Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. Neshaminy/NP photos provided courtesy of Kristen Battista, Pennridge/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Laura Rowe & Darryl Rule of J&D Photography, CB West/Neshaminy photos provided by Greg Lindsay and Upper Dublin/CR North photos courtesy of Shannon O’Sullivan. Check back for galleries of all four games. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ FOOTBALL GALLERIES.
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 18, NORTH PENN 14
(Neshaminy game stats courtesy of Neshaminy football)
This win was reason to celebrate.
With the Redskins lined up in victory formation, senior quarterback Michael Eckart took a knee and then – as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock – sprinted to his team’s sidelines where a jubilant celebration was underway.
For just the second time since 2013, Neshaminy had defeated North Penn, a perennial league and district powerhouse. Making the win even sweeter was the fact that it came on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to Cheltenham at Heartbreak Ridge just a week earlier.
“I’m just so proud of the players, so proud of how they bounced back this week and how hard they played,” Neshaminy coach Nick Felus said. “The community support was off the charts tonight. I’m proud of everyone in the program.”
The Redskins’ first-year coach showed his immense confidence in his players with the outcome of the game hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter. With two-and-a-half minutes remaining, the Redskins – clinging to an 18-14 lead – were facing fourth-and-one on their own 28-yard line. After a timeout and failed attempt to pull the Knights offsides, Felus called a second timeout and sent his offense back on the field.
The Redskins proved they were worthy of their coach’s confidence as Eckart – who was brilliant all night – burst through the defense and raced 39 yards before going down on his own at the Knights’ 33-yard line.
“Our first thing was – let’s get them into a formation and see if we can get them to jump offsides with a double count,” Felus said. “That didn’t work, so we called timeout. I looked at the clock.
“I talked it over with the staff, talked with the players, and we just felt we didn’t want to give them the ball back, and we felt very confident in our offensive line, our h-back, our running back and obviously our quarterback. Let’s go win it here, and our kids believed, and they executed an unbelievable play.”
Playing no small role in the Redskins’ success on that backbreaking drive was an offensive line – comprised of left tackle Owen Schwartz, left guard Logan Labadie, center John Marion, right guard Milo Makes and right tackle Riley Durnan – that stood tall against a physical Knights’ squad.
The Redskins served early notice that they meant business, scoring on their opening drive when Eckart connected with Carter Clee on a 16-yard touchdown pass to go on top 6-0. The Knights had an immediate answer, driving 75 yards and going on top 7-6 after a Matt Pownall one-yard run.
Undeterred, the Redskins came back with another touchdown drive, this one capped with Eckart taking it in from three yards out. Again, the Knights answered, forcing a fumble and scoring when quarterback Matt Bucksar – rolling right – connected with Sal Colella on a 10-yard touchdown pass that sent the Knights into halftime with a 14-12 lead.
“We talk with our kids about adversity, we talk about handling the highs and lows of the game, and we pride ourselves on being a fourth quarter team,” Felus said. “We feel like if we get a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter with the type of players we have – our chances are good, and we did that tonight.”
The game-winning drive came after Owen Schwartz recovered a North Penn fumble at Neshaminy’s 10-yard line. Clee raced 20 yards on first down. Eckart completed several big pass plays across the middle to both Mike and Nick Sassano and then split a pair of defenders to find Nick Sassano in stride for a 41-yard touchdown play with 8:08 remaining.
“They broke up pass plays on defense, they had huge plays on offense,” Felus said of the Sassanos. “They’re really starting to come into their own, especially with the offense that we’re running.
“They’re a perfect fit for that – for slot receiver, some of the RPO stuff we do, and they know how to get open. They’re football players, and they make plays. They’re the type of kids when the game’s on the line, you know they’re going to make a play.”
On their ensuing possession, the Knights managed two first downs but saw their drive stall at midfield. After a North Penn punt, the Redskins took over at their own four. Several Clee runs and one first down later set the stage for the fourth-and-one play that sealed the Knights’ fate and might well define Neshaminy’s season.
