUBT-ABOUT-IT!!!!

The three Suburban One League conference championships were decided last week as the contenders battled for conference supremacy.

In the SOL National Conference, Central Bucks West (9-0) remained unbeaten with a no-doubt-about it 40-29 victory over previously unbeaten Central Bucks South (8-1). The Bucks also remained the No.1 ranked PIAA District One 6A team, while the Titans slipped to No. 6 in the same rankings.

In the SOL Continental Conference, Souderton (9-0) remained unbeaten with a no-doubt-about-it 31-6 victory over defending conference champion Upper Dublin (6-3).  The Indians are the No. 2 ranked PIAA District One 6A team, while the Flying Cardinals slipped to No. 7 in the 5A district rankings.

In the SOL American Conference, Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-1) remained unbeaten in conference play with a no-doubt-about-it 56-28 victory over Wissahickon (6-3).  The Colonials are the No. 4 ranked PIAA District One 5A team, while the Trojans slipped to the No. 13 ranking in the 6A district rankings.

The outcomes of last week’s games assured CB West, Souderton, and Plymouth Whitemarsh at the very least a share of the conference titles.  However – the Bucks, Indians, & Colonials can win outright championships with wins in the regular season finales for all three teams.

This week under the Friday Night Lights – Central Bucks West will host rival Central Bucks East (4-5); Souderton will host Bensalem (2-7); & Plymouth Whitemarsh will host Upper Moreland (4-5).  And those Bucks, Indians, & Colonials will all be clear favorites to capture those outright titles.

No-doubt-about it!!!

Stay tuned

Get The Point?!?!

Central Bucks East (4-5) and Pennridge (3-6) each lost painful one-point games last week – and both the Patriots and the Rams have been involved in several razor close losses this season that will most likely keep them out of the 16-team PIAA District One 6A playoffs.

CB East lost an excruciating 28-27 conference game to Neshaminy (4-5) last week.  The Patriots have already suffered agonizing losses to both Souderton (23-21) & Pennsbury (16-14).

CB East also lost one score games to both Central Bucks South (13-6) and North Penn (14-7).  The Pats have lost all 5 of its games this 2023 season by 7 points or less.

A point here – two points there – a touchdown here – a touchdown there – and the Patriots could be unbeaten @ 9-0, or 8-1, or 7-2, or 6-3, or 5-4.  And a playoff team.

Could have, would have, should have?

The reality, however, is that CB East may have to settle for being one of the most competitive 4-5 teams in District One at this point – and a team that might just be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Pennridge lost an excruciating 17-16 conference loss to North Penn (5-4) last week.  The Rams have also suffered a painful one-point loss to CB East (18-17).

A point here – two points there – and Pennridge could be 5-4 or even 4-5.  And a possible playoff team.

Could have, would have, should have?

The reality, however, is that Pennridge will have to settle for a losing season and fall into that dreaded ‘wait until next year’ category.  No district playoffs this season for the Rams.

There is still hope for East as the Patriots travel to historic War Memorial Field to play unbeaten rival CB West this week.  A win over the powerful Bucks would make them an attractive 5-5 team that could nudge its way into the playoffs – and would also give the Pats a share of the Central Bucks Cup.

Still a lot to play for head coach John Donnelly and his Central Bucks East Patriots.

And for Pennridge, the Rams still have a regular season game @ Central Bucks South – and will close out the season with their Thanksgiving morning classic with archrival Quakertown.

Still a lot to play for head coach Kyle Beller and his Pennridge Rams.

Stay tuned.

I Spy With My Little Eye

In the SOL National Conference, the game of the week will be the intense rivalry game @ Falcon Field between host No. 17 ranked Pennsbury (4-5) and No. 16 ranked visiting Neshaminy (4-5). 

The emotional rivalry game will have the added dimension of advancing to the PIAA District One 6A playoffs.  The winner is most likely ‘in’ and the loser is most likely ‘out’.

