Central Bucks East edged Pennsbury in an overtime thriller Saturday. Upper Moreland & Bensalem notched big wins on Friday. Check out the recaps. CB East/Pennsbury photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Springfield/Tennent photos courtesy of Michael Rice Photography. New Hope-Solebury/Morrisville photo courtesy of Richard Owens. Check back for photo galleries.
SOL National Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 28, PENNSBURY 27 (1 OT)
The stakes were undeniably high.
Pennsbury and CB East boasted identical 3-3 records heading into Saturday’s conference showdown, and a loss would make any postseason aspirations a whole lot harder. The game was a roller coaster of emotions for both teams, and in the end, it came down to an extra point in overtime.
The Falcons missed their PAT after Jack Arndt plunged into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown. East matched the Falcons with a touchdown of its own when Hunter Pulford – while rolling right – connected with Liam Hoey for a five-yard score. Cole Wojnicki split the uprights on the extra point, giving the Patriots the win and setting off a jubilant celebration.
“This was big because both teams were 3-3, both teams were really, really hungry,” East coach John Donnelly said. “It was a huge game with big implications, no doubt about it.
“Through the years, we’ve been pretty consistently successful in overtime, and we certainly rep the heck out of what we’re going to do so that when we’re in those situations, our kids are ready.”
The Patriots were ready from the outset of Saturday’s contest, scoring on their opening drive. A big play was Liam Hoey hauling in a flat pass from quarterback Hunter Pulford and racing 65 yards to the Falcons’ 17. Two plays later Asher Green took it in for the score, and after Wojnicki’s PAT, East led 7-0 just two minutes into the game.
“We scored on every first possession this year except for the Ridley game where we quick kicked,” Donnelly said. “So we’ve been coming out like gangbusters.”
The Falcons answered with a drive inside the Patriots’ five, but that’s where it ended as they were stonewalled by the Patriots’ defense.
Pennsbury evened the score with four minutes remaining in the first half when Justin Larue-Madison scored on a seven-yard run for his first touchdown of the season. After the Falcons’ defense came up with a stop, they marched 73 yards in just over a minute, a drive that culminated when a scrambling Jack Arndt somehow found Sylvester Jones with an 11-yard TD pass that sent the Falcons into halftime with a 14-7 lead.
Pennsbury opened the third quarter with a drive inside East’s 20 but came up empty. It was still a 14-7 game heading into the fourth quarter. The Patriots evened the score with seven minutes remaining when Pulford connected with Hoey for a seven-yard TD pass. A big play on the drive came after a pitch pass when Tom Seiler connected with Owen Metzger for a huge first down.
The Patriots took a 21-14 lead with 4:36 remaining when – after a Falcon fumble at their own 29 – Pulford capped the short drive with 14-yard touchdown run. A razzle-dazzle play on that drive was the Patriots’ version of the Philly Special with running back Mike Price connecting with Pulford on a 13-yard pass play.
It was one of three pass plays completed by players other than the quarterback.
“There are never trick plays,” Donnelly said. “We call them specials. We practice them. There’s nothing tricky about it. They’re football plays.”
With enough time on the clock for one more drive, the Falcons marched downfield for a touchdown, knotting the score 21-21 when Luke Beighley scored on a six-yard touchdown run with 1:58 remaining. That set the stage for overtime.
As bounce-back wins go, this one was a big one for the Patriots, coming on the heels of a disappointing 35-6 loss to archrival Central Bucks South.
“Our guys were very resilient all week long,” Conelly said. “We talked about the events of last week, which was not CB East football against CB South, a very good football team. It was all about our response this week – E plus R equals O (event plus response equals outcome). And the outcome that we wanted today was what we got.
“I’m so proud of how hard they played. They could have hung their heads today. We had two fumbles, and we got one back from them. But our guys were very resilient.”
The East coach credited several players in the win.
“Liam Howie had two big receptions,” he said. “I thought Hunter Pulford was really accurate. Nick Warren came back with a real hunger, and I thought he made some plays today. Tommy Seiler made some huge plays. Mike Price was two-for-two throwing the ball. We just found a way to get it done.”
In an interesting sidenote, Warren just returned from a week and a half in Las Vegas, where he competed in a national Ninja Warrior competition.
Saturday’s win, according to Donnelly, was a complete team effort.
“I thought our coaches did a really good job with personnel changes and suggestions,” the East coach said. “Guys had well-thought-out ideas at halftime and when the game was on the line. There are a lot of times when people don’t want to speak up at that point, but guys spoke up and made suggestions that were sound and worked.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will host North Penn on Friday, and Pennsbury will host Central Bucks South Friday.
