Check out the results of SOL football teams in action on Friday. To view photos of the Pennsbury/CR South, North Penn/La Salle, CB South/CB West and Pennridge/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>.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 41, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 14
(Read Ben Reese’s complete game story at the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/titans-running-all-cylinders-win-over-bucks-0046027)
ABINGTON 35, NORTHEAST 34
Showing a flair for the dramatic, junior quarterback David Kretschman found teammate Jordan Neely on a broken play for a touchdown with two seconds showing on the scoreboard clock to propel the Ghosts to the heartstopping win.
“We were able to get two plays off from the seven- or eight-yard line,” coach Tim Sorber said. “We had no timeouts left. We had an incompletion on play action on the first play.
“On our last play, our one receiver ran the wrong route, and Jordan Neely kind of improvised a little bit. Kretschman was looking for the one receiver that missed his assignment, and he did a great job ad libbing. He threw it up there in the land of about a thousand arms, and Neely went up and got it and scored.
“Kretschman is one of those kids where he frustrates you a little bit at practice, but the kid’s a gamer and made some plays at the end of the game to help us win.”
The drama wasn’t over with the game-tying touchdown. There was the not-so-little matter of the extra point, but Matt Bevilacqua – a standout soccer player – put it through the middle of the uprights, and the dramatic win was in the books. The play capped a riveting 85-yard scoring drive in the game’s final two minutes.
“It wasn’t a pretty game for us,” Sorber said. “All the things I stressed all week we didn’t do.
“They literally led 47 minutes and 58 seconds, and to be honest with you, I thought they dominated the football game for that long. We talked going into this week, and we knew they were going to be faster and more athletic than the teams we’ve faced in our scrimmages. Not being disrespectful to them, but they’re a tremendously fast team.
“We talked about not giving up big plays on defense, and we gave up three big plays that led to 21 points. We talked about not turning the ball over on offense, and we turned it over three times. That said, 15 years coaching – it’s better to win ugly than lose pretty.”
The player of the game, according to Sorber, was middle linebacker Daron Boone, and it was the play of the middle linebacker that forced Northeast to turn it over on downs inside the Ghosts’ 20, setting the stage for the 85-yard touchdown drive with less than two minutes to play.
“The kid that showed phenomenal heart was Daron Boone,” Sorber said. “He had to have close to 30 tackles. He was all over the field on defense. Especially in the second half, he made some big stops to keep us in the game. He made a big stop on Northeast’s last drive to prevent a touchdown. That was a key too.”
Another player who came up big was sophomore wide receiver George Reid.
“He made a huge 50-yard catch that got us going,” Sorber said. “He had two big catches to really help us out.”
Juawine Sowell established a new school record with 45 carries. He finished the game with 250 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Ghosts.
As happy as Sorber was to see his team escape with a win, he was sympathetic of his counterpart, Phil Gormley, the parent of one of his former players.
“Phil’s doing a very good job there,” Sorber said. “Northeast is very talented and very well coached. They’re a very well disciplined football team, and they really deserved to win that game.
“It’s unfortunate for them – they had a couple of things at the end that didn’t go their way, but they’re definitely a quality opponent, and they’re going to be extremely successful in the Public League. The bottom line is that we had less two-way players than they did, and I think that helped us out a lot, especially at the end. “
Sorber believes Friday’s opener will be beneficial to his squad.
“You talk in practice that you’re not doing this and you’re not doing that, and kids are kids,” he said. “They think, ‘I am doing that.’
“This was a game where some of the things we don’t do well and we can get better at will be exemplified on film, but we’re still 1-0.”
Northeast 14-8-6-6 34
Abington 0-14-7-14 35
SOUDERTON 21, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 14
What a difference a year makes.
Last year, the Indians stumbled to a 41-13 loss to Pottsgrove in their season opener en route to a 2-8 season. In Friday night’s opener, they led wire to wire, setting the tone for what they hope will be a successful non-league run before entering National Conference play.