The Neshaminy resume has victories over Kensington (44-0), Abington (38-22), Pennridge (17-7) & Central Bucks East (28-27).  The Redskins have lost to Council Rock South (28-7), Downingtown West (42-17), North Penn (22-14), Central Bucks West (31-7) & Central Bucks South (42-0).

The Pennsbury resume has victories over William Tennent (45-0), Council Rock South (28-19), Central Bucks East (16-14) & Abington (41-12).  The Falcons have lost to Coatesville (29-7), Central Bucks West (20-3), Central Bucks South (24-13), Pennridge (15-14) & North Penn (27-24).

In the SOL Continental Conference, the game of the week will feature host Quakertown (5-4) versus defending conference champion Upper Dublin (6-3). 

The contest will have huge implications on seeding for the upcoming district playoffs. Currently the Panthers are the No. 11 ranked team in the 6A playoff rankings, while the Cardinals are the No. 7 ranked team in the 5A playoff rankings.

The Quakertown resume has victories over North Penn (38-17), Plymouth Whitemarsh (21-0), Bensalem (38-14), Council Rock North (50-8) & Harry S Truman (49-0).  The Panthers have lost to Southern Lehigh (28-21), Central Bucks West (40-20), Council Rock South (20-17) & Souderton (35-14).

The Upper Dublin resume has victories over Kennett (21-0), Bensalem (31-7), Wissahickon (53-42), Council Rock North (17-0), Council Rock South (17-10) & Harry S Truman (47-19).  The Cardinals have lost to Central Bucks West (37-7), North Penn (42-7) & Souderton (31-6).

In the SOL American Conference, the game of the week will showcase the 6A No. 18 ranked Cheltenham Panthers (4-5) versus the 6A No.13 ranked Wissahickon Trojans (6-3).

A victory in this game will continue the Panthers longshot journey to make the playoffs, while a win in this game may improve the seeding for the Trojans.

The Cheltenham resume includes victories over Springfield (26-19), Upper Moreland (20-14) & William Tennent (48-14) * CHS was awarded a win over Abington in a game that was suspended with the Panthers leading 14-7 in the third period. Cheltenham has lost to Chester (22-20), Wilson (40-26), Perkiomen Valley (27-12), Roman Catholic (32-12) & Plymouth Whitemarsh (42-13). 

The Wissahickon resume includes victories over Council Rock North (48-28), Hatboro-Horsham (41-40), Lower Merion (35-18), Simon Gratz (44-28), Upper Moreland (28-20), & William Tennent (35-14).  The Trojans have lost games to Upper Dublin (53-42), Springfield (29-28 in overtime) & Plymouth Whitemarsh (56-28).

The Suburban One League regular season concludes this week – and for those successful SOL teams – the 2023 regular season reward will begin next week in the PIAA District One Playoffs.

Stay tuned.

If the PIAA District One Playoffs were to begin after the first nine weeks of the season, the following Suburban One League teams would make the playoffs.  The top 16 ranked teams from both the 6A and 5A classification qualify for the postseason.

6A Classification

5A Classification

And the beat goes on…

SOL National Conference

Central Bucks East Patriots (4-5, 2-4) @ Central Bucks West Bucks (9-0, 6-0)

Last Year:

Central Bucks West 42 * Central Bucks East 26

Last Week:

Central Bucks East lost still another heartbreaker as the Patriots fell to Neshaminy, 28-27.  Jack Donnelly scored on a pair of touchdown passes from Dan Voglesong – one of 47 yards – and the other of 14 yards.  Dean Blackwell scored on a 5-yard run, while Vogelsong scored on a 1-yard keeper.

Central Bucks West remained unbeaten with a key 40-29 victory over previously unbeaten Central Bucks South.  Cooper Taylor threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Devin McGowan and scored on a 4-yard run.  Conor McFadden scored on runs of 11 & 46 yards, while Jack Williams scored on a pair of 1-yard TD runs.  Ryan Clemens rushed for a team-high 160 yards.

