Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. PW/Cheltenham photos courtesy of Kim Supko Photography. North Penn/Harry S Truman photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries of both games.
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 American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 21, CHELTENHAM 13
(Statistics provided by Kev Hunter/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/football/2021/10/09/plymouth-whitemarsh-wins-sol-american-showdown-with-cheltenham/)
In a battle of the lone conference teams without a loss, it was the Colonials gutting out a hard-fought win over the visiting Panthers to take sole possession of first place. Listening to Dan Chang tell it, it was the Colonials’ defense that was the difference make in Friday’s Homecoming Game victory.
“It was definitely a big win for us – this was a huge game for us,” Chang said. “It starts with our defense tonight. Our defense played great. (The Panthers) scored on two big plays, and that’s what Cheltenham does – they make big plays. They have great, great athletes who can break it at any time. We had two huge interceptions.”
The first interception by Taji Hubbard – a pick six he returned 20 yards for a TD – gave the Colonials a 14-7 lead.
“He’s a first-year player for us,” Chang said of Hubbard. “He’s a senior who plays basketball, but he came out for football this year. This was his first game that he started at corner, and he had a huge interception, a momentum changer big time for us.
“It was a tipped ball, he made a great catch on it and returned it for a touchdown. I was really happy for him. He deserves it. He works his butt off every practice. He’s a really good athlete for us. I’m really glad he put himself in a great spot to make a great play, and he took advantage. That was awesome.”
The Panthers made it a 14-13 game with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter when TJ Taylor connected with Kam Wyatt for a 29-yard touchdown. That score stood until the fourth quarter when – after a fumble recovery – quarterback Aiden 
O’Brien scored on a five-yard TD run to give the Colonials a 21-13 lead.
“In the second half, we really started to pick up the tempo of our offense, and we were able to wear them down a little bit,” Chang said. “Our guys were getting stronger in the second half. We were able to run the ball and keep our tempo moving. Aiden carried the ball a lot tonight.
“Zion East – especially in the second half – had a huge half for us and made a bunch of really nice runs, big plays for us as well.”
The game was far from over, and with the Panthers – trailing by eight – driving, Jimmy Foy came up with a game-saving interception at the goal line.
“He made an unbelievable interception,” Chang said. “He might have caught it on the three and returned it 30 yards, and we were able to run the clock out after that.”
The Colonials’ coach credited several players who made contributions that might not show up in the boxscore.
“Tommy Hannon, one of our inside linebackers – he’s week in and week out really good for us, and he did some really nice things,” Chang said. “Greg Feinberg played running back a little bit for us. He came in for Nate Kern and carried the ball well. He’s another guy with great speed who can break it at any time.
“We got our center back, Connor Capizzi, who has been out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, so he came back and gave us a little spark as well.”
Zaheim Welton-Salahuddin – who had an 85-yard touchdown return in the second quarter – led the Panthers with 131 rushing yards.
“Cheltenham is a good team,” Chang said. “They’re getting better every week. Coach (Troy) Gore in his first year is doing a nice job. I told them at the end of the game – I’m sure that we’ll see them again down the road.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-1, 3-0 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Friday, and Cheltenham 3-4, 2-1) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Friday.
Cheltenham 0-13-0-0 13
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-14-0-7 21
UPPER MORELAND 49, WILLIAM TENNENT 21
Cam Jackson made a welcome return to the lineup for the Golden Bears after being sidelined with an ankle injury, and it didn’t take long for him to make his presence felt.
“We have Cam Jackson back healthy, so that’s a really big deal for us,” UM coach CJ Szydlik said. “He came back a little bit last week, and we shut him down early. He’s obviously fine, he looks like he’s 100 percent.
“That will be big for us down the stretch. It opens everything up. We did a pretty good job spreading the ball around and taking what they gave us.”
After Byron Hopkins found Ryan Olexa with an early touchdown pass, Jackson scored from five yards out to give the Golden Bears a 14-0 lead. The Panthers cut that lead in half with a touchdown late in the second quarter, but Hopkins found Jackson from 20 yards out for a touchdown that sent the Golden Bears into halftime with a 21-7 lead.
A remarkable six-yard touchdown run by Jackson that saw the gifted running back reverse fields for the score gave the Golden Bears a 28-7 lead. Hassan Johnson recovered a fumble, and the Golden Bears were on the move yet again.
“Defensively, the kids did a really good job all around to get up to speed, watching film, being prepared, and it showed,” Szydlik said. “That’s the way we played today. It was pretty impressive.”
The UM coach credited several catalysts on the defensive side of the ball.
