Pennridge won an overtime thriller in an SOL highlighted game. Check out the results from all of Friday’s SOL football action. To view photos of the Tennent/Wissahickon, Pennsbury/Easton, CB South/CR South, and the Souderton/Pottsgrove games please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
Perkasie – The latest chapter in the illustrious history of Pennridge football was marvelously written Friday night. The Rams scored a touchdown on the very last snap of regulation, added a clutch two-point conversion to force overtime and then won in the first overtime as PHS crafted a stunning 33-27 victory over Emmaus. Pennridge trailed the athletic Green Hornets 27-12 after three quarters but refused to surrender without a fight – and it was a battle that the courageous Rams pulled off in breathtaking fashion.
The game began with the buzz about the return of former PHS coach Randy Cuthbert making his Emmaus coaching debut back at Poppy Yoder Field coaching against his predecessor/successor – Ram head coach Jeff Hollenbach. But the names of Cuthbert and Hollenbach were to be lost on this night as some glorious Pennridge gridiron history was to feature the names of seniors Micah Stutzman, Matt Pasquale, and Michael Class.
“I’m so proud of what the players were able to do tonight,” smiled Hollenbach – who coached his first game for the Rams in over eight years. “We made a lot of mistakes, but we were able to make the great plays when we needed them. It was a crazy game, and I really don’t know what all happened out there. I’ve never seen a game end like that.”
Pennridge trailed 27-19 and began a drive on its 24-yard line with 2:04 left in the game. Nine plays later – on a drive that showcased a 28-yard run by Class and a 28-yard pass completion from Pasquale to Class – the Rams had a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. Pasquale fired a strike on first down to Stutzman but the ball was jarred loose at the last instant in the end zone for an incompletion. On second down, a Pasquale aerial almost accounted for a score but fell off the fingertips of Ram receiver Mike Tatarowicz, and on third down, Pasquale completed a pass to Class for a loss of six yards.
Pennridge called its final timeout with seven seconds left and was faced with a daunting fourth down and goal from the 16-yard line. Pasquale accepted his hero’s role and fired a 16-yard scoring strike to Stutzman in the corner of the end zone with 0:00 left on the scoreboard clock, but the touchdown created only a 27-25 score. The Rams needed a 2-point conversion to force overtime, and the duo of Pasquale-to-Stutzman came up huge moments later with the twin-point conversion to generate the 27-27 deadlock.
“They were in man coverage on the touchdown play, and Matt threw a great ball,” said Stutzman – who battled severe cramps in the final two periods of the game. “I wasn’t even too sure that I would be in for that play because of my cramping, but the coaches told me to go out there – so I went.”
“Micah is definitely my go-to guy – he has been ever since we played together at (Pennridge) North Middle School,” said Pasquale. “We knew what we had to do on that play – we knew it was going to be the last play – and it was up to us to make that play. Micah runs crisp routes, and I knew where he was going to be and that he was going to make that catch.”
The confidence of Stutzman and Pasquale to excel in the clutch spilled over on the 2-point conversion play and gave Class an opportunity to put the game away with his 10-yard scoring dash in the overtime. Class rushed for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns and caught seven passes for 118 yards and another score.
“This is a team that isn’t going to quit,” said Class. “We were down at the half, but we knew what we had to do in the second half to get ourselves back in the game, and we knew we could do it.”
There were many Ram fans in attendance at Poppy Yoder Field that didn’t share that same feeling.
In the first quarter, Pasquale’s first pass of the season went for a touchdown – for Emmaus. The talented Kyzir White stepped in front of the Pasquale pass and jetted 50-yards for a touchdown. Hunter Kushy’s placement gave the Green Hornets a 7-0 lead.
Pennridge rebounded with a scoring drive of its own as Pasquale finished off a scoring drive with a 16-yard TD pass to Stutzman – who caught six passes on the night for 118 yards. The extra point was blocked, and the Hornets held a 7-6 lead.
The advantage was expand to 14-6 when White scored on a 4-yard scoring pass from Brad Foltz, but the Rams came back to score on a sensational 53-yard scoring pass from Pasquale-to-Class - but the pass failed on the 2-point conversion and Emmaus held a 14-12 lead.
