Check out the results for SOL football teams in action on Friday night. To view photos of the Upper Dublin/PW, CR South/Wm Tennent, CB South/Abington, and Wissahickon/Hatboro-Horsham games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Stats used in the wraps are provided courtesy of Calkins Media. For complete high school football coverage, visit the web site www.PhillyBurbs.com<http://www.PhillyBurbs.com>.
American Conference
CHELTENHAM 14, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 0
On a night when their offense never really found their stride, its was the Panthers’ defense that stole the spotlight.
“The most fun part of the game was being on defense, by far,” said senior middle linebacker Jack Gordon, who also plays on the offensive line. “Coach Gro had great calls – he knew exactly what to do.
“Even when it was messed up, we would switch it on the line. We would always read the plays. That’s all we did all practice – practicing reading the plays. We had great pressure from the D-line, and the biggest thing was wrapping up. We wrapped up almost every play.”
No one wrapped up more plays than senior safety Brandon Mack, who finished with a team-high 12 tackles and also had three passes defended.
“At defensive back, we have to learn to defend our players,” Mack said. “The corners did really well and the linebackers did also. I just followed where the quarterback went and tried to make a play on the ball.
“This feels good. Our defense did a good job. Our offense just has to get a rhythm.”
The offense managed just a pair of touchdowns – the first in the opening quarter when Mack found Jami Bates with a 13-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers took that 7-0 lead into halftime.
“It was us,” said Mack. “We turned the ball over and made miscues on plays.”
Cheltenham tacked on a touchdown in the third quarter when Greg Morris, who finished with 131 yards on 19 carries, took it in from 56 yards out. Take away those two TD’s, and it was a rough night for the offense.
“We turned the ball over, we didn’t connect on open passes I would have liked to have connected on, and we didn’t run assertively when we should have,” Cheltenham coach Joe Gro said. “We run the football, but I didn’t like what we did. It didn’t look like what we’re supposed to do.”
The Panthers’ coach had no complaints about his team’s defense.
“We actually have been playing good defense – even in our early losses,” Gro said. “Against Upper Dublin we got beat (28-7), and we turned the ball over six times.
“Especially the run, we’re reasonably stout against the run. Springfield isn’t a bad football team. They do nice things.”
The veteran coach acknowledged the performances of several players on the defensive side of the football.
“Jamill Milligan-Bates is a defensive end, and he’s really important,” Gro said. “Our two D-tackles, (Jared) Applegate and (Francis) Marinho, are rugged and they make plays. They make it work.
“Jack (Gordon) made a ton of plays at linebacker, and safety Brandon (Mack) has to make a lot of plays for us. He covers both corners. He knocked down a couple of balls that were meant for the corner guys. That’s a lot of work.”
Friday’s win was the third in a row for the Panthers after a 1-3 start that included their only loss in American Conference play to Upper Dublin in their first conference game. They followed that with a win over Upper Moreland and have not lost since.
“The first time we showed any semblance of football was against Upper Moreland,” Gro said. “Certainly we have to play better, but we picked it up. I don’t know what I have to do to get them to come a little bit more prepared. I have to be able to make adjustments when things aren’t working.”
Mack pointed to the Upper Dublin game as the turning point of the season.
“The loss to Upper Dublin – we lost that game on our own,” Mack said. “I think that really made us want to win.”
“Everyone wants to win,” Gordon added. “Last year, halfway through the season we finally started cooking. This year we were 1-3, and it was like – ‘That’s enough. We’re going to start winning.’
“We have a senior-heavy team – we have 15 seniors. Everyone wants a good season for the seniors.”
The Panthers (4-3, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon next Friday while the Spartans (3-4, 1-3) will host Upper Merion.
Springfield 0-0-0-0 0
Cheltenham 7-0-7-0 14
UPPER DUBLIN 34, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 28
(To read Scott Huff’s complete game story and stats, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/upper-dublin-wins-thriller-over-pw-0047802)
UPPER MORELAND 42, UPPER MERION 6
Tyler Whitmore turned in another huge performance for the Golden Bears, rushing for 261 yards on 18 carries. He scored five touchdowns.
