Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. Upper Dublin/Souderton photos courtesy of Geanine Jamison Photography. Check back for a gallery.
Stats provided courtesy of Intelligencer/Courier. For additional football stats and coverage, visit the Intelligencer (https://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school) and Courier Times (https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/)
SOL Continental
UPPER DUBLIN 10, SOUDERTON 7
(Stats provided by Kev Hunter/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/2021/10/16/upper-dublin-defense-shines-in-win-over-souderton-area/)
Saturday’s contest between a pair of teams jockeying for playoff position turned into a fiercely contested defensive battle.
“This is a really big win for our program,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “Any time you can beat an Ed Gallagher-coached Souderton football team it’s a really good win.
“They’re just so well coached. To beat someone like that in a game like that is going to do wonders for us confidence-wise going forward.”
The Flying Cardinals got on the scoreboard at the 10:38 mark of the second quarter when Noah Lee caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Colin O’Sullivan.
“Noah spun the D-back around – he’s really a good route runner, and Colin cut it right through the wind and hit him – he wears number one, and Colin hit him right in the one. It was beautiful.
“The wind was a factor today, and we scored all 10 of our points into the wind.”
With 1:38 remaining in the half, senior Brayden Porter’s seven-yard touchdown run capped a Souderton scoring drive that included a whole lot of the senior running back and a pair of penalties that left Stover shaking his head.
“One was a pass interference call and the next was a targeting, which was just a football hit – shoulder pad to shoulder pad, but we persevered,” the UD coach said. “They scored, it was 7-7 – do you maybe just want to run the clock out? I know (coach Gallagher) had all three timeouts left. We weren’t running the ball real well, so I was afraid we were going to have to turn the ball over and punt into the wind and give them the ball back. I was like, ‘I can’t do that.’”
With O’Sullivan ignoring the wind and hitting his targets, the Flying Cardinals found themselves in field goal range, and Owen Carl delivered, splitting the uprights from 30 yards out to put the Cardinals on top 10-7. Those three points proved to be the difference in the game.
“Colin made some nice throws to Grffin Pensabene, and we had a pass to Noah,” Stover said of the scoring drive. “Griffin made an incredible catch. It was like a ricochet – it went through a teammate that was eight yards in front of him. The ball batted off him, hit another player, hit Griffin in the left hand, hit his right leg, hit his left leg, and he caught it behind his right leg. It’s one of those things – if he had come to me and told me he did that, I would have said, ‘Sure, you did,’ but I was like ‘Wow.’ That was the last 10 yards to get us into field goal range.”
Neither team scored the rest of the way, and the Cardinals won despite managing just 38 yards on the ground on 24 carries. O’Sullivan completed 14 passes for 144 yards with Pensabene accounting for 90 of those yards on nine receptions.
The Cardinals’ coach credited the play of his defense.
“Kyree Butler, who’s a defensive tackle, was awesome,” Stover said. “Riley Hackett as a defensive end played really well, and Tristan Cairnes had another interception at the end of the game. He got one last week and he got one this week – I like to call him our closer. He just has a nose for the ball. He also had a big sack at the end of the game.”
Porter finished with 99 yards and on the ground and a TD to lead the Indians.
“He ran very well on their scoring drive – I don’t want to take anything away from him,” Stover said. “He’s a beast. He could play for me any day. He just does his job and goes back to the huddle.”
Upper Dublin (6-2, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Saturday for a noon contest, and Souderton (4-4, 3-2) – scheduled to play Hatboro-Horsham – is off until Oct. 29 when the Indians will host Bensalem and celebrate Senior Night. The Indians fell to 16 in the latest District One 6A power rankings while Upper Dublin moved up to fourth in the 5A power rankings.
Souderton 0-7-0-0 7
Upper Dublin 0-10-0-0 10
HARRY S TRUMAN 21, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7
There were plenty of reasons to celebrate on Saturday night, and the threatening weather – and rain late in the game – could not dampen the spirits of Truman’s Senior Night and Homecoming Day crowd.
The day was topped off with the Tigers treating their fans to a much-needed win after three straight losses.
“Tonight was a great one,” Truman coach Ben Johnson said. “We were able to run the ball very effectively. We didn’t have a very good first half. Our quarterback’s timing was off, and (Rock North) had three interceptions.
“We went into halftime and said, ‘You know what, fellows – we are going to run the ball,’ and that’s what we did. Sometimes you’re just off in areas of your game, and you have to rely on what’s working. Our ground attack was really effective for us this week in the second half.”
No one was more effective at running the football on Saturday than senior Isaiah Edwards, whose stellar outing included 28 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown. His seven-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.
“I can’t say enough about Isaiah – his mother’s viewing was Thursday, he buried his mom yesterday, and he was back here for Senior Night,” Johnson said. “The other thing too – he was at practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as well. He’s a great kid that is enduring a lot and the true definition of selflessness and giving himself up for the greater good of the team. He’s been a very good player for us.