Emmaus would score quickly as Will Miller gouged the Ram return team and returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score. The Hornets would sting the Rams once again before the half as White would intercept still another errant pass and returned it 42-yards for the touchdown. The 27-12 halftime lead seemed safe for Cuthbert and Emmaus.
Wrong.
Although Pennridge would not score in the third period, the Rams would score twice in the fourth period and once in the overtime. In addition to the late game heroics by Pasquale and Stutzman – Class would touch off a scoring drive with a 3-yard run. Pasquale – despite his three interceptions – was effective completing 14 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns.
Lost in the glare of the Ram offensive fireworks was a defense that limited the Hornets to just a single first down in the second half.
“We have nine new players on the defensive side of the ball,” said Hollenbach as the “D” held the Hornets to only eight first downs and 130 yards of total offense. “And for them to shut down an athletic team like Emmaus says a lot about them. I knew we played well defensively – but only one first down in the second half – that’s impressive.”
Impressive is the right word for the Rams on this night of the rebirth of the Hollenbach era - and still another impressive victory to be remembered in Pennridge football lore.
Emmaus Green Hornets 7 20 0 0 0 - 27
Pennridge Rams 6 6 0 15 6 - 33
Emmaus: Kyzir White 50 interception return (Hunter Kushy kick)
Pennridge: Micah Stutzman 17 pass from Matt Pasquale (kick blocked)
Emmaus: White 4 pass from Brad Foltz (Kushy kick)
Pennridge: Michael Class 53 pass from Pasquale (pass failed)
Emmaus: Will Miller 98 kick off return (kick failed)
Emmaus: White 42 interception return (Kushy kick)
Pennridge: Class 3 run (Zack Jarrett kick)
Pennridge: Stutzman 16 pass from Pasquale (Stutzman pass from Pasquale)
Pennridge: Class 10 run (no attempt)
Emmaus Green Hornets Pennridge Rams
8 First Downs 21
81 Yards Rushing 111
49 Yards Passing 238
130 Total Offense 349
5-37 Punts / Avg 1-32
10-85 Penalties / Yards 2-10
Emmaus Green Hornets
Rushing: Brad Foltz 11-27; Will Miller 11-22; Thomas Bisko 8-20; Kyle Boney 1-9; Chris Schiermeyer 1-1; Kyzir White 1 (minus 8). Totals 33-81.
Passing: Foltz 6-12-0; 49 yards & TD.
Receiving: White 2-16 & TD; Bisko 2-9; Miller 1-14; and Noah Bertram 1-10. Totals 6-49
Interceptions: White (2) & 2 TD; Sharif Hassan.
Pennridge Rams:
Rushing: Michael Class 20-94- 2 TD; Devon Balmer 1-10; Sifee Good 5-7; Ryan Sterling 3-5; Imeir Simmons 1-4; and Pasquale 9 (minus 9). Totals 39-111- 2 TD.
Passing: Pasquale 14-25-3; 238 yards & 3 TD. Balmer 0-1-0; 0 yards. Totals 14-26-3; 238 yards & 3 TD.
Receiving: Class 7-118 & TD; Micah Stutzman 6-118 & 2 TD; Sterling 1-2. Totals 14-238 & 3 TD.
Interceptions: None
AROUND THE SOL*
Information used in the wraps below was provided courtesy of PhillyBurbs.com. To read the complete game stories, visit www.PhillyBurbs.com, the source for all the latest high school sports news.
Easton 38, Pennsbury 28
Pennsbury accumulated 323 yards of total offense, but it wasn’t enough to hold off a powerful Easton squad. The Falcons, who trailed 21-7 at the end of one quarter, scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 28-21 lead, but they did not score the rest of the way.
Raheem Thompson led the Falcons with 103 yards on just four carries, which included a 93-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. Quarterback Breon Clark added 66 yards on seven carries while Ronquay Smith had 56 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.