Central Bucks East 7-0-0-14-7 28
Pennsbury 0-14-0-7-6 27
SOL American Conference
UPPER MORELAND 47, HARRY S TRUMAN 14
A week after earning a shutout win over Wissahickon in their American Conference opener, the Golden Bears turned in another strong outing in a decisive win at Truman.
“We had a really good game,” UM coach Adam Beach said. “We forced four turnovers, and our offense scored pretty much on every possession early on.
“We were throwing the ball well, we were running the ball well. We’re starting to play a more complete game. Offensively, we’re starting to finish drives. (Quarterback) David Adamski only had two incomplete passes all night. He threw the ball really well. We threw the ball to a bunch of people.”
The scoring began in the first quarter with a 23-yard touchdown run by Santino Rodriguez. Luca Rohn’s extra point put the Bears on top 7-0.
A Julian Melendez interception set the stage for a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback David Adamski to Kamasi Underwood, giving the Bears a 14-0 lead after a Rohn PAT.
Koko Johnson put Truman on the board with a four-yard touchdown run, and it was a 14-7 game after one quarter.
With 7:35 remaining in the second quarter, Adamski connected with Ben Holcomb, and the Bears led 20-7. A 14-yard touchdown run by Rodriguez was followed by an Adamski to Bordy Hughes two-yard touchdown pass, sending the Bears into halftime with a 34-7 advantage.
An interception by Liam Teefy early in the second half set the stage for a six-yard touchdown pass from Adamski to Donnie Dinkins.
The Tigers added a touchdown after a muffed UM punt, but Rodriguez scored on a four-yard run to put the Golden Bears on top 47-14. Rodriguez put the finishing touches on the big win with an interception.
“Kyle Moore is a guy who scores a lot, and he didn’t score at all in this game, so we’re spreading the ball around, and the offense is starting to come together,” Beach said. “The defense is getting opportunistic turnovers, getting some negative plays, and it was a really good game for us on all three levels. It was a great team win.”
Up next: Upper Moreland will host Springfield Twp on Friday, and Harry S Truman will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham.
Upper Moreland 14-20-6-7 47
Harry S Truman 7-0-0-7 14
WISSAHICKON 30, HATBORO-HORSHAM 14
Sometimes it’s just a matter of capitalizing on opportunities.
That was the case in Friday night’s conference battle pitting Wissahickon and Hatboro-Horsham.
After battling the Hatters to a 7-7 halftime tie, the Trojans’ offense exploded for 23 second-half points on their way to the decisive win. They did most of their damage on the ground in the win, accumulating 353 rushing yards and 398 yards of total offense.
“We played well in the second half – we had missed opportunities in the first half,” Wissahickon coach Rory Graver said.
Quasir Sampson led the offensive charge with 20 carries for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one reception for 32 yards. Ryan Kim gave the Trojans an effective one-two punch, finishing with 79 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.
Also contributing were Christian Norcum with 46 yards and one touchdown on four carries, and CJ Merriweather with three carries for 11 yards.
Quarterback Evan Dixon completed 3 of 7 passes for 45 yards.
The unsung heroes of Friday’s win were members of an offensive line that included Scott Youngblood, Tyler Baritz, Hassan Freeman, Henry Nagata, Billy Stout, Demir Williams, Shawnmykle Valentine as well as tight end La’Rod Potter.
Up next: Wisssahickon (5-2, 1-1 SOL) will travel to William Tennent Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-5, 1-1) will host Harry S Truman Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham 7-7 14
Wissahickon 7-23 30
SPRINGFIELD TWP 35, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
It was a loss that could have broken them – a 22-20 loss to Harry S Truman that included the Tigers stopping the Spartans four straight times on the one-yard line.
“We had about as tough a loss as you can have,” Springfield Twp coach Chris Shelly said. “We couldn’t punch it in from the one against Truman. The kids were heartbroken, but we just keep grinding, we just keep grinding along.
“The season hasn’t been perfect for us, but our team was just so great the following week, bouncing back from that because that’s a tough loss. From the top down – our coaches did a tremendous job prepping our kids for
this game. Coach (Steve) Wilmot was fantastic with play calling. I can’t say enough about him, and our kids are excited in a big way.”
If the Spartans needed a spark, they got it early in Friday’s game when Mekhi Paschall returned an interception for a touchdown.
“He ignites us, so when he took that first pick back to the house, that really got us started,” Shelly said. “We have been looking for that spark. Every time he touches the ball, great things happen.
“You almost forget how great a player he is. He’s just grown tremendously. I know his talent and his skill set, but his leadership – we’ve asked him to do so much this year. He doesn’t come off the field basically for us. He also plays safety because I kind of like to use him as a rover. I move him all over the place because teams would just throw away from him if he was a corner.”
It turns out Paschall and the Spartans were just getting started. Quarterback Nathan Torrealba connected with Paschall on a 15-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead. The Panthers got on the scoreboard as the result of a safety, but it was only a temporary reprieve. Torrealba found Paschall with a 40-yard touchdown pass, and the Spartans led 21-2.