“Last week we were disappointed in how we performed from top to bottom,” Felus said. “We had a really good week of practice. I felt like our kids were locked in all week, and we had a lot of energy.
“We had good game plans in all three stages of the game, and tonight I really felt like we played complimentary football.”
No one had a bigger night for the Redskins than Eckart, who completed 11 of 17 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns and also had 17 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown. Do the math – the senior quarterback accounted for 251 yards of offense.
“Our quarterback, Michael Eckart, played an unbelievable game,” Felus said. “He had ice in his veins tonight.
“Our defense was opportunistic. We had a chance to get some stops, and we did. Special teams – when we had to punt the ball away, we changed field position, so all three phases tonight. Our kids just roll up their sleeves and go to work. I’m so proud of how hard they work.”
There were countless contributors in this win. Clee had 12 carries for 70 yards in a solid outing. Nick and Mike Sassano combined for five catches. Both had 53 receiving yards.
“Carter Clee is steady, he just gets the job done, runs hard,” Felus said. “Carson Schneider at H-back. We put him in the second half, and we were able to run the ball downhill.
“Brock Williams, another receiver, made some big plays for us tonight. Defensively, our linebackers played very well. Dan MGarrity had a good game at outside linebacker. I thought the guys up front had consistently good penetration.”
There was no denying the significance of Friday’s win.
“We talked about just playing for the ones who wore the jersey before you,” Felus said. “Neshaminy football has such a tradition and history, and we talked about it this week.
“Specifically, this is our time. The seniors have played a lot of football, and we want to play our best games this year for the seniors. We want to play for the community. We had a good week of preparation, so this is not a big surprise to us at all, but we also have to understand – in this league, it doesn’t get any easier. You have to turn the page quickly, and you have to prepare each week.”
Up next: Neshaminy (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Abington Friday, and North Penn (3-1, 0-1) will be on the road at Pennridge.
North Penn 7-7-0-0 14
Neshaminy 6-6-0-6 18
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 21, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 14
(Game stats provided by CB South football)
It looked as though points would come easily for the Titans.
After all, they needed just two plays to get on the scoreboard in Friday’s conference showdown against a 3-0 Patriot squad.
“We got the ball first, and we wanted to try to splash on them early,” South coach Tom Hetrick said.
Two splash plays later – a 35-yard pass from Cade Crim to James Chan and a 36-yard touchdown run by Gavin Graham – and the Titans led 6-0. That, however, marked the beginning and the end of the Titans’ scoring in the first half, and they trailed by one at halftime, 7-6. East took the lead on a 3-yard TD run by Mike Price, who suffered an injury in the opening half and was lost for the game.
“It was frustrating because I’m thinking, ‘Okay, I feel good about how our defense is playing, but except for that first two-play drive, our offense is not doing what it needs to be doing, but if we can come out and get a drive together, we’ll be okay,’” Hetrick said.
South scored the go-ahead touchdown on a drive that included a 46-yard Graham run. The two-point conversion by Crim was successful, and South led 14-7.
“East came back and put together a drive, and our defense played well for the most part, but on that drive, they were just chunking us – they scored (on a Hunter Pulford keeper), and it’s 14-14,” Hetrick said. “Now we’re at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and our quarterback, Cade Crim, takes it 86 yards on a counter play for a touchdown.
“Week in and week out, he’s weirdly stealthy fast – it’s a leave-you-in-the-dust kind of thing. It was really a great play, and we went up 21-14. I was feeling good. They punt the ball to us, and the ball bounces and hits one of our guys and bounces off of them, and East recovers.”
South’s defense held, forcing East to punt.
“I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s get this, let’s just get a drive, and we’ll ice this thing,’” Hetrick said. “We had a muffed punt, so they get the ball back. They got a first down, and then it was fourth-and-one, and we stopped them, and at that point there was a minute left in the game, so we got in victory (formation) and took a knee. So, it was more exciting than I would have liked it to be.”