Blake Gular led the Indians on both sides of the football, rushing for 120 yards on 18 carries and also sparking the defense from his linebacker position. Teammate Nate Landes added 88 yards and a pair of TDs.
“This was really important,” Landes said of the win. “This is our first game, this is our motivation for the next games. I feel like we’ll be ready for everybody.”
It was Landes putting the Indians on the scoreboard when he burst through the line untouched and carried it 41 yards for a touchdown that – after Peter Shupuli’s extra point – gave the Indian a 7-0 lead with 7:26 remaining in the first half.
Who made the block to spring Landes?
“Linemen,” he said. “Just all my linemen. It just opened up, and it was all grass. That’s all I saw.”
“We got a real good double team by Matt Pierce and Matt Homewood,” coach Ed Gallagher said. “They slanted with the motion, and our right guard (Phil Stolfi) kicked out the other guy, and it just created the seam.
“Nate Landes squared his shoulders – he’s not the fastest kid, but he’s determined, and he got to the end zone. He got the end zone more than once, and he deserved it. It’s his senior year, and that’s a great way to start the senior year. We have a lot more to prove.”
The Indians took that 7-0 lead into halftime and added to it when Jamar White took the opening kickoff and raced 85 yards for a touchdown that put the Indians on top 14-0 after Shupuli’s extra point.
“Paul Fargo actually runs out kickoff return unit,” Gallagher said. “We had the same exact situation last year on the opening kickoff at Pottsgrove, and Manny Nieves took it back for a touchdown.
“It was the same scenario. We set up pretty well. They kicked the ball deep while our kids got back to the wedge, and we created enough of a seam. He’s a good back.”
Late in the third quarter, the Indians delivered an impressive defensive stand after the Colonials found themselves with first-and-goal on the eight-yard line. Taz Smith and Koby Khan delivered tackles for losses on back-to-back plays, and PW found itself with a third-and-goal from the 15. Quarterback Noah Allanoff found Blaise Gravinese for a 12-yard pickup to the three, but the Indians came up with the stop on fourth down to keep the Colonials off the scoreboard.
“The defense did fantastic,” Landes said. “I’m really, really impressed with how we came together, especially with that third and fourth down on the goal line.”
“They were moving the ball,” Gallagher said. “They started to gash us, but thankfully we went into our bend, don’t break mode and kept them out of the end zone a couple of times. We had different kids come up with stops. We had a couple of kids knock balls down in the secondary. A couple of linebackers came off the edge. We really did have a great overall team effort by our defense.”
PW cut the Indians lead in half when Allanoff raced in from seven yards out with 7:32 remaining. The Indians answered with a one-yard Landes TD plunge with 1:11 remaining to go on top 21-7 only to watch the Colonials march downfield for the score when Allanoff found James Rodgers with a 10-yard TD pass with 13 seconds remaining. The Indians’ victory was secured when White fell on PW’s on-sides kick attempt.
“They’re two good defenses and two good football teams,” Gallagher said. “I said to our kids – that team is going to win seven-eight games. It’s going to really help us down the stretch.
“It was a great win for us. We have some young kids that really stepped up and matured today. I’m very, very proud of them.”
Gallagher tipped his hat to his new defensive coordinator Mike Heath.
“He did a really nice job trying to put our kids in the right position trying to defend all their athletes,” he said. “It’s tough when you have an offensive line with the size and talent they have, and you still have to try and defend the skill kids they have. We were trying to double team Rodgers as much as we could because he’s such an explosive player. (Nafeese) Nasir getting hurt really slowed them up a little bit, but they have kids. They’re a good football team, and I’m just so proud of our kids that they gutted this one out.”
Souderton 0-7-7-7 21
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-0-0-14 14
QUAKERTOWN 38, UPPER PERKIOMEN 0
Friday’s game was supposed to mark the debut of Quakertown’s newly installed turf field. That was put on hold when the field was not ready, so instead, the Panthers debuted a defense that stymied the Indians at every turn, limiting them to just 70 yards of total offense.