“It’s been a very tough time for us at Truman. We have two kids – Isaiah Edwards and Wakee Giddens – who lost their mothers to cancer. Two of our kids burying their parents is pretty tough. I came into this game and said, ‘I’m going to ride Isaiah right into the end zone,’ and that’s what we did. It was great to give him his first touchdown of the season. It just gave us motivation going into the game today. We’re playing for Wakee, we’re playing for Isaiah, we’re playing for those moms that are looking down. Let’s make them proud. This game really meant something to all of us tonight.’
The Tigers took that 7-0 lead into halftime, but the Indians evened the score when Gavin Papp raced 89 yards to the house with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Papp had 119 rushing yards on a night that saw the Indians manage just 153 yards of total offense.
Makai Jackson had an answer for Truman, scoring from nine yards out to put the Tigers on top 14-7 after three quarters.
Timothy Slayton’s pick six gave the Indians a 21-7 lead with just over eight minutes remaining, and the Indians’ fate was sealed when – on the very next series – Slayton came up with his second interception.
“He had a great game,” Johnson said. “He did a great job blocking for us on offense. He is a young man that we’re really excited about.
“Rondell Bradley also had some great plays tonight on the ground.”
This year’s senior class included Edwards, Jackson, Terrell Delp, Devan Harris, Kayden Rossi, Ron Wilson Jr, Azijon Paxton, Dwayne Snelling III, Ilkay Akar, Mike Goldey, William Brennan, Nasir Corley, Jonathan Malloy and Kieph Valentine.
“Every last one of them means a tremendous amount to every aspect of this team in terms of their commitment, in terms of what they are giving us and their teammates,” Johnson said. “You look at Terrell Delp – a young man who’s not 100 percent healthy in terms of his legs. You look at Michael Goldey who is battling through some stuff, and, of course, you have Isaiah Edwards. You have Kayden Rossi.
“Then you have Makai Jackson who had a great game for us tonight – he had a 91-yard jet play called back due to a silly mistake on our part with a block in the back. Every last one of our seniors – those kids are special, those kids never quit. They came out every week ready to go, win or lose. They really helped keep this team together. Because of a lot of their leadership, we’ve had success on the field and off the field as well.”
The Tigers’ coach pointed to several seniors as examples of the type of players that comprise this special class.
“Devan Jackson is a three-year starter for us – he started for us at middle linebacker as a sophomore,” Johnson said. “He is a special kid, and he lost his grandfather to COVID during the season. He’s a smaller kid, and he plays inside linebacker, and he’s also our starting left guard, so he gets his butt kicked in the interior and then he has to go out there at middle linebacker. That’s what I’m talking about in this senior class.
“You have Will Brennan – he’s another kid that will play left tackle or right tackle. He’ll play defensive tackle, defensive end, and he never complains. The only thing I’ve ever heard from these kids is, ‘Hey coach, wherever you need me, that’s what I’m going to do.’ It’s really important to have that when you’re trying to build a program, and that’s what we’re trying to do at Truman. We took a lot of bumps this year. I believe this program will be all the better for it. Sometimes losing is very important in helping you build a winning program.”
Harry S Truman (3-5, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Friday, and Council Rock North (2-6, 1-4) will host Upper Dublin on Saturday at noon.
Council Rock North 0-0-7-0 7
Harry S Truman 7-0-7-7 21
Friday, Oct. 16
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 28, PENNSBURY 14
The Titans found themselves on the short end of an early 14-0 deficit but rallied to earn the hard-fought win.
“It was a battle,” South coach Tom Hetrick said. “Pennsbury played really tough.”
The Falcons stunned the Titans by opening up a two-touchdown lead after one quarter. The first touchdown came on a 15-yard Shane McGurrin pass to Nathan Beighley. A 60-yard touchdown run by Galamama Mulbah put the Falcons on top 14-0 after John Burgfechtel’s successful point-after.
It turned out to be the Falcons’ last hurrah offensively.
In the second quarter, Cole Maholtz put South on the board with a 10-yard touchdown run, and later in the frame, Maholtz punched it in from a yard out to trim the Falcons’ lead to 14-13.
South took a lead it would not lose in the third quarter when Brett Szarko connected with Tyler Robinson for a nine-yard touchdown to put the visiting Titans on top 21-14 after a successful two-point conversation (Szarko to Jordan Becker).
In the fourth quarter, Maholtz put an exclamation point on a productive night when he scored on an 18-yard touchdown run.
Maholtz finished the night with 24 carries for 179 yards and three touchdowns.
“Our running back, Cole Maholtz, played a very good game – got a lot of tough yards,” Hetrick said.
While Mahotz was racking up the yards on the ground, Szarko was doing the same in the air, carving up the Falcons’ defense for 206 yards and a touchdown. The junior quarterback completed 18 of 26 passes.
All told the Titans accumulated 403 yards of total offense while the Falcons had 278 yards, which included 206 on the ground.