Graham (9 carries for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Crim (9 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown) both surpassed the century mark rushing.
South’s defense was led by the 10-tackle effort of Javin Kube. Jack Bartolillo added nine tackles (1.5 TFL), and Colin White had seven (1 TFL).
“They did some good things,” Hetrick said of his team’s defense. “I give East credit because when your big-time star player (Price) goes down early in the game, you could go in the tank and think, ‘What are we going to do?’ But they didn’t do that, so I give them credit.
“I challenged our offense at halftime – ‘Listen, we’ve got to string together some drives, and we need our playmakers to make some plays. And, in the second half, Gavin Graham made some plays, Cade Crim made some plays, and we did what we needed to do, and it was definitely a really good win.”
Also earning credit for their effort were twins Braden and Javin Kube.
“One of them is a guard and a D-end who literally hardly ever comes off the field, and that’s Braden,” Hetrick said. “Javin’s the inside linebacker who made some great plays and some major hits. Those twins are football players, and I’m excited that they’re only juniors because they play the game the way that I like it to be played. The Kube brother have done some really good things for us these first few weeks.”
For the Patriots, Price had 88 yards and one touchdown on just nine carries before leaving the game with an injury in the first half.
Final total net yards for the game show East with 252 and South with 239.
Up next: Central Bucks South (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West Friday, and Central Bucks East (3-1, 0-1) will host Pennsbury.”
Central Bucks East 7-7 14
Central Bucks South 6-15 21
PENNRIDGE 14, PENNSBURY 0
(Pennridge game stats courtesy of Pennridge football)
The Rams have shown an ability to put points on the board, averaging close to 40 points in their three wins to open the season. They managed just 14 on Friday night, and that turned out to be more than enough.
“We definitely had some mishaps early on,” Pennridge coach Kyle Beller said. “We threw an interception in the end zone (nabbed by Shawn Beatty). We fumbled at the one. We had some nice drives going, but we didn’t
finish them.
“I think a huge difference is the kids just kept playing. There was no complaining. They just kept playing football, which we knew we had to do because that team is going to keep playing. They play hard. Their defense flies around and makes plays, and their offense is going to come at you and pound you. You don’t have time to put your head down when something goes bad, and our kids just kept grinding away. We knew it was going to be a physical game, and it was. They thrive in those grind-it-out games. It was nice to come out on top.”
The Rams took advantage of a short field after a big defensive stop on fourth-and-one to get on the scoreboard on the first play of the second quarter when Ryan Rowe took it in from the four-yard line. Luis Nunez extra point made it a 7-0 game, a score that stood until halftime.
Late in the third quarter, the Rams tacked on a score when Michael Ferguson took it to the house from 10 yards out, and the Rams led 14-0, a score that stood until the final horn.
Rowe needed just 13 carries to accumulate 124 rushing yards, which included a 44-yard run early in the game. William Dougherty had nine carries for 46 yards.
“Ryan had a great day,” Beller said. “He had a nice game defensively once again. He’s really playing good.
“Will (Dougherty) ran really hard, Noah (Keating) ran really hard, and Mike Ferguson came in and had a nice touchdown run. Trevor Picciotti came in, and he kind of finished things off and had some really physical runs. I look at that as a big team effort. Everyone just kind of doing their part.”
Earning high praise from Beller was the Rams’ defense.
“(Pennsbury) got down in the red zone a couple of times, and our kids held, caused a couple of turnovers and just kept fighting,” Beller said. “I thought the D-line really played great, rotating kids in with Ian Gallagher, Gary Gorman, Nolan Worman and Will Dougherty. I thought they did a really nice job.
“And then the linebackers and the safeties. I thought Tommy Ginnetti played well. Jackson Gregoire played well. Ryan Rowe, Blake Landherr and Brody Blomgren. Holding them to 75 yards rushing – that’s saying something. Those kids are coming downhill making tackles. The front 6, front 8 – they all played well collectively.