The Golden Bears got on the scoreboard when – on the first play from scrimmage – quarterback Josh Abrams found Kyle Bennis with a 57-yard touchdown pass. That was followed by a pair of Whitmore touchdowns – the first after a 32-yard run and the second from 40 yards out. The Bears led 21-0 at the end of one quarter. By halftime, they led 35-0.
The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter with Upper Merion scoring its lone touchdown in the third quarter when Shannon Karned took it in from 56 yards out.
The Golden Bears (5-2, 2-2 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Friday while the Vikings (0-7, 0-4) will travel to Springfield.
Upper Merion0-0-7-0 7
Upper Moreland 21-7-7-0 42
HATBORO-HORSHAM 28, WISSAHICKON 14
Casey Walsh scored a pair of touchdowns – one in the air and the other on the ground – and accounted for 155 yards of total offense, leading the Hatters to their second win of the season. Walsh completed 8-of-16 passes for 131 yards.
The Hatters got on the scoreboard on a two-yard touchdown run by Charlie Obrecht, who gained 118 yards on 15 carries. Josh Trunk turned an interception into a touchdown, making it a 7-6 game at halftime. The two teams were deadlocked 14-14 when Joseph Lee returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown that gave the Hatters a lead they would not lose.
Trunk led the Trojans with 129 yards on 15 carries. Colin Williams led the Trojans' defense with 7.5 tackles and one sack.
Hatboro-Horsham (2-5, 2-2 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh next Friday while the Trojans (2-5, 1-3) will host Cheltenham.
Continental Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 46, WILLIAM TENNENT 41
Nik Banks connected with John Ryan for a touchdown with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter to give the Panthers a 41-40 lead over the Golden Hawks. That lead turned out to be short-lived on a night when offense was the name of the game. The Golden Hawks answered by marching 63 yards with Vince Alimenti capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. With 40 seconds still remaining on the scoreboard clock, the Panthers had one more chance to knot the score, but Joe Lauch came up with an interception to seal the Panthers’ fate.
The two teams spent the game exchanging touchdowns with the Panthers holding a 14-13 lead after one quarter only to watch the Golden Hawks rally to go on top 28-21 by halftime. They took a 40-35 lead into the final quarter, but this one wasn’t over until the final whistle sounded.
Alimenti was once again the workhorse for the Golden Hawks, rushing for 219 yards and five touchdowns. Brendan Patterson also came up big for the Hawks, finishing with 148 yards on the ground.
Tennent quarterback Nik Banks had a huge night, throwing for 218 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown. His 69-yard touchdown pass to Vince Icabone gave the Panthers a 35-34 lead that was anything but secure.
The Golden Hawks (4-3, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown next Friday while the Panthers (2-5, 0-4) will travel to Norristown on Saturday.
William Tennent 14-7-14-6 41
Council Rock South 13-15-12-6 46
QUAKERTOWN 27, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7
The Panthers remained perfect on the season, but it wasn’t all that easy. It took a 13-point fourth quarter outburst to finally put the game out of reach.
Alec Vera put the Panthers on the scoreboard in the second quarter when he connected with junior Tom Garlick for a 28-yard touchdown. Garlick, who played quarterback at Archbishop Wood the last two years, was recently cleared to play by the PIAA. He caught a pair of TD passes from Vera, also hauling in a 21-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers, who led 7-0 at halftime, went on top 14-0 when Luke Wood returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Bucks got on the scoreboard on an Eddie Shield 10-yard touchdown run. It would be their last hurrah.
Rob Burns led the Panthers on the ground with 107 yards while Nick Bonomo had 95 yards and a TD.
Quakertown (7-0, 4-0) will host Council Rock South next Friday while the Bucks (2-5, 1-3) will travel to Council Rock North.
