Check out the results for SOL football teams in action Friday. Bensalem/Abington photo provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of JD Photography. Neshaminy/CR North photo provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (http://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p318377327). Check back for Lisa Henderson’s photos of the CB South/CB East game, Kim Supko’s photos of the Wissahickon/Quakertown game, and Craig Ostroff’s photos of the UD/Cheltenham game.
Stats used in the wraps are provided courtesy of Calkins Media. For complete high school football coverage, visit the web sites: http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/fall/football/ and http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/fall/football/
National Conference
ABINGTON 21, BENSALEM 11
Clinging to a 7-3 lead in the third quarter, the Ghosts needed a big play. They got it when Barry Johnson returned a Bensalem fumble near midfield for a touchdown that gave the Ghosts a 14-3 lead on their way to the hard fought win.
“Bensalem played a very physical brand of football with a great defense and with some dynamic players on offense,” Abington coach Kevin Conlin said. “Our defense changed the momentum, and ultimately created the turnovers that gave us the victory.
“Barry Johnson played well versus a tough fullback and had the scoop and score on the fumble recovery.”
In the first half, the two teams exchanged scores with the Owls taking a 3-0 lead after one quarter, thanks to a 31-yard Matt Corbett field goal. The Ghosts took a lead they would not lose when George Reid caught a four-yard Billy Griffinberg TD pass.
Johnson’s touchdown made it a 14-3 game,
The Owls appeared poised to get right back in the game, but the Ghosts recovered a fumble at their own five-yard line to thwart a Bensalem threat. They went on top 21-3 before the Owls scored a touchdown in the closing moments of the game.
“Shakur Williams with a great hustle play caused another turnover when the game was very tight,” Conlin said. “Shakur played disciplined football in trying to keep Bensalem’s dynamic players out of the end zone. His attitude has transformed our team.”
Abington (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Friday, and Bensalem (2-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks West.
Abington 0-7-7-7 21
Bensalem 3-0-0-8 11
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 12, HARRY S TRUMAN 6
Chase Patterson took it in from five yards out in the closing minutes of the game to propel the Golden Hawks to their first win of the season. The sophomore running back scored both of South’s touchdowns. His one-yard TD knotted the score 6-6 in the third quarter. The sophomore running back had 27 carries for 204 yards to lead the Hawks, who amassed over 300 yards of offense.
The Golden Hawks also controlled play on the defensive side of the football, allowing just 125 yards of total offense.
Truman’s lone TD came in the second quarter when Mike Nicholson returned a Hawk fumble 66 yards for a touchdown.
Council Rock South (1-3, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Abington next Friday, and Harry S Truman (1-3, 0-1) will host Neshaminy.
Harry S Truman 0-6-0-0 6
Council Rock South 0-0-6-6 12
PENNSBURY 21, WILLIAM TENNENT 6
The Falcons rebounded from back-to-back shutouts to gut out a non-league win over the visiting Panthers, who are still searching for their first win of the season. The Falcons got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when – after a Tennent fumble – Tyrone Hodges punched it in from one yard out as Pennsbury benefitted from a short field.
Zach DeMarchis took it in from 68 yards out to make it a 14-0 game in the third quarter, but the Panthers cut that advantage to 14-6 after Sean Bragen scored.
An interception by Hodges – his second of the night – and a late score gave the Falcons their final margin of victory.
Pennsbury’s Nasan Robbins led all ground gainers with 86 yards.
Pennsbury (2-2) will travel to Council Rock North next Saturday, and William Tennent (0-4) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Friday.
William Tennent 0-0-0-6 6
Pennsbury 0-7-7-7 21
NESHAMINY 43, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7
The Redskins seized early control of Friday’s SOL opener. They led 13-0 after one quarter, thanks to a Mason Jones one-yard TD run and a 16-yard TD pass from Jones to Mike Garlick. They blew the game wide open with a 30-point second quarter to go into halftime with a 43-0 lead.
Evan Devine’s 16-yard TD pass to Michael Welde in the third quarter accounted for the Indians’ only score. Welde finished with 96 yards rushing to lead the Indians.
Jones threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Dogba had another 100-yard night on the ground on just seven carries.
Neshaminy (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman next Friday, and Council Rock North (0-3, 0-1) will host Pennsbury on Saturday (1:30 p.m.)
Council Rock North 0-0-0-7 7
Neshaminy 13-30-0-0 43
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 27, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6
DOYLESTOWN – Long after fans had exited War Memorial Field and with their teammates already on the bus ready to head back to Central Bucks South, Titan seniors Nate Norris and Tyler Watson still had their game faces on. Yes, the Titans had celebrated together in their postgame meeting in West’s cafeteria, but Norris and Watson were still all business.
It was the same resolve the senior duo took onto the field to lead yet another standout defensive effort by the Titans, whose days of being a team known only for its offense are clearly a thing of the past.
“With our linebackers – Matt and Nate (Norris), they go out and play hard every game, and our linemen up front give it their all every game,” said Watson, who plays strong safety. “They’re working very hard.”
“We’ve been working hard a long time,” Nate Norris said. “During the offseason, we made a scheme that really works, and we really take pride in it.
“We really don’t want the other team getting any points on the board. We work on that every week.”