“Even in the second half, we got put in a bad spot. It was only 7-0, and Pennsbury had great field position. The kids came out and just kept playing defense, and they just kept grinding. I know it’s coach talk, but it really is what they did.”
Up next: Pennridge (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host North Penn on Friday, and Pennsbury (0-4, 0-1) will travel to Central Bucks East
Pennridge 0-7-7-0 14
Pennsbury 0-0-0-0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43, ABINGTON 15
The Bucks took care of business in a hurry.
They put 21 points on the board in the first quarter, and although the Ghosts pulled to within a touchdown (14-7), the Bucks answered with a 22-0 tear to close out the first half on their way to the big conference win.
“I was just really pleased that offensively the way we were able to come out right from the get-go and execute,” West coach Rob Rowan said. “We really got our backs going, and we put up 21 points pretty quick in the first quarter, and I was just glad our guys started fast.
“We just talked all week about playing CB West football. I thought our guys came out and started fast and executed at a high level.”
The Bucks’ coach credited Gavin Todd and Nick Miletto for giving the Bucks a lift out of the backfield.
“Gavin Todd ran really, really well tonight,” Rowan said. “He showed some acceleration we hadn’t seen from him this year, so I was really happy with the way he came out and played.
“Nick Miletto is another guy that definitely took his game to another level tonight with the ball in his hands. Both of those guys ran really hard and really well.”
Also playing well for the Bucks was quarterback Josh George, who entered the game early in the second quarter.
“He’s a very good football player, and I was incredibly proud of the way that he stepped in and took control of the offense and moved us down the field and did some really good things,” Rowan said.
Although his team was in command from the outset, the West coach insisted it wasn’t easy.
“Every game is a tough game,” Rowan said. “They’re challenging in their own ways. I’m proud of the way our guys came out and played. We’ll learn from it and get ready for the next one.”
Up next: Central Bucks West (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South Friday, and Abington (1-3, 0-1) will host Neshaminy.
Central Bucks West 36-7 43
Abington 7-8 15
SOL Continental Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 28, CHELTENHAM 20
Friday’s conference opener did not get off to the most promising of start for the Golden Hawks, who found themselves in an early 14-0 hole.
“We fumbled a kickoff, and they scored on a really nice drive,” Rock South coach CJ Szdylik said. “They got an interception on a tip ball that they ran back for a touchdown to go up 14-0.”
Down but hardly out, the Golden Bears answered with a touchdown of their own.
“We rallied – had a really nice drive, and Shane Myers scored to make it 14-7, and they went right down and scored again and went up 20-7,” Szydlik said. “Honestly, from there, we finally found our legs and started to play our brand of football and were able to run the football and throw. We did some really nice things late in the second quarter into the second half.”
Joey Madara caught a pair of touchdown passes from Marley Emerson, the second one put the Golden Hawks on top 21-20.
“Then we had a really nice touchdown run by Nate Szydlik of about 18-20 yards that basically put it away,” Szydlik said of the Golden Hawks’ all-state linebacker, who is back in action after being sidelined with an injury. “It’s a little different of a game with him.”
The Golden Hawks’ coach credited his players for picking each other up.
“When get in a game like this and it’s a little sticky out, kids were cramping and dropping – it’s one of those games you almost feel like it’s August,” Szydlik said. “Gavin Lacey came in and ran the ball really hard when Shane (Myers) went out with cramps.”
The Golden Hawks’ sealed the win with a clutch play late in the fourth quarter.
“It was fourth-down-and-four with three-and-a-half minutes left,” Szydlik said. “We had the ball on our own 30-yard line, and we went for it. We put the ball in our offensive line’s hands, and Gavin shot up through the hole and got about eight yards and basically iced it for us.”
The Hawks’ coach tipped his hat to the Panthers.
“They’re very good,” he said. “They stretch you all across the field, they do a really good job of making you play their game. They’re a good football team, and they’re going to be trouble for a lot of people.”
Up next: Council Rock South (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Friday, and Cheltenham (1-3, 0-1) will host Bensalem Friday.