“Colin Hogan played really well – he had an interception for a touchdown,” Szydlik said. “On the inside, Joe Hardee and Marcello Falsone really, really played well at defensive tackle. It’s just things to build on for us.
Upper Moreland (6-1, 3-1 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Friday, and William Tennent (0-6, 0-3) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh.
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 41, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 14
(Check back for stats and a game recap)
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 35, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7
It had been a strange couple of games for the Patriots.
Two weeks ago, they scored just a field goal in a 3-0 win over Abington. Last week, they put up 56 points in a 56-21 rout of Pennsbury. On Friday night, that elusive complete game became a reality for the Patriots, who won their sixth straight since a season-opening loss to Ridley.
“We talked and preached all week about playing a complete game, and I think we finally did that in all three phases,” East coach John Donnelly said. “A couple of weeks ago, we played really well defensively against Abington and not so hot offensively, and last week, the roles were reversed.
“We really had a great week of practice. Our guys are not satisfied or relaxed or complacent, so we were really pleased with the way we got a fast start and a strong finish and played consistently throughout.”
Ethan Shine put the Patriots on the board with a five-yard touchdown run, and East led 14-0 after quarterback Pat Keller found Quinn Moody with a 38-yard touchdown pass. A six-yard TD run by Tommy Day in the second quarter made it a 21-0 game, and the big play of the half came when Dean Blackwell blocked a Rock North field goal attempt, and Nick Carter ran it back 80 yards for a TD and a commanding 28-0 halftime lead.
“Right before the half, we had gone for it on fourth down and didn’t get it,” Donnelly said. “They got it around midfield and moved the ball into position for a field goal. Credit our special teams coach, Tim Barno – these kind of things don’t happen by accident. We really place a premium on special teams, and Dean Blackwell, a sophomore, is just a really dynamic kid, and he’s all about blocking kicks. He came off the edge and got a great block. It deflected right to Nick Carter, who’s our scoop-and-score guy. He raced 80 yards.
“We had a punt return in the first half as well that was called back, but it was really executed well. There was a great wall. Just all three phases – we had a really solid effort.”
The Patriots added a touchdown in the third quarter when Keller and Moody once again hooked up – this time from 48 yards for a 35-0 lead before the Indians scored a late touchdown to break up East’s shutout big.
“The offensive line really set the tone,” said Donnelly of Jimmy Mullevey, Liam Powers, Andrew Traber, Joey Collins and Sean Connor. “In addition to them, our fullbacks and tight ends really did a good job of blocking on the edge. It’s just a lot of guys willing to do the little things. There’s a concept of – I’ll block and you run and unselfish play. I’m really pleased with that.
“We did a great job of surging up front. Ethan Shine ran hard, and so did Declan Kelly and Tommy Day. We picked our spots in terms of throwing the ball. Quinn Moody had two long touchdown passes. Pat Keller threw absolute dimes – just tremendous arm talent and strength. Quinn also ran great routes and just changed speed, so those were big.”
Central Bucks East (6-1, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Friday, and Council Rock North (2-5, 1-3) will be on the road at Harry S Truman next Saturday (5 p.m.).
Central Bucks East 14-14-7-0 35
Council Rock North 0-0-0-7 7
NORTH PENN 48, HARRY S TRUMAN 20
It didn’t take long for the visiting Knights – who accumulated more than 400 yards of total offense – to get on the scoreboard in Friday’s contest. Ryan Zeltt connected with Donovan Williams, who turned a swing pass into a 35-yard touchdown reception, and the Knights led 7-0 early in the opening quarter.
The Tigers had an answer as quarterback Terrell Delp found Makai Jackson with a 16-yard touchdown pass, but the failed two-point conversion allowed the Knights to maintain a 7-6 lead. Khalani Eaton began yet another productive night out of the backfield, scoring from 16 yards out, and then he took it home from 10 yards for a 21-6 lead with 1:10 left in the opening half.
The Knights weren’t finished yet, and with seven seconds remaining in the half, Zeltt hooked up with Levi Carroll for a 25-yard touchdown reception and a 28-6 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Tyler Beam recovered a fumble on Truman’s five-yard line, and Eaton punched it in from a yard out for a 35-6 North Penn lead the Knights took into the fourth quarter.
A 20-yard touchdown run by Williams made it a 41-6 game before the Tigers – thanks to a Delp to Rondell Bradley 10-yard touchdown pass – got on the scoreboard again. A 47-yard touchdown run by Jason Marrero put the Knights on top 48-14 before Truman tacked on a late touchdown with Delp finding Jackson for the score.
Coach Dick Beck acknowledged the standout defensive effort of Beam, who caused and recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown and also had three tackles for losses.