Central Bucks West 0-0-7-0 7
Quakertown 0-7-7-13 27
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 31, NORRISTOWN 14
Alex Gibson has been a welcome addition to the Patriots lineup, gaining 197 yards on 21 carries in his second appearance since being sidelined with an injury in the opening week of the season. The junior running back wasn’t the only East player in the spotlight. Senior placekicker Oliver Boucher put his name in the school’s record books when he connected on a 24-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, eclipsing the single season record with 13 field goals.
Back-to-back touchdown runs by Gibson – the first from 47 yards and the second from 21 – put the Patriots on top 14-0. The Eagles came roaring back to knot the score, capitalizing on an East turnover when Desmond Gorski found Kamal Wallace for the first TD. A 90-yard punt return by Khalif Sinclair made it a 14-14 game. The Patriots took a lead they would not lose on a Jack Lamb touchdown run. The Eagles did not score the rest of the way.
The Patriots (3-4, 2-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman next Friday while the Eagles (3-4, 1-3) will host William Tennent.
Norristown 14-0-0-0 14
Central Bucks East 21-0-0-10 31
National Conference
NESHAMINY 29, SOUDERTON 10
D’Andre Pollard raced 70 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage, and the Redskins were off and running. The Redskins’ star running back finished the night with 166 yards on 24 carries.
The Redskins took a 17-3 lead into halftime with D.J. Rostron accounting for Souderton’s only points with a 23-yard field goal. Sophomore quarterback Mason Jones found Denzel Hughes with a 14-yard touchdown pass on the Redskins’ opening drive of the second half.
Blake Gular scored the Indians’ only touchdown with a three-yard run in the closing minutes of the game.
Souderton (3-4, 1-3 SOL) will travel to Abington next Friday while Neshaminy (3-4, 2-2) will travel to Bensalem.
Neshaminy 10-7-6-6- 29
Souderton 0-3-0-7 10
NORTH PENN 58, BENSALEM 13
The Knights blew open a close game with a 31-point second quarter to go into halftime with a 38-7 lead on their way to the decisive win.
Justis Henley scored on a 29-yard run to put the Knights on the scoreboard in the first quarter. A 25-yard field goal by Matt Ammendola gave the Knights a 10-0 lead, but the play that may have broken the Owls’ collective backs came when Mike Liddy intercepted a pass and took it in for a touchdown.
Bensalem’s lone touchdown came on a 25-yard run by quarterback Devante Porter to make it a 24-7 game late in the first half. Nyfease West, who led the Knights with 114 yards on 10 carries, answered with a three-yard touchdown run.
Deion Robinson scored on a 63-yard punt return in the second half as the Knights coasted to the win.
North Penn (4-3, 3-1 SOL) will host Pennsbury in a key conference showdown next Friday while the Owls (0-7, 0-4) will host Neshaminy.
Bensalem 0-7-0-6 13
North Penn 7-31-14-6 58
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 23, ABINGTON 7
The Titans received three touchdowns from Notre Dame-bound senior Josh Adams, but it was the Titans’ defense that stole the spotlight as it limited the Ghosts to just seven points.
Josh Adams scored from one yard out to put the Titans on top 7-0, and that lead grew to 14-0 when quarterback Kevin Witchey found Adams with a 29-yard touchdown pass. The Ghosts cut that lead in half when Juawine Sowell turned a David Kretschman screen pass into a touchdown. It was still a 14-7 game heading to the fourth quarter when – after a muffed Abington punt – Adams capped a 24-yard scoring drive with his third touchdown.
Adams finished with 167 yards on 35 carries while Sowell had 135 yards on 18 carries.
Defensively, the Titans were led by safety Luke Wiley with nine tackles while linebacker Nate Norris had seven.
The Titans (6-1, 4-0) will host Pennridge on Friday night while the Ghosts (3-4, 0-4) will look to notch their first win when they host Souderton.
Central Bucks South 14-0-0-9 23
Abington 0-7-0-0 7
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