Cheltenham 20-0 20
Council Rock South 7-21 28
QUAKERTOWN 21, BENSALEM 7
The Panthers needed a bounce-back win after a lopsided loss to North Penn a week earlier, and they got just that, notching an impressive victory in their conference opener at Bensalem.
“It was really a great team effort,” Quakertown coach George Banas said. “Our defense pitched a shutout against their offense.”
The Panthers got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter when Jackson Connelly scored from two yards out only to see Bensalem’s Myles Annan run the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown that – after a successful PAT – put the Owls on top 7-6.
“We buckled down from there,” Banas said. “We made a pretty good amount of mistakes in the first half, just shooting ourselves in the foot. We had a touchdown called back because we didn’t have enough guys on the line of scrimmage.
“It’s growing pains with an inexperienced team. You’re going to have some of those things happen during the game. You try to limit them, but you know it’s going to happen.”
It was a 7-6 game until Connelly punched it in from a yard out with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter. Brady Martin took it in for the two-point conversion, and the Panthers led 14-7.
“We came out in the second half, and it was three-and-out,” Banas said. “I think that next defensive stamp was pretty huge – to stop them and get the ball back.
“We went down and scored and went for two and got it and that put us ahead 14-7.”
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers all but put the game out of reach when Martin connected with James Wehrheim on a 25-yard touchdown pass that put the Panthers on top 21-7.
“We made it interesting on that kickoff because we bounced it off a kid, and they were able to return it to our 40,” Banas said. “Then we had a late hit, and they ended up starting that series on the 25 going in.
“For our defense to hold them – if they score there, it’s a one-possession game, and there’s plenty of time on the clock at that point.”
There were plenty of contributors in Friday’s win, none bigger than the Panthers’ defense.
“Our starting defense across the board just really did a phenomenal job,” Banas said. “The coaching staff put a really solid plan together to take away (Aidan) Mayfield from their offense, and we were able to frustrate them with that.
“It took a team effort to contain him. He got one big run on us – I think it was 40 yards, but that was the big play of the night, and for him to not score on that was huge.”
The Panthers’ coach also credited contributors on the offensive side of the football
“Offensively, Kyler Roesener had a really good game on the ground,” Banas said. “Brady (Martin) really bounced back from the first half to have a really good second half throwing the ball.
“Carter Tucholski just keeps improving and just being phenomenal for us at wide receiver. Wehrheim had an incredible catch on the sideline and then he had the touchdown at the end. Everybody’s been able to chip in.
“I think (Emilio) Oliveras did some really nice stuff for us tonight. It’s crazy how many different kids step up in different opportunities and are able to make plays. Our offensive line struggled at times but then came back and when we really needed them, they were able to get it done.”
Added Banas, “This was a much-needed win, and it was a really satisfying win because of how we played coming off a week where I don’t even know if we dressed correctly.”
Up next: Quakertown (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Souderton Friday, and Bensalem (2-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Cheltenham Friday.
Quakertown 6-0-8-7 21
Bensalem 7-0-0-0 7
SOUDERTON 48, HARRY S TRUMAN 7
Souderton rebounded from its shutout loss at the hands of Central Bucks West with a no-doubt-about-it road win over the Tigers.
“We struggled last week with some of the things that CB West was doing,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “They did a really good job of scheming against us and timing their blitzes well once we engaged some of our blocks, so hats off to them.-1%202.jpg)
“They did a really good job, and we had a few things we had to tweak this week. I thought we executed much better up front with our backs and tight ends. Across the board, blocking was much better tonight.”
Caleb Moyer’s two-yard touchdown run put the Indians on the scoreboard, and after an interception by Jimmy Eakins, Chase Hart hauled in a 12-yard Ben Walsh touchdown pass to put the Indians on top 13-0. JoJo Sudi’s eight-yard TD run gave the Indians a commanding 20-0 lead after one quarter.