North Penn (7-0, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West on Friday, and Harry S Truman (2-5, 1-3) will host Council Rock North on Saturday (5 p.m.).
North Penn 7-21-7-13 48
Harry S Truman 0-6-0-14 20
SOUDERTON 28, ABINGTON 14
(Statistics provided by Mike Cabrey/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/football/2021/10/09/porter-runs-for-4-touchdowns-souderton-rallies-past-abington/)
The shorthanded Indians – battling an injury bug and trailing 14-0 early – needed a lift, and that’s exactly what they got from Brayden Porter. The senior captain had 19 carries for 193 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 40 yards.
“Brayden was a man child running the ball tonight,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “A lot of his classmates that usually share the load with him were out, so he felt like he needed to carry the load and he did. He put a lot of things on his shoulders, and we blocked well for him up front. The backs blocked much better than they have in the past couple of weeks. We’re definitely making some strides. I’m happy with the way we finished the game, not the way we started the game.”
The game got off to a rocky start for the Indians, who watched the Ghosts march 62 yards on their opening possession with Zahmir Lee scoring from 11 yards out. The Indians managed one first down on their opening possession but then were forced to punt the ball away.
This time, the Ghosts took over on their own 23, and once again, they took it down the field for a touchdown. This time it was quarterback John Dzielawa with the two-yard TD run and a 14-0 lead Abington late in the opening quarter.
“They ran a little different scheme than we were expecting,” Gallagher said. “They ran more counters and quarterback runs. The quarterback (John Dzielawa) and (Zahmir) Lee both ran the ball really well, especially in the first half.
“We took bad angles and were making arm tackles. We just didn’t tackle very well, and their scheme was giving us a little bit of a problem early on, and then eventually we settled down and started playing better football. We didn’t make any huge adjustments or change the way we were doing things. The linebackers read better, and we tackled better.”
The Indians got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter, thanks to a 10-yard touchdown run by Porter. With the Ghosts on the move yet again, the Indians – or more specifically Joey Nase – came up with a defensive stop on fourth-and-two at the Souderton 14 with just seconds remaining in the opening half. Three plays later, Porter broke through the Ghosts’ defense and raced 69 yards for a touchdown that knotted the score 14-14 with seven seconds remaining.
Porter capped the Indians’ opening drive of the second half with a nine-yard touchdown run that gave the Indians their first lead. The Ghosts were driving on their next possession, but CJ Winters brought an end to that drive with an interception.
“That was a huge play by CJ,” Gallagher said. “I thought our defense played much better the entire second half. We were better on our reads at linebacker, and we tackled much better as a team in the second half. In the first half, we really struggled.”
In the fourth quarter, Porter tacked on his fourth touchdown run, and the Indians led 28-14, a score that held until the final whistle.
“I’m really happy with the way we responded – a lot teams if they’re down 14-0, just go in the tank and say, ‘All right, this is not our year,’ but the kids bounced back,” Gallagher said. “They knew if they wanted to achieve some of their goals that are still out there for us that we needed to really step up.”
Gallagher acknowledged the play of several players who contributed in supporting roles.
“It was nice to have Javier Torres back after missing the last three games,” the Indians’ coach said of his senior running back. “He had a handful of carries and blocked pretty well tonight.
“Chris Kerns and Ryan Sadowski both contributed on offense. Danny Dyches had a couple of nice catches, so overall we got some good performances from our skill players, but it was definitely Brayden that carried the load.”
Gallagher went on to credit his two cornerbacks.
“Even though they were running the ball mainly, both of our corners, who sadly enough are our fifth and sixth corners – both had critical interceptions for us tonight,” Gallagher said. “So you have to give credit to CJ Winters and Jared Zimmerman. They’re good athletes, and they’d be starting on a lot of other teams, but unfortunately, they play with (Shaun) Purvy, (Elijah) Goods, (Winday) Dawson and (Jaffari) Sudi who are really good. All of them are out for the season except Goods. This is the second game this year we’ve played without our top four corners. It’s unbelievable.”
Souderton (4-3, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin next Saturday for an 11 a.m. contest, and Abington (1-6, 0-4) will host Neshaminy on Friday.
Abington 14-0-0-0 14
Souderton 0-14-7-7 28
QUAKERTOWN 35, NESHAMINY 10
The Panthers – after back-to-back emotional wins over Upper Dublin and Souderton – had built-in reasons to suffer a letdown when a 1-5 Redskin squad came to town for a non-league game Friday night. Add to the equation a stomach bug that was making its rounds on the team, and a letdown might have seemed inevitable.