Prediction:

Central Bucks West Bucks 35 * Central Bucks East Patriots 20



Pennridge Rams (3-6, 2-4) @ Central Bucks South Titans (8-1, 5-1)

Last Year:

Central Bucks South 32 * Pennridge 23

Last Week:

Pennridge lost a heartbreaker to host North Penn, 17-16.  Sophomore quarterback Noah Keating fired a 37-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Gregoire and scored on a 1-yard run.  Aiden Hatfield kicked a 31-yard field goal for the Rams.

Central Bucks South lost for the first time this season as the Titans fell to unbeaten Central Bucks West, 40-29.  Owen Pinkerton had a spectacular day as he rushed for touchdown runs of 17 & 33 yards and fired a pair of touchdown passes – one to Anthony Leonardi for 58 yards – and the other to Sean Moskowitz for 35 yards.  Pinkerton rushed for a game-high 218 yards on 22 carries.

Prediction:

Central Bucks South Titans 28 * Pennridge Rams 14



Neshaminy Redskins (4-5, 3-3) @ Pennsbury Falcons (4-5, 2-4)

Last Year:

Pennsbury 35 * Neshaminy 0

Last Week:

Neshaminy snapped a 2-game losing streak as the Redskins edged Central Bucks East, 28-27.  Travis Lavelah stole the show with a spectacular 4-touchdown outing.  Lavelah rushed for a game-high 166 yards on 24 carries for the winners.

Pennsbury dismantled Abington, 41-12.  Nate Beighley fired 2 touchdown passes – the first one a 7-yard TD pass to Aiden Parker – and the other to CJ Wiser.  Jordan Brensinger scored on touchdown runs of 7 & 14 yards, while Jordan Czerniak scored on touchdown runs of 30 & 55 yards.

Prediction:

Pennsbury Falcons 27 * Neshaminy Redskins 17



Abington Ghosts (1-8, 0-6) @ North Penn Knights (5-4, 4-2)

Last Year:

North Penn 38* Abington 21

Last Week:

Abington remained winless in the conference as the Ghosts were defeated by Pennsbury, 41-12.  The offensive highlight was a pair of touchdown passes thrown by Michael Moynihan.

North Penn won for the third straight week as the Knights edged Pennridge, 17-16.  Amir Major scored on a 1-yard run, while Matt Bucksar scored on a 4-yard run.  Ryan Bocklet booted a 23-yard field goal and converted on both extra points to provide to margin of victory.

Prediction:

North Penn Knights 42 * Abington Ghosts 13

SOL Continental Conference

Upper Dublin Cardinals (6-3, 4-1) @ Quakertown Panthers (5-4, 3-2)

Last Year:

Upper Dublin 38 * Quakertown 8

Last Week:

Upper Dublin lost its first conference game as the Flying Cardinals were shot down by unbeaten Souderton, 31-6.  The lone score of the game for Upper Dublin came on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Etkin to Chris Kohlbrenner.

Quakertown received a game-breaking performance from Eddie Bittner as the Panthers shellacked Harry S Truman, 49-0.  Bittner scored 4 touchdowns in the game – 3 rushing scores – and a TD catch from Vince Micucci.  Gavin Carroll and Evan Hilton added rushing scores, while Reagan Payne had a ‘scoop-and-score’ touchdown for the winners.

Prediction:

Quakertown Panthers 24 * Upper Dublin Cardinals 17



Council Rock South Hawks (6-3, 3-2) @ Council Rock North Indians (2-7, 2-3)

Last Year:

Council Rock North 21 * Council Rock South 20

Last Week:

CR North lost a non-conference game to Hatboro-Horsham, 21-7.  The lone score of the game for Rock North came on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Gio Cozza to Grant Cappozzoli.