Walsh found Hunter Smeltz with an 11-yard touchdown pass, and the two-point conversion – also Walsh to Smeltz – made it a 28-0 game with just under five minutes remaining in the half.
That was more than enough time for a Sudi’s second TD run – this one for two yards – to send the Indians into halftime with a 35-0 lead.
“JoJo starts at corner for us – he played some running back last year, and tonight it was just good timing for him,” Gallagher said. “He got his number called when we were in the red zone, and he took advantage of it.”
Truman got on the scoreboard late in the third, and Alex Whitcomb responded by running the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown.
Nate Rusike returned an interception 80 yards for a TD that gave the Indians their final margin of victory.
“He made a heck of a play – he’s a really great athlete,” Gallagher said. “We swarmed to the ball well defensively. We did a really nice job.
“We executed much better offensively. Ben was sharp. He threw the ball really well. Hunter, as usual, made some big plays. Alex Whitcomb had a really nice game. He played safety and made a lot of tackles. He also had a nice catch at wide receiver, and he ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. He had a really nice game.
Up next: Souderton (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Quakertown Friday, and Harry S Truman (0-4, 0-1) will be on the road at Council Rock North Friday.
UPPER DUBLIN 25, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 14
The Flying Cardinals got that elusive first win in Friday’s SOL opener after facing a trio of SOL teams that boast a combined 9-3 record.
“We lost to some good football teams, and there’s no shame in that,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “If you think about it – we’ve been 1-2 really the last four or five years because of these crossover games, so we were only one game behind that if you want to think about it that way.
“Our kids responded tonight. We played okay, which is better than we’ve been playing, but we still have a long way to go. We’re so beat up right now. I have five two-way starters out, so we’re totally band-aided right now, and the kids that are playing are giving us everything they’ve got. We’re going to start getting healthy this week, so we’ll get a couple back and we kind of hope to take off. We have the ability.”
Friday’s game was highlighted by the standout effort of senior running back Ron Sheppard, who ran for 214 yards and had the Cards’ first three touchdowns.
“He was the workhorse for us tonight, and he played well,” Stover said. “Benji Ravitz and Justin Waugh played really well at defensive end, putting pressure on the quarterback.
“We got interceptions from the Greenberg brothers – Shane and Tyler, and George Stein had a third interception, so that was big for us. We really hadn’t turned anybody over all year. We were getting long fields, and we’re just not good enough to go long fields yet. I think soon we’re going to be but just not yet until we get some pieces back.”
The Cards found themselves on the short end of a 7-6 score early but rallied to go on top 12-7 by halftime.
“At one point, we blew a coverage and a kid came was running super fast and we couldn’t catch him, but we didn’t put our heads down,” Stover said. “We went back to work and went up 12-7, and we took the opening drive of the third quarter and put it in the end zone, and that was big for us. We’ve had trouble coming out of the locker room on offense the past several weeks – three-and-out, putting our defense in a bind.
“To Rock North’s credit, they went right down the field and were inside the 20, and we held. We were three-and-out, and our defense held again, and then we were able to push it away and get that fourth touchdown. Our defense was huge in that third quarter, keeping them out. They were inside our 10 first-and-goal and did not get in, so that was big for us.”
Stover was most pleased with the overall play of his defense.
“We had some big sacks at big times,” he said. “We put them behind the chains, which is kind of what was happening to us the first couple of weeks. You’re second and 15 or third and 22, and I don’t have many good calls there. Our defense just kept the field position in our favor.
“The kids have stayed positive, and it’s easy to – when you’re 0-3 and everybody in school is like, ‘What’s going on?’ They stayed the course, and they’ve done what we’ve asked them to do.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (1-3, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South Friday, and Council Rock North (0-4, 0-1) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday (7pm).
Council Rock North 7-7 14
Upper Dublin 12-13 25
Non-league
SPRINGFIELD TWP 42, LOWER MORELAND 14
(Check back for complete game wrap)
WISSAHICKON 27, SUN VALLEY 14
(Check back for complete game wrap)
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP 37, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 31
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