“Honestly, I was afraid this would be a trap game for us just because we played three tough teams in a row and two really emotional games with Upper Dublin and Souderton,” coach George Banas said. “Then you have another tough team coming to your place. It’s your fourth game in a row that’s important. They’re non-conference, they’re 1-5. It’s a tough one to make sure the kids do not let down.
“We had some motivation early on this week that I gave them. We just talked about our end goals as far as the season goes. We want to be able to host playoff games. We don’t want to travel. We like playing at home. That’s important to us. We kept our focus really going well this week.”
Banas had other reasons for concern.
“We had the suspension of Dylan (Harrison), so we had to have our next guy in at outside backer, and he (Brett Hileman) did a phenomenal job tonight,” the Panthers’ coach said. “So it was nerveracking this week. I was really worried. They’re not a 1-5 team, and they’re huge. Their quarterback (Nunzio Zydzik) is really good, and they opened up the game and they’re driving right down on us. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, we can’t stop them.’
“I watched six games of theirs, and they come out strong, they come out with guns blazing for the first quarter, quarter and a half, and it sort of settles down, so I knew we had to watch that opening wave they put on us. We were able to stop them, and they only got a field goal. That was a huge win for us.”
Brett Conrad split the uprights for a 30-yard field goal and a 3-0 Redskin lead, but the Panthers had an immediate answer with Tyler Woodman capping the scoring drive with a one-yard TD for a 7-3 Quakertown lead.
“The next series we stopped them on a three-and-out, and they went for it on a fake punt and we held them,” Banas said. “That was on their own 30 or 35, so we got phenomenal field position out of that. We just never looked back.”
The Panthers capitalized, going on top 14-3 at the end of one quarter after a 17-yard touchdown run by John Eatherton, and there was more to come. Zach Fondl was on the receiving end of a 30-yard touchdown pass from Will Steich that sent the Panthers into halftime with a 21-3 lead.
In the third quarter, Eatherton punched it in from a yard out for a 28-3 advantage. A 12-yard Woodman TD run gave the Panthers a 35-3 lead before the Redskins found the end zone when Gavin O’Conner caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Colin Baker.
For the game, Woodman and Eatherton proved to be double trouble for the Redskins out of the backfield. Woodman had 20 carries for 160 yards and two TDs, and Eatherton had 14 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
“Woodman was dog sick, I mean bad, and for him to perform the way he did tonight,” Banas said. “I thought John Eatherton really played well on both sides of the football. Then you have your leader in Will Steich getting the ball to Zach Fondl. He threw some bee bees tonight. It’s a good all-around effort from everybody.
“Freddie Retter did a really nice job tonight. Our PAT kicker, Madison Peacher, was 5-for-5, and in a game like that, you don’t want to miss points. That’s very important for us because we struggled with some of those the last couple of weeks. Again, the team’s pretty well rounded.”
Not to be forgotten was another standout effort by the Panthers’ defense.
“The defense held them to three,” Banas said. “We put all our subs in in the fourth, and they were able to score one. This was a program win, this was a marquee win. I’m just really happy for these kids. They work hard. They worked hard all offseason. They deserve everything they get.
“I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the way they work and battle. Hard work pays off – we always say it, and it’s cliché, but it’s the truth with this group, and they’re personable kids, which is really fun. If you can have fun coaching the kids and joke around but still work hard, that’s a real bonus. I think Quakertown needs it. I think our town needs it. It was another packed house. It’s just crazy.”
Quakertown (7-0, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, and Neshaminy (1-6, 0-4) will be on the road at Abington on Friday.
Neshaminy 3-0-0-7 10
Quakertown 7-14-7-7 35
PENNRIDGE 45, BENSALEM 0
The Rams might have had a point to prove after back-to-back losses to North Penn and Central Bucks West. Whether they did or not, the Rams certainly made a statement with their shutout win over the Owls – they are far from finished.
“I went in on Monday, we got together as a group, and my first message to the kids was – I looked in the mirror at myself over the weekend to see what I need to do better as a coach to make sure they’re successful and we walk away with victories in those tight games,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller. “And just talking to them about making sure we take care of the little details because I always say to them – little things lead to big things. Myself as a coach, I have to be better with that.
“Just talking to them about going 1-0, not on a Friday but on a Monday and then a Tuesday and stringing it together just day to day, not worrying about anything else but having that survive and advance type of mentality. I think our kids did a great job on Monday, they continued it into Tuesday, and we got rolling. We had a great week of practice leading up to it.”
Sean Curry’s 28-yard field goal was the only score of the first quarter, but in the second quarter, the Rams seized control. Nate Mossbrook’s 56-yard touchdown run was followed by Dylan O’Brien’s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown that put the Rams on top 17-0.
