Photo courtesy of Kim Supko. For a complete gallery of photos, click on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f1050704496
Football Forecast - Volume 2
By Scott Huff
Just ask Jim Croce…..
You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger. And you don’t mess around with ……
Well, back in a day in the Suburban One League you didn’t mess around with North Penn. But those days of yesteryear are currently gone for the Knights.
Quakertown defeated North Penn 38-17 last week – the Panthers had not beaten the Knights in 44 years dating back to the 1979 season. NP lost the season opener to La Salle, 34-7.
Mighty North Penn has now lost eight of its last 14 games. And in those eight losses the Knights have allowed more than 30 points in five of those losses and over 40 points in the remaining three losses.
That list of setbacks in 2022 includes losses to La Salle (37-28), Upper Dublin (32-28), CB West (35-21), CB East (42-35), Pennsbury (44-34), and CB West (44-35).
Ouch!
That math calculates to a whopping average of 38.3 points allowed per loss for North Penn over the entire 2022 season and the first two games of this season.
However, despite that horrific number, NPHS was a PIAA District One 6A playoff team last year and finished the season with a 6-6 record. The Knights defeated Pennsbury 22-21 in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Central Bucks West 44-35 in the second round.
North Penn was both big and bad just two years ago in the 2021 season with an outstanding 11-1 record and a SOL National Conference championship. The only loss in that 2021 season came in the PIAA District One 6A playoffs against Ridley in a shootout, 56-55.
The Knights will try to avenge one of its 2022 losses when North Penn travels to Upper Dublin this week.
Stay tuned.
That Relentless Central Bucks Train Keeps Rolling Along
The trio of high schools that comprise the Central Bucks school district have gotten off to a magnificent start as CB West, CB East, and CB South are a collective 6-0 and have outscored the opposition by an even 100 points, 137-37.
The gold medal at this point of the season would have to go CB West. The Bucks have beaten the defending PIAA 6A District One champion Garnet Valley, 17-13. And the Black & Gold followed with a 37-7 thrashing of the defending PIAA 5A District One champion Upper Dublin.
The silver medal at this point of the season would have to go to CB East. The Patriots have the gaudiest offensive and defensive numbers having beaten a pair of teams from the SOL Continental Conference – Harry S Truman and Bensalem. East routed the Tigers 42-0 in the season opener and followed with a 36-0 rout of the Owls last week.
The bronze medal at this point of the season would have to go to CB South. The Titans edged Father Judge of the Philadelphia Catholic League, 13-10, and followed with a blowout win over Truman, 42-7.
The ‘season within a season’ comes when West, East, and South compete each year for the prestigious CB Cup.
Central Bucks South will be @ Central Bucks East on September 14th – Central Bucks South will be @ Central Bucks West on October 20th – and Central Bucks East will be @ Central Bucks West in the regular season finale on October 27th.
Stay tuned.
How ‘bout those Trojans……again! … and again?
Wissahickon head coach Rory Graver suffered through a dreadful 2022 in his first season leading the Trojans. Wissahickon finished the season 1-9 with only a win over William Tennent on its resume – also on that resume was a punishing 56-6 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh and a painful 47-0 loss to Upper Dublin.
Wissahickon is unbeaten in this 2023 season and has notched victories over both Council Rock North (48-28) and Hatboro-Horsham (41-40). And after capturing wins in those two non-conference games the surging Trojans are averaging a gaudy 44.5 points per game.
This week Wissahickon (2-0) will host Lower Merion (2-0) in another non-conference game. The Aces won their season opener by a 6-0 margin against a struggling Bensalem (0-2) and followed with a 14-6 overtime win against winless Upper Darby (0-2).
Who would have thunk that the Trojans could be unbeaten after the third week of the season?
Stay tuned.
Celebration Time!!
Abington head coach Terence Tolbert had his coaching debut marred two weeks ago by a Cheltenham student who carried a firearm to the Abington-Cheltenham opening night game. The game was suspended with the Panthers holding a 14-7 lead late in the third quarter. The contest will be concluded at a later date.
Abington had its ‘second’ season opener last week and the Ghosts played this game to conclusion as the Maroon & White presented Tolbert with his first head coaching victory with a resounding 44-7 non-conference win over Council Rock North.