Rob Burns, whose first quarter touchdown put the Panthers on the scoreboard, had a pair of TD runs. Jon Potynski had a 57-yard punt return for a touchdown, and quarterback Alec Vera’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Eric Dzieniszewski sent the Panthers into halftime with a 38-0 lead that stood until the final whistle.
Upper Perkiomen 0-0-0-0 0
Quakertown 6-32-0-0 38
UPPER MORELAND 30, PENNCREST 12
Tyler Whitmore had a huge night for the Golden Bears, rushing for 228 yards and scoring four touchdowns. It was Whitmore spotting the Bears a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter, thanks to his 34-yard touchdown run. That lead grew to 12-0 when Whitmore raced in from 21 yards out. Penncrest cut that lead in half, but another Whitmore score – this one after a 65-yard run – sent the Golden Bears into halftime with an 18-6 lead.
That score stood until early in the fourth quarter when Josh Abrams found teammate Nick DeLucas with an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Bears on top 24-6. Whitmore’s 47-yard touchdown run upped that lead to 30-6 before Penncrest scored in the game’s closing seconds.
Defensively, Peter Herbert came up with a key interception on the two-yard line to stop a Penncrest drive.
Penncrest 0-6-0-6 12
Upper Moreland 6-12-0-12 30
PENNSBURY 28, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
For four quarters, the Falcons played lights out defense, and for two, they put on an offensive clinic, racing to a 28-0 halftime lead. But after gaining 204 yards on their first four drives and accumulating 10 first downs, the Falcons managed just 42 yards and two first downs the rest of the way. They also had five fumbles – three recovered by the Golden Hawks.
The defense limited the Golden Hawks to just 82 yards of total offense and six first downs.
Quarterback Rob Daly had a pair of touchdown runs for the Falcons, and Charles Snorweah and Rasheen Thompson each had a rushing TD.
Vince Alimenti led the Hawks with 49 yards on 12 carries.
Pennsbury 14-14-0-0 28
Council Rock South 0-0-0-0 0
PENNRIDGE 35, HATBORO-HORSHAM 6
The Rams scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, turning a 7-6 lead into a 28-6 halftime lead on their way to the big win. Joe Unangst accumulated 117 yards on the ground, which included a 63-yard touchdown run, and Imier Simmons ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries. He also had a pair of sacks. Quarterback DeVon Balmer connected with Ryan Cuthbert for a 20-yard TD completion.
Hatboro’s only score came on a two-yard Kingsley Nworu run that made it a 7-6 game with 10:43 remaining in the opening half. The rest of the night belonged to the Rams.
Pennridge 7-21-7-0 35
Hatboro-Horsham 0-6-0-0 6
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 21, CHELTENHAM 7
Cheltenham took an early 7-6 lead, but the Patriots responded with 15 unanswered points to earn the win. Running back Alex Gibson led the Patriots with 120 yards on 23 carries. He also caught three passes for 52 yards. Quarterback Connor O’Keefe completed 8 of 15 passes for 132 yards and also ran for a TD. Wide receiver Eric Poppke turned a lateral from O’Keefe into a 42-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Ventresca, giving the Patriots a 21-7 lead. Early on, David Gressgott’s seven-yard TD run spotted the Patriots a 6-0 lead.
The Patriots’ defense limited Cheltenham to just 44 yards and four first downs in the first half. Tomy Strasburger and Keith Becker each had interceptions.
By Antonio Pelullo, Student Intern
The mood, the scene, and the players were ready to go for week one. The only team that seemed ready out of the gates was Cheltenham after the recovery of a fumble by the Patriots on their first play from the line of scrimmage, but the mood would quickly change after that play.
The Panthers were unable to do anything about the great field position, and they would give the ball up by turnover on downs. Then the Patriots marched down the field against the Panthers’ defense with a forceful running game, leading to a senior David Gressgot one-yard touchdown run, Gressgot would finish the day with three carries for 16 yards and one touchdown.