“We were messing with Dylan O’Brien, and we said it took him about a hot two minutes to run the ball back,” Muller said of his 220-pound linebacker. “Defensively, our kids did a great job. Offensively, early on, we moved the ball really well to start and then we sputtered out a couple times and only walked away with three points in the first quarter. I wasn’t too happy about it, but things that are correctible, we cleaned up a little bit.”
Tyler Wetzel’s 22-yard touchdown run sent the Rams into halftime with a 24-0 lead. An Adam Mossbrook interception set up another Wetzel touchdown – this one from 26 yards out, and after three quarters, the Rams led 31-0.
Fourth quarter touchdown runs by Brennan Fisher (58 yards) and Logan McGowan (29 yards) gave the Rams their final margin of victory.
Fisher’s 178 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries led the Rams’ potent ground attack. Wetzel had six carries for 71 yards and two TDs, and Nate Mossbrook ran for 64 and a touchdown on seven carries.
The Rams’ defense limited the Owls to 153 yards of total offense.
“Our defense really held tough the whole night. Dylan O’Brien had that big pick six. A couple of other guys came away with interceptions. We played physical, we played aggressive, but more importantly, we played smart and that was the big key there.
“We had guys step up and do a great job that aren’t your normal starters in spots but really shined tonight. Our defensive line was actually a sophomore, Chase Washington, Stephen Reutlinger at nose, who’s a kid that started a few games now, and Landon Moyer, a junior who is a new varsity starter tonight – they did a great job. Hunter Burdick, Phil Picciotti, Dylan O’Brien and Logan McGowan played a great game defensively.
“Then our DBs – we actually moved Adam Mossbrook over to safety for this game. He’s a kid who’s played offense his whole time in high school so far. This was his first game starting on defense, and I thought he did a great job. He came away with a pick. Just defensively across the board. Even guys that rolled in made a big impact. Will Smith, a junior, had a big sack and did a great job. Across the board our defense really stepped up.
For the Owls, quarterback Matthew Saunders threw for 83 yards.
Pennridge (4-3, 2-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Friday, and Bensalem (4-3, 3-1) will travel to Council Rock South on Friday.
Pennridge 3-21-7-14 45
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
WISSAHICKON 48, LOWER MORELAND 28
The Trojans bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to Springfield Township to notch a convincing non-league win, and after scoring just six points in the loss to the Spartans, they erupted for 48 to give the Trojans the Homecoming Game win.
“It’s real important to get a win any time,” said Wissahickon assistant coach Jim Gober, who was filling in for coach Bruce Fleming. “Wissahickon hasn’t won a Homecoming Game in many years, so it’s good for the kids to win a Homecoming Game. It’s good for the alumni to come back and see us win a game with explosive points that’s exciting, so I’m happy with that.”
The Trojans got on the scoreboard when Aidan DeFeo found Jason Michaels for a 28-yard touchdown completion. A Jaylen Quick interception set the stage for a 31-yard Kyle Lehman TD run and a 14-0 lead after one quarter.
Lehman’s second TD run put the Trojans on top 21-0 before the Lions got on the scoreboard on a quarterback keeper by Tolan Stahl. A 48-yard completion from DeFeo to Quick set the stage for a Jeremiah Clark touchdown run and a 28-7 Wissahickon lead late in the second quarter.
The Trojans, who led 35-13 after three quarters, opened up a 41-13 lead after Clark scored his second TD. The Lions – thanks to Stahl’s third TD run and a fumble recovery returned for a TD – made it a 41-28 game with 3:16 left, but Ronnie Weldon raced 53 yards for the score and the 48-28 final.
“We just didn’t like the way the game closed out because we had a commanding lead, and then you look at the scoreboard, and it’s 48-28 because some crazy football plays happened,” Gover said. “Those things happen sometimes when you’re trying to get your JV kids in the game, trying to get the young kids out there. I wanted to call off the dogs and not run up the score any more than it was, but we’re happy with the win. We’ll take it.”
Gober pointed to DeFeo, Lehman and Clark as catalysts on offense.
“(The Lions) were giving us a defensive look that you don’t see too often that really lends itself to keep running the inside zone, which we kept doing,” the Trojans’ assistant coach said. “It put us in good spots to make some plays.
“When we play well, we’re pretty hard to defend because we can throw it, we can run it with multiple different guys. When we’re clicking on all cylinders, we’re a handful for teams. When our line is holding their blocks, it just makes us that much more explosive and diverse because we can run It or throw it.”
Wissahickon (2-5, 1-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Friday.
Lower Moreland 0-7-6-15 28
Wissahickon 14-14-7-13 48
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