Tolbert and his Ghosts will take on winless Harry S Truman this week and hope to remain unbeaten in the 2023 season.
Stay tuned.
And the beat goes on…
All Suburban One League Games are Non-League Games
Central Bucks East Patriots (2-0) @ Souderton Indians (2-0)
Last Year:
Central Bucks East 30 – Souderton 13
Last Week:
Central Bucks East punished Bensalem 36-0 as the Patriots marched to 390 yards of total offense. Dean Blackwell scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 3 and 30 yards. Dan Voglesong fired a 12-yard scoring pass to Jack Donnelly. Logan Simkiss threw a 58-yard scoring pass to Nicky Giordano, while Mike Price capped the East scoring with a rushing touchdown.
Souderton remained unbeaten with a harder than expected 19-14 non-conference victory over neighborhood rival Pennridge. The Indians trailed 14-0 and scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to secure the win. The touchdown makers for Souderton were Michael McCormick, Chase Johnson, and James McCoy.
Prediction:
Central Bucks East Patriots 28 – Souderton Indians 14
Central Bucks West Bucks (2-0) @ Quakertown Panthers (1-1)
Last Year:
Central Bucks West 56 – Quakertown 14
Last Week:
Central Bucks West avenged a 35-7 loss last season to Upper Dublin with a 37-7 non-conference victory over the Cardinals. Cooper Taylor scored on a 15-yard run, while Conor McFadden scored on a 61-yard run. Cooper fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to McFadden. Ryan Clemens scored on touchdown runs of 6 and 7 yards.
Quakertown shocked North Penn, 38-17, in a non-conference game. Vince Micucci sparked the offense as he fired 5 touchdown passes. Ed Bitner, Tanner Clancy, Gavin Carroll, each caught a single TD pass while Max Morris caught two scoring passes.
Prediction:
Central Bucks West Bucks 35 – Quakertown Panthers 14
Central Bucks South Titans (2-0) @ Council Rock North Indians (0-2)
Last Year:
Central Bucks South 56 – CR North 7
Last Week:
Central Bucks South remained unbeaten with a 42-7 non-conference victory over Harry S Truman. Corey Moore scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs, while Anthony Leonardi scored on an 8-yard scoring run. Owen Pinkerton tossed a pair of touchdown passes for the winners. Jack Mauz and Sebastian Pacchione also found paydirt for the Titans.
Council Rock North remained winless for the season as the Indians lost a 44-7 non-conference game to Abington. Rock North has been outscored 92-35 in its pair of losses this season.
Prediction:
Central Bucks South Titans 45 – Council Rock North Indians 7
Pennsbury Falcons (1-1) @ Council Rock South Hawks (2-0)
Last Year:
Pennsbury 41 – Council Rock South 6
Last Week:
Pennsbury captured its first win of the season as the Falcons soared to a 45-0 non-conference victory over William Tennent. Quarterback Nate Beighley threw a pair of touchdown passes – one to Aiden Parker of 10 yards – and the other to CJ Wiser of 26 yards. Beighley, DeRonn Adams, Jordan Czerniak, and Jacob Parada all scored rushing touchdowns for the winners.
Council Rock South Chase Ennis had a hand in each Golden Hawk score as Rock South handled Neshaminy, 28-7, in a non-conference game. Ennis fired touchdown passes to Caleb Christian and Chase Myers. Ennis scored on a pair of touchdown runs.
Prediction:
Pennsbury Falcons 24 – Council Rock South Golden Hawks 14
Abington Ghosts (1-0) @ Harry S Truman Tigers (0-2)
Last Year:
Abington 49 – HS Truman 7
Last Week:
Abington raced out to a 30-7 halftime lead and cruised to a 44-7 non-conference victory over Council Rock North. The coaching debut of Terence Tolbert was delayed as was the Ghosts opening round game with Cheltenham. As of now, Tobert and his Ghosts are unbeaten this season. Quarterback Mike Moynihan and Ryan Smith connected for a pair of touchdown passes to fuel the offense. Moynihan had three 3 TD passes.
Harry S Truman struggled for the second straight week as the Tigers were tamed by Central Bucks South, 42-7, in a non-conference game. Truman lost its season opener 42-0 against Central Bucks East.