Easton 21-0-7-10 38
Pennsbury 7-21-0-0 28
Council Rock North 36, Haverford 7
Quarterback Brandon McIlwain accounted for three touchdowns – two in the air and one on the ground – while contributing 214 yards of total offense (140 passing) to lead the Indians.
Dejuan Martin, who finished with a game-high 146 yards on the ground, scored his first of two touchdowns on a 75-yard run on the first play from scrimmage to give the Indians a lead they would not lose. He also hauled in a 77-yard touchdown pass. Jimmy Gemmell was on the receiving end of a 13-yard TD strike from McIlwain.
Haverford 0-0-0-7 7
Council Rock North 8-21-7-0 36
Upper Dublin 45, Central Bucks West 21
John Derr, who left the game early with an injury, needed less than two quarters to accumulate 215 yards of total offense in Upper Dublin’s no-doubt-about-it win. The senior quarterback set the tone for a dazzling offensive performance with a 75-yard TD run on his team’s first play from scrimmage. He also had a 71-yard touchdown carry. Matt Thompson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Derr. Ryan Stover, who replaced Derr, found Ryan Siwinski with a 71-yard TD strike, and Kyleif Lee had a pair of touchdown runs for the Flying Cardinals, one of 47 yards and the other of 10.
For West, John Fitz had a pair of touchdown passes, and Ralf Silva had a 33-yard TD run.
Central Bucks West 7-7-0-7 21
Upper Dublin 24-7-0-14 45
Hatboro-Horsham 21, Norristown 14
Jack Morris was impressive in his debut at quarterback for the Hatters, completing 15-of-28 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. John O’Malley was his favorite target, hauling in nine of those passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Keith Cameron also had a touchdown reception.
With the win, the Hatters, under first year coach Mike Kapusta, equaled their win total of all of last season.
Norristown 0-7-7-0 14
Hatboro-Horsham 7-14-0-0 21
Neshaminy 33, Northeast 0
The Redskins scored early and often on their way to the shutout win. D’Andre Pollard, who led the ‘Skins ground attack with 135 yards and two touchdowns, scored on a 16-yard run late in the first quarter to give Neshaminy a lead it would not lose. The Redskins exploded for 20 unanswered points in the second quarter to go into the intermission with a commanding 27-0 lead.
Blake Sullivan had a pair of touchdowns, both on one-yard runs, and quarterback Tyler Wombough found Hamlid Pack with a 26-yard touchdown completion to account for the Redskins’ lone score in the air.
While the Redskins’ offense was busy putting points on the board, their defense was almost flawless, limiting Northeast to just 81 yards of total offense.
Northeast 0-0-0-0 0
Neshaminy 7-20-0-6 33
Wissahickon 34, William Tennent 15
The Trojans opened up a 21-0 lead and never looked back on their way to a convincing win. Dave Stellato rushed for a game-high 136 yards to lead the Trojans. Quarterback Mike Marino helped his own cause with a pair of one-yard TD runs while teammates Keith Oliphant and Franklin Dassin each added touchdowns on the ground.
Alex Perks accounted for both of Tennent’s scores, one on a two-yard run after teammate George Froggatt recovered a fumble and the other on a 44-yard TD pass from quarterback Nik Banks in the game’s closing seconds.
Wissahickon 7-14-7-6 34
William Tennent 0-7-0-8 15
Harry S Truman 47, Lincoln 21
The Tigers rolled to a 31-7 halftime lead and went on to open up a 47-7 lead on their way to the rout. Quarterback Jake Zolna put the Tigers on the scoreboard with a touchdown after a fumble recovery. He also threw for a pair of TDs. Jordan Livingston had a pair of touchdown runs, one of 10 yards and another of 23.
Lincoln 0-7-14-0 21
Harry S Truman 14-27-6-0 47
Abington 53, Samuel Fels 22
Craig Reynolds rushed for 149 yards and four touchdowns and also returned an interception 60 yards for a TD. Tyler Schreiner accumulated 72 yards on the ground and had one TD. Quarterback Anthony Lee was 8-for-12 and threw for 145 yard and one touchdown.