CR South snapped a 2-game losing streak with a 24-0 victory over Bensalem.  Chase Myers had himself a night rushing for close to 200 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns.  Ryan Small also scored a rushing TD for the Hawks, while Francis Rafferty kicked a field goal for the winners.

Prediction:

Council Rock Golden Hawks 24 * Council Rock North Indians 10



Bensalem Owls (2-7, 1-4) @ Souderton Indians (9-0, 5-0)

Last Year:

Souderton 45 * Bensalem 6

Last Week:

Bensalem scored 52 points in a win over Hatboro-Horsham 2 weeks ago, but followed that offensive explosion with a 24-0 shutout loss to Council Rock South.

Souderton remained unbeaten and took sole possession of first place with a 31-6 victory over Upper Dublin.  Michael McCormick scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 4 & 14 yards, while Ryan Sadowski scored on a 14-yard run.  Danny Dyches scored on a 65-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Ben Walsh, while placekicker Rylan Zuk booted a 33-yard field goal.

Prediction:

Souderton Indians 45 * Bensalem Owls 7

SOL American Conference

Cheltenham Panthers (4-5, 3-1) @ Wissahickon Trojans (6-3, 2-2)

Last Year:

Cheltenham 49 * Wissahickon 18

Last Week:

Cheltenham won for the third week in a row as the Panthers routed William Tennent, 48-14.  Quarterback Jonathan Ingram fired 4 touchdown passes – 3 to Zaire Williams – and another to AJ Gordon.  Jared Higginbotham, James Smith & Tre McLeod scored rushing touchdowns for the Panthers.

Wissahickon trailed powerful Plymouth Whitemarsh 28-21 at the close of the first half, but the Trojans were outscored 28-0 in the third period in a 56-28 loss to the Colonials.  Quasir Sampson scored 2 touchdowns for Wissahickon, whole Quentin West caught a 66-yard touchdown pass.

Prediction:

Cheltenham Panthers 35 * Wissahickon Trojans 31



Upper Moreland Bears (4-5, 2-2) @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (7-1, 4-0)

Last Year:

Plymouth Whitemarsh 56 * Upper Moreland 20

Last Week:

Upper Moreland snapped a 2-game losing streak with a 24-7 victory over Springfield.  Quarterback Alex Foley highlighted the offense as he tossed 3 touchdown passes for the Golden Bears.  Larry Hughes caught 2 of those TD strikes, while Aiden Tuffy caught the other scoring pass.

Plymouth Whitemarsh earned at least a share of the conference championship with a 56-28 victory over Wissahickon.  Everett Baker fueled the offense with 3 rushing touchdowns and returned a punt for a score.  Nazye Boggs scored 2 touchdowns for the Colonials, while Luke Winterbottom also added a rushing score.

Prediction:

Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials 42 * Upper Moreland Golden Bears 14



William Tennent Panthers (2-7, 0-4) @ Springfield Spartans (3-5, 1-3)

Last Year:

Springfield 50 * William Tennent 24

Last Week:

William Tennent remained winless in the conference as the Panthers were defeated by Cheltenham, 48-14.  The Panthers have now lost 5 straight games with their last win coming against Hatboro-Horsham, 24-6, in the third week of the season.

Springfield trailed Upper Moreland 10-7 @ the close of the first half, but the Spartans were outscored 14-0 in the second half in a 24-7 loss to the Golden Bears.

Prediction:

Springfield Spartans 21 * William Tennent Panthers 13

Non-Conference Game

Strath Haven Panthers (8-1) @ Harry S Truman Tigers (1-8)

Last Year:

Did Not Play

Last Week:

Strath Haven continued its excellent season as the Panthers crushed Haverford, 36-6.  Strath Haven is the No. 2 ranked 5A team in District One.

Harry S Truman lost for the sixth straight week as the Tigers were tamed by Quakertown, 49-0.  The last Truman win came in week three of the season when the Tigers defeated Abington, 13-6.

Prediction:

Strath Haven Panthers 49 * Harry S Truman Tigers 6

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