Prediction:
Abington Ghosts 34 – Harry S Truman Tigers 13
Pennridge Rams (0-2) @ Bensalem Owls (0-2)
Last Year:
Pennridge 35 – Bensalem 0
Last Week:
Pennridge showed improvement from its opening season 43-0 loss to Downingtown East, but it wasn’t enough as the Rams lost a non-conference game to neighborhood rival Souderton, 19-14. Sam Kuhns scored both touchdown for the Green & White – one on a 95-yard kickoff return – and the other on a 5-yard run.
Bensalem is in search of both its first win and first points of the season as the Owls lost a 36-0 contest to Central Bucks East last week. The Owls were shut out 6-0 in the season opener against Lower Merion.
Prediction:
Pennridge Rams 20 – Bensalem Owls 6
North Penn Knights (0-2) @ Upper Dublin Cardinals (1-1)
Last Year:
Upper Dublin 32 – North Penn 28
Last Week:
Upper Dublin suffered a rare mercy-rule defeat as the Cardinals were beaten 37-7 in a non-conference game against Central Bucks West. The lone score of the game came on an 80-yard touchdown run by Shyne Roberts.
North Penn lost for the second time this season as the Knights were defeated in a non-conference game by Quakertown, 38-17. Jackson Shurmann scored a special teams touchdown with a 95-yard kickoff return. Matt Bucksar tossed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Marc Cobb, and Ryan Bocklet booted a field goal for the second week in a row.
Prediction:
North Penn Knights 28 – Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals 21
Downingtown West Whippets (2-0) @ Neshaminy Redskins (1-1)
Last Year:
Downingtown West 30 – Neshaminy 7
Last Week:
Downingtown West defeated Perkiomen Valley 35-14 in a non-conference game.
Neshaminy lost for the first time this season as the Redskins lost a 28-7 non-conference game to Council Rock South. The lone score of the game for Neshaminy came on a 4-yard touchdown run by Carter Clee.
Prediction:
Downingtown Whippets 35 – Neshaminy Redskins 14
Lower Merion Aces (2-0) @ Wissahickon Trojans (2-0)
Last Year:
Did not play
Last Week:
Lower Merion defeated Upper Darby in overtime, 14-6, in a non-conference game.
Wissahickon remained unbeaten as the Trojans defeated Hatboro-Horsham in a shootout, 41-40. Jaden Randall scored 2 rushing touchdowns for the winners, while Nolan Pounds threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jaden McLean. Jason Verrier scored on a 31-yard fumble recovery.
Prediction:
Wissahickon Trojans 28 – Lower Merion Aces 14
Springfield Spartans (2-0) @ Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (1-1)
Last Year:
Springfield 21 – Hatboro-Horsham 6
Last Week:
Springfield remained unbeaten as the Spartans defeated Harriton 26-6 in a non-conference game. CJ Johnson stole the spotlight for the winner as he scored 4 rushing touchdowns on runs of 4, 2, 5, and 25 yards.
Hatboro Horsham lost a non-conference game to Wissahickon, 41-40.
Prediction:
Springfield Spartans 28 – Hatboro-Horsham Hatters 27
Abraham Lincoln Railsplitters (0-2) @ Cheltenham Panthers (0-1)
Last Year:
Did not play
Last Week:
Lincoln lost to Roman Catholic, 28-14, in a non-conference game.
Cheltenham lost a 22-20 heartbreaker against Chester in a non-conference game. Tre McLeod scored 2 rushing touchdowns for the Panthers, while Micahel Dunn caught a touchdown pass for CHS.
Prediction:
Abraham Lincoln Railsplitters 28 – Cheltenham Panthers 14
Upper Merion Vikings (1-1) @ William Tennent Panthers (0-2)
Last Year:
Upper Merion 21 – William Tennent 14
Last Week:
Upper Merion defeated Norristown, 20-13, in a non-conference game.
William Tennent lost a non-conference contest to Pennsbury, 45-0.
Prediction:
Upper Merion Vikings 28 – William Tennent Panthers 13
Interboro Bucs (1-1) @ Upper Moreland Bears (0-2)
Last Year:
Interboro 37 – Upper Moreland 7
Last Week:
Interboro defeated Pottstown, 21-12, in a non-conference game.
Upper Moreland lost a non-conference game to Boys Latin Charter, 36-28.
Prediction:
Interboro Buccaneers 27 – Upper Moreland Golden Bears 21
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