Mulbah led the Falcons with 16 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Leading the Titans’ defense was Liam Goss, who had a hand in 11 tackles which included 2.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss. He also had one forced fumble. Matt Nissen had three solo tackles and assisted on six. Mark Hetrick contributed four solo tackles and one assist. He also had 2.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.
Central Bucks South (6-2, 3-2 SOL) – 13th in the latest District One 6A rankings – will host Pennridge in a key conference battle Friday. Pennsbury (0-8, 0-5) will host Abington on Friday.
Central Bucks South 0-13-8-7 28
Pennsbury 14-0-0-0 14
ABINGTON 31, NESHAMINY 21
In a tightly contested battle, the Ghosts erupted for 18 second-half point to earn the come-from-behind win that brought a welcome end to a six-game losing streak.
Listening to coach Kevin Conlin tell it, the players never lost faith.
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks, but I’ve told everybody this – I’ve told the parents this, I’ve told the team this, ‘We didn’t practice all week like we were 1-6,’” the Ghosts’ coach said. “I came off the practice field on Wednesday, and it felt like we were 6-1. There was enthusiasm, there was excitement. The kids haven’t quit, the kids keep coming out, the coaches keep coaching, and the players keep working.
“It all culminated in the fourth quarter on Friday. We brought everybody together, and we said, ‘This is it guys.’ I really wish the moment had happened a couple of weeks ago obviously, but it was a great win for the program. Neshaminy – throw the records out the window. That’s a historical program. That’s what I said to the kids, ‘Don’t worry about what their record is, worry about how you’re playing Neshaminy High School.’”
The Ghosts got on the scoreboard when – after a Redskins’ fumble – Jaime Rivera came up with the scoop and score for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead. Neshaminy answered with a touchdown to go on top 7-6, and the Redskins took a 14-13 lead into halftime. The Ghosts’ second touchdown came when quarterback John Dzielawa and Tommy Brett hooked up for a 25-yard catch-and-run TD.
The Ghosts rallied to take a 21-14 lead with four minutes remaining in the third quarter when Zahmir Lee capped a scoring drive with a five-yard TD run. The drive featured a whole lot of Lee, who had a 50-yard run to take the ball to the Redskins’ five. The successful two-point conversion – a run by Lee – put the Ghosts on top 21-14.
The Ghosts led 24-14 with seven minutes remaining after converting a 35-yard field goal by Patrick Capone.
“He’s a fantastic soccer player, and he’s been under-utilized this year by me, and that’s on me,” Conlin said. “He’s a fantastic kicker and a great kid.
“We have a great relationship with the soccer team. (Coach) Randy Garber is a fantastic guy, and he’s always helped us out. He has for years supplied us with fantastic kickers, and he works with them. He used to kick when he played for Abington.”
It took the Redskins just two plays – a long kickoff return to the Ghosts 47 and a 47-yard touchdown run by Dayvon Tinsley to pull to within three, 24-21, with 6:29 remaining.
“It was a great kickoff return, which Neshaminy has been notorious for for years,” Conlin said. “I turned to my one assistant, and I said, ‘The only thing that can’t happen here is giving up one big play.’
“We’ve been dealing with a lot of that stuff this year, but we responded in a great way with a great drive.”
Abington came up with a defensive stop and took over at the Redskins’ 43-yard line. Lee’s 22-yard touchdown run with 2:32 remaining sealed the Redskins’ fate.
“Zahmir punctuated that drive with a fantastic run at the end,” Conlin said. “He deserves a lot of credit for the past few weeks. He’s a player who missed last year because of COVID and things like that. He did not play, and in the first couple of games, it was almost like he was rusty.
“He didn’t play much his sophomore year but was a varsity player, so he didn’t play much JV. He has been great for us the past few weeks, just running the ball straight ahead. We made a few moves on the offensive line, and it just seems to be clicking a little bit better.”
Also earning praise were the team’s wide receivers – Saud Salahuddin, Ryan Smith and Josh Young.
“They don’t get much attention, but they deserve it,” Conlin said. “Ryan Smith had a couple of catches that opened things up for us. Josh Young is a basketball player who came out this year, and he works hard every day to get better. The sky’s the limit for him.”
The Ghosts’ coach also lauded the efforts of several players on the defensive side of the ball.
“Danny Moynihan was a great leader,” Conlin said. “Danny is always there. He’s a two-way star.
“Colin Haney has been moved into the starting lineup the last two weeks, and he’s a kid that’s tough to get off the field. He’s a coach’s player. He does everything you want, he does it exactly the way you want him to do it. He’s not going to make huge plays, but he’s going to be consistent.
“Kyle Hughes had a great game playing linebacker, doing a lot of different things. Tommy Brett had the touchdown and then he had the game-saving interception at the end, which was great because Tommy is a program kid. He’s played for us for four years, given everything he has for four years, and this year he’s improved tremendously. He’s one of those kids you’ve got to get him in there.”
Abington (2-6, 1-4 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Friday, and Neshaminy (1-7, 0-5) will host Central Bucks West.
Neshaminy 7-7-0-7 21
Abington 6-7-8-10 31
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