Later in the second quarter, Torrealba connected with Jibril Tawfeeq on a 36-yard TD pass that sent the Spartans into the halftime locker room with a 28-2 advantage.
“We knew Tennent has some low numbers, but they’ve played with some people, and they’ve competed against some teams, so we’re not taking anyone lightly,” Shelly said. “For our kids to come out – for us, this was almost like a statement game.
“We might be 3-4, but three or four games could have gone either way, and we would be 5-2. But you are who you are. We understand that, but we feel like we put ourselves in a good position for the stretch run.”
The second half included a five-yard touchdown run by Michael Eder in the third quarter, putting an exclamation point on the win.
Torrealba finished a standout performance 13-for-17 for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Paschall hauled in seven passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
“Nathan and Mekhi, in particular, had a great game,” Shelly said. “Mekhi is all about raising his teammates, and Nathan is the same way, which says a lot about their character. I’ve got some great character kids. I wish I could redshirt and bring them back next year.”
The Spartans had 320 yards of total offense while allowing just 163, and Shelly tipped his hat to the Spartans’ offensive coordinator.
“I want to give a lot of credit to Coach Wilmot,” the Spartans’ coach said. “He’s doing a great job because he knows our strengths, he knows our weaknesses, and the guy’s been around so long, and he’s just been a great asset to me. And not just coach Wilmot but our whole coaching staff really work well with our kids, especially our young kids.”
Shelly went on to laud the leadership of his senior quarterback and the seniors on his young team.
“As our senior captain- I challenged Nathan and all of our seniors to play their best game this past weekend, and they met that challenge,” Shelly said. “They will even tell you that they can play even better. I was so happy for them.
“I really love my team. It’s easy to love your team when you’re 8-0, but these kids have worked so hard for us, and I’m so proud of especially the older guys because they just keep grinding.”
Things will get a lot tougher this week when the Spartans will face an Upper Moreland team that is atop the conference standings.
“We have a huge game with Upper Moreland coming up,” Shelly said. “Our kids are excited about it. We know how good they are, but we also like challenges. That’s the way our kids are.
“I think we definitely took a step forward in this game., and we’re excited to see what we can do the next three weeks.”
For the Panthers, Gavin Mensch led the offense with 10 carries for 79 yards.
Up next: Springfield Twp will travel to Upper Moreland on Tuesday, and William Tennent will host Wissahickon Friday.
William Tennent 0-2-0-0 2
Springfield Twp 7-21-14-0 35
Non-league
BENSALEM 49, DOBBINS TECH 6
It was a win Bensalem needed.
The Owls – who’ve had some tough outings – raced out of the gate to 42-0 halftime lead on their way to the mercy rule win.
“It was a very needed win after a couple of really tough losses, especially a couple weeks ago to Upper Dublin,” first-year coach Mitch Cohen said of his team’s 14-13 loss to UD. “To get the victory in front of a huge crowd at our homecoming game was even better.
“In the second half, we fully went with our young guys to get them some work. To give our younger guys varsity experience was very beneficial.”
Despite seeing limited action, Brennan Farnsworth had another big outing for the Owls, finishing with 139 yards on just 10 carries. It was his sixth game in a row surpassing the 100-yard mark, and he leads the SOL with 961 rushing yards.
It was the junior running back who scored the game’s first touchdown.
“He’s having a really good year, and we got him out of the game early, which was good,” Cohen said.
Thirteen different players ran the ball, finishing with a combined 36 carries for 277 yards.
Senior Jonathan Cooper had three carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. Senior Landin Smith, the team’s backup quarterback, had one carry for five yards and a touchdown.
The Owls were equally dominant on the defensive side of the football, forcing eight turnovers – one fumble and seven interceptions. Of those seven interceptions, one was a pick six by Amir Gray, who had a pair of interceptions.
Sophomore Avery Johnson had a rushing touchdown and also had a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Owls had one receiving touchdown on the game, and that was Maverick Syron to Michael Dragani. Syron was 2-for-2 for 24 yards for a touchdown.
Three different kickers saw action – Connor Ryan, Dylan Barnhart and Carter Grant – and all three made extra points.
Dobbins Tech was a last-minute addition to Bensalem’s schedule after losing its homecoming game with Cheltenham.
“They’re a nice team,” Cohen said. “They’re a smaller classification, but it was good. They came and they experienced the stadium and a different atmosphere.
“It was a good all-around effort, all three phases. I’m very, very proud of their efforts.”
Up next: Bensalem will host Council Rock South on Friday.
Dobbins Tech 0-0-6-0 6
Bensalem 20-22-7-0 49
MORRISVILLE 19, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 13
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