Pennsbury and Springfield Township were winners in SOL football action.
Stats for the Pennsbury/CB East game provided courtesy of the Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the Intelligencer (https://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school) and Courier Times (https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school) web sites.
PENNSBURY 21, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 14
Drew Hensor threw for more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He also ran for 450 yards and six TDs. In the first three games of the season, Hensor lined up behind center for the Falcons, but they struggled to put points on the board.
On Saturday at CB East, CJ Kohler started a quarterback, but not a whole lot changed in the opening half as the two teams battled to a scoreless tie. The second half – that was another story. Hensor was the difference maker, but the senior standout wasn’t playing quarterback. Instead, he made a dazzling debut at running back.
“We knew we had to get some explosiveness in our offense, and we felt he had the most explosive skill set,” coach Dan McShane said. “In the first half, our possessions were so limited we couldn’t even get to Drew.
“Our running backs coach Dennis Cox was at a wedding, and somehow I became in charge of the running backs. Actually, at halftime, my defensive coordinator Dan Shuchat said to me, ‘Remember, we want to get Drew the ball.’ I said, ‘Hey, there’s a good idea.’ I told him – ‘You’re starting the first series. Let’s go,’ and there it was. We just pounded the ball.”
Hensor’s impact was immediate – on four straight carries, he picked up 41 yards. He capped an 80-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run, spotting the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
It looked as though that might be enough, but the Patriots struck with 5:49 remaining in regulation when Anthony Giordano hooked up with Andrew Cassidy for a 49-yard TD pass, knotting the score 7-7. The Falcons had an answer, and Kohler found Josh Boyda wide open in the middle for a 43-yard touchdown reception and a 14-7 lead.
Overtime appeared imminent when Will Silverman delivered a highlight reel catch, somehow keeping his feet inbounds just inside the right pylon for a 25-yard touchdown that knotted the score with 1:25 remaining.
That turned out to be more than enough time for Hensor and the Falcons. Hensor capped an impressive six-play, 61-yard scoring drive when he bulled his way into the end zone from nine yards out with 29 seconds remaining. The Patriots had no answer.
Hensor finished with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
“Every now and then you get it right,” McShane said. “Look – it’s an easy pick. He’s a real talented kid.
“We kind of felt like he was really grinding hard at quarterback. We knew we were still going to get the ball in his hands, but we wanted to give him a chance to take a step back from the quarterback thing.
“The kid puts a ton of pressure on himself. He’s a great competitor, and I felt bad. I saw he was really pressing at quarterback, and we really struggled on offense the past couple of weeks. His teammates know he’s going to get the ball. He does a great job on the defensive side. We know how valuable he is.
“It was tough to take the news, but he handled it professionally. His teammates were supportive of him and CJ (Kohler) at quarterback. That’s what a team is supposed to be. Even the running backs – they knew it was going to be more of a running back by committee thing.”
McShane credited his offensive line for paving the way.
“It always starts with the guys up front,” the Falcons’ coach said. “They got it blocked up. They were loading the box against us.
“CB East had a good game plan. There were times when they had so many guys in the box and one would leak through. They called it the ‘Barry Sanders Rule’ back in the day. Even though the guy’s unblocked, Barry Sanders is going to make the guy miss. That’s kind of Drew. He has a very on-a-dime type of cut. He’s very efficient with his moves and his turns. He’s a real difficult kid to bring down.”
Lost in the shuffle was the Falcons’ defensive effort that stymied the Patriots for a good part of the game.
“We have a real good group up front in the D-Line, and they controlled the whole side of the ball, and our linebackers finished from behind,” McShane said. “In the back end, we have Drew (Hensor) and Christian Bond as lock-down type of corner.
“Matt Carey is really stepping up at the free safety position, getting us lined up and doing a real good job adding to the front when they run the ball. He’s got a lot of responsibility, and he’s only been doing it the past two weeks. We’re looking for smart football players, and he starts with that. He’s tough, he likes to tackle. He’s the whole package. Shane Simmons at our outside linebacker spot is just a playmaker.”
The win was the first of the season for the Falcons.
“The win is huge,” McShane said. “We know where we stand. We’re kind of in the same situation we were in last year.
“You have to have a very narrow focus, which our kids are mature enough to do that. They know we have to win six or seven games. Well, let’s win one.”
The Patriots – still without running back Jake Ventresca – never got their ground game going and had just 34 net rushing yards. Giordano accounted for most of East’s offense, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Silverman caught seven passes for 97 yards.
For the Falcons, Kohler threw for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Pennsbury (1-3) will host Council Rock North Friday, and Central Bucks East (3-1) will host North Penn Saturday at 11 a.m.
Pennsbury 0-0-7-14 21
Central Bucks East 0-0-0-14 14
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 35, JAMES BUCHANAN 0
The Falcons put 35 points on the scoreboard, but on this day, it was the defense that stole the spotlight, allowing just 51 total yards of offense. Ben Cooney returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and also had a sack. JP McGowan had three sacks. All told, the Spartans had nine sacks.
The Spartans got on the scoreboard early when Cameron Dennis returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Gabe Franczyk connected with Colin Hussie on a 25-yard touchdown pass.
When Franczyk punched it in from one yard in the third quarter, the Spartans led 21-0. In the final quarter, Cooney had his interception return for a TD, and Kasai Ashantee had a two-yard touchdown run.
Franczyk threw for 190 yards and one touchdown. Dennis had eight receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown.
Springfield Township (3-1) will be on the road at the Academy of the New Church on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Springfield Township 7-7-7-14 35
James Buchanan 0-0-0-0 0
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