Samuel Fels 0-14-0-8 22
Abington 18-14-21-0 53
Upper Moreland 33, Mastbaum 30
The Golden Bears found themselves staring at a 14-0 deficit at the end of one quarter but scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter, sparked by a three-yard run from quarterback Charlie Hooker and a pair of touchdowns from Tyler Whitmore – the first on a 51-yard run and the second on a 21-yard interception return. Whitmore added a pair of second half touchdowns, scoring on a three-yard pass from Hooker and returning another interception for a TD, this one for 23 yards.
Mastbaum 14-0-8-8 30
Upper Moreland 0-21-6-6 33
Archbishop Wood 38, Bensalem 7
Alex Archangeli accounted for the Owls’ lone score, and that came on a six-yard run in the fourth quarter after the Vikings had opened up a 38-0 lead.
Archbishop Wood 10-21-7-0 38
Bensalem 0-0-7-0 7
Boyertown 46, Central Bucks East 39
The Patriots took an early lead after a 65-yard touchdown run by sophomore Alex Gibson but found themselves on the short end of a 19-10 score in the second quarter. They closed out the half with a pair of touchdowns to go into the intermission with a 21-19 lead. The visiting Bears scored four TDs in the third quarter to go on top 46-25 before the Patriots staged a late rally. An East fumble at the Bears’ one-yard line with just over a minute remaining thwarted a heroic comeback attempt by the Patriots.
Quakertown 27, Upper Perkiomen 6
Matt Stoneback led the Panthers ground attack with 103 yards and scored all four of his team’s touchdowns.
Springfield 48, Lower Moreland 13
The Spartans defeated Lower Moreland 29-0 on Thanksgiving Day to close out their 2012 season. On Friday night, they picked up where they left off, opening up a 48-0 lead before the Lions scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Lower Moreland 0-0-0-13 13
Springfield 21-14-13-0
Perkiomen Valley 33, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-0-0-0 0
Perkiomen Valley 19-14-0-0 33
Penncrest 20, Upper Merion 0
Penncrest 0-6-7-7 20
Upper Merion0-0-0-0 0
Downingtown West 56, Cheltenham 14
Cheltenham 0-14-0-0 14
Downingtown West 7-21-21-7 56
Pottsgrove 41, Souderton 13
(Photos and game wrap provided courtesy of Dave Conard of tricountysentinel.com)
UPPER POTTSGROVE—As the 2013 PIAA Football season got underway Friday night, both head coaches got their wishes, early on at least.
For Falcons head coach Rick Pennypacker, who had instructed his captains prior to the toss that win or lose he wanted to kick off, and that meant putting his defense on the field to set the tone.
This news came at the delight of Souderton head coach Ed Gallagher, who was making his first trip to Pottsgrove in more than 20 years.
No sooner than the capacity crowd had taken their seats, Indians senior Manny Nieves
rambled 92 yards with the opening kick, giving the visitors from the SOL a 6-0 lead with merely 12 seconds taken off the clock.
“We game planned all week for that return,” said Gallagher. “It was executed exactly how we drew it up, Manny is an electric player and we are lucky to have guys like he and Taz (Smith) that can make plays for us.”
"A play like that opening kickoff was like a punch to the gut," said Pottsgrove senior captain Jeff Adams. "It just made us mad and really got us to focus on what we were doing out there. We got a great game from our offense tonight and they really helped us keep the pressure on by scoring quickly when we got the fumbles early."
“Unfortunately that was the highlight of the game for us,” added Gallagher. “We practiced all week for their option, but there was no way to match that kind of speed, I thought they did a great job with their offense especially at the quarterback position.”
Pottsgrove - led by first year signal caller Riley Michaels, the running of Marquis Barefield who scored on a 6-yd TD run and also posted an 80-yard fumble return for a score and a defense that forced five turnovers - put up 41 unanswered points to take control of the game.
“We are not a bad team,” said Gallagher. “We are just an inexperienced squad right now that needs to keep working on conditioning and execution. We got gassed pretty early tonight, which is a concern, but we have some things to work on, they are a very good team.”
Souderton 6 0 0 7 - 13
Pottsgrove 26 15 0 0 -41
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