Two series later, a 19-yard punt would give Cheltenham possession on its own 28, setting the stage for drive that culminated with a seven-yard touchdown run by senior Greg Morris and gave Cheltenham a 7-6 lead. Morris would finish the game with eleven carries for 36 yards.
The Patriots would not retreat after failing on an extra point and a Cheltenham score, and slowly they marched down the field to jump back into the lead off senior quarterback Conner O’Keefe’s five-yard run, and they would convert on the two-point conversion, giving the Patriots a 14-7 lead.
“He made some good decisions and did a good job, and he will keep improving,” East coach John Donnelly on O’Keefe’s performance.
On the other side, coach Joe Gro assessed the performance of junior quarterback Brandon Mack
“He did some nice things and then he did some things you’re kind of (not as proud off), some inexperience things,” said the Panthers’ coach. “He did some real positives we can build off of.”
C.B. East was able to score off a 42-yard halfback pass to give the Patriots a 14-point lead (21-7) and final scoring play of the game.
“I wish we punched a few more in in the second half,” said coach Donnelly. “We got two takeaways, which is great. We gave two away which is not good, but the defense - they bent a little bit but didn’t break.”
Coach Gro was not as happy with his defense’s performance. “We didn’t play very good defense,” he said.
When asked about the second half, he simply said, “That was just an impasse.”
Both coach’s one-liners of the night show their thoughts of how the game went
“Any time you get a win, it’s a good, especially opening night,” said coach Donnelly.
Coach Gro said, “We didn't do too much right tonight.”
The leading rusher for Cheltenham was Brandon Mack, who had 14 carries for 53 yards. Mack also led the team in passing. He was five of 16 for 92 yards and threw two interceptions.
Cheltenham plays Bishop McDevitt next week at home.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 29, PERKIOMEN VALLEY 27
It looked like the Indians were on their way to a cakewalk when they rolled to a 22-0 halftime lead, but things changed in a hurry in the second half as the Vikings staged a furious comeback.
Perk Valley was driving for the potential go-ahead score, but the Indians’ defense held. It was Connar Guzy delivering the game-saving play when he sacked PV quarterback Stephen Storm for a 12-yard loss with just under six seconds remaining after the Vikings had marched to the Indians’ 18.
Offensively, junior quarterback Brandon McIlwain put on quite a show, completing 22 of 36 passes for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He added 168 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
WISSAHICKON 47, CENTRAL 6
The Trojans sprinted to a 21-0 lead after one quarter on their way to a rout of Central on Friday. Josh Smith led the offense with 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just seven carries. He also had an interception on the defensive side of the football.
Colin Williams led the defense with nine tackles and one sack. He also had three receptions for 28 yards.
Central scored its lone points in the second quarter. The Trojans took a 28-6 lead into halftime and added 19 points in the second half.
Wissahickon 21-7-6-13 47
Central 0-6-0-0 6
LA SALLE 29, NORTH PENN 7
The Knights took a 7-6 lead after fullback Nick Isabella scored on a 56-yard run with just over eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. It would be the last hurrah for the Knights, who were outscored 23-0 the rest of the way.
Doing most of the damage for the Explorers was Vanderbilt-bound quarterback Kyle Shumur, who threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns.
Both teams are in the top 10 in the Class AAAA state rankings.
La Salle 6-7-3-13 29
North Penn 7-0-0-0 7
GONZAGA COLLEGE 42, NESHAMINY 3
Nationally-ranked Gonzaga College opened up a 35-0 lead before the Redskins got on scoreboard, thanks to a 25-yard field goal by Dylan McDonald. Those were the only points of the night for the Redskins, who were outgained 440-223. A bright spot in the loss was the performance of quarterback Mason Jones, who threw for 120 yards. D’Andre Pollard rushed for 56 yards on 15 carries to lead the ‘Skins ground game.
Gonzaga College 21-14-7-0 42
Neshaminy 0-3-0-0 3
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 35, LOWER MORELAND 0
Springfield 7-7-7-14 35
Lower Moreland 0-0-0-0 0
NORRISTOWN 27, UPPER MERION 6
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