The Patriots took an early 3-0 lead on a 33-yard Barney Amor field goal and managed just three points the rest of the way – a 31-yard Amor field goal in the second quarter. They were shut out in the second half.
“I really believe that our defense is legitimate,” South coach Tom Hetrick said. “We feel confident that we have six guys in that box that are pretty stout people and pretty active people.
“To have those Norris boys in the middle like that who just fly to the ball and can hit like that, that’s a beautiful thing. On the back end, one of the biggest things we’ve gone through is some depth in the defensive backfield. We have people who are very good in coverage, who are very smart football players, and we think defensively our guys have a pretty high football IQ. Especially against a team like CB East that runs a very dynamic offense, you have to all be on the same page at the same time or they’re going to catch you. Luckily, that didn’t happen tonight. I’m very proud of them.”
South took a lead it would not lose (6-3) when Nate Norris took it in from four yards out after the Titans recovered a fumble on East’s 20-yard line. A 41-yard touchdown pass from Sam Thompson to Jason Horvath put the Titans on top 12-3 before Amor tacked on his second field goal to make it a 12-6 game at halftime.
Tyler Watson – shedding every would-be tackler in his path – turned a short Thompson pass into a 41-yard touchdown reception and a 20-6 lead after Thompson hit Sean Carlen for the two-point conversion.
Junior Noah Collachi put the finishing touches on the big win, living out every defensive lineman’s dream by turning an interception into a 55-yard touchdown and the 27-6 final.
“My offensive coordinator pre-game said to Noah Collachi – ‘You know what, if they throw that middle screen, you’re going to pick it and run it back for a touchdown,’” Hetrick said. “Guess what – it actually happened. That’s a memory for the rest of his life.”
For the Titans, the win avenged last year’s 32-26 loss to the Patriots.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game since last year,” Watson said. “They got us last year, and we just wanted to come back and show them who we really were and try to get our (CB) Cup back that they took from us last year.”
Adding an extra dimension to the game were the large and enthusiastic student sections.
“It was great,” Watson said. “Going out on the field and looking up there and seeing that you got basically your whole school out there supporting us on the field. That just gives more reason to give our all on the field and not hold anything back.”
East quarterback Matt Szczypiorski threw for 167 yards with Wes Verbit hauling in six passes for 90 yards.
Central Bucks South (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Souderton next Friday, and Central Bucks East (3-1, 0-1) will host William Tennent Saturday at 1 p.m.
EXTRA POINTS: Hetrick took the time to recognize the players who comprised the Titans’ stingy defense. “Our defensive end play is fantastic,” the Titans’ coach said of ends Sean Gaida and Pat Fleisch. In the mix at defensive tackle are Noah Collachi, Ken Hussein, John Madara and Jeremy Bass. Anchoring the corners are Corey Charnetski and Ryan Watson. “Our hero is Dalton Veight, and Matt Tobey plays there every other possession,” said Hetrick. Tom McLaughlin plays safety with Tyler Watson at strong safety and the Norris brothers the glue that holds the defense together at linebacker.
Central Bucks East 3-3-0-0 6
Central Bucks South 0-12-8-7 27
PENNRIDGE 38, SOUDERTON 10
The Indians pretty much had things going their way in the opening quarter of Friday night’s showdown between the neighboring rivals. The Indians led 10-7 after one quarter – thanks to a two-yard Brandan Taranga TD run – and they had the Rams pinned on their own 19 when Jeff Hollenbach pulled a little magic out of his hat, calling for a wide receiver reverse.
It worked to perfection as Anthony Kelly found Jagger Hartshorn, who raced down the sidelines for an 81-yard touchdown. Things were never the same for either team as the Rams – who took that 14-10 lead into halftime – outscored the Indians 24-0 in the second half.
“I called the play – I knew there were a lot of things that could go wrong,” Hollenbach said. “It was Anthony Kelly’s first high school pass, and he had to make two people miss first.
“He just looked almost like a college quarterback – he made two people miss, and our quarterback went down the field wide open. AK got the ball to him, and Jagger Hartshorn did a terrific job after he caught the ball. That play felt like a momentum play in the game.”
On a night that saw the Rams’ offense accumulate more than 400 yards, their defense also came up big, and Hollenbach credited the strong play of linebackers Nick Tarburton and Joe Robinson as well as defensive linemen Alex Schmidt.
“They’re just really, really solid players in there,” Hollenbach said.
Souderton’s Koby Khan rushed for a game-high 173 yards but most of those came in the first half.
Hartshorn led the Rams with 81 receiving yards, 129 on the ground and 94 in the air.
“Ryan Cuthbert had a really good game as the game progressed, and Josh Pinkney had some very good runs,” Hollenbach said.
Friday’s resounding win over previously undefeated Souderton silenced the critics who predicted the Rams’ demise after back-to-back losses to Neshaminy and Perk Valley.
“We had two tough losses,” Hollenbach said. “I felt like we didn’t play to our ability, but we also knew we were playing some pretty good football teams.
“The bounce-back factor was just huge this week. I do hesitate to use the words must-wins because I don’t want the kids to feel all that pressure, but that kind of was the message that this was a game we had to win. I’m really just thoroughly proud of the way they bounced back.
“That’s a good Souderton team. Souderton was running the ball very well and giving us problems early. We made some athletic plays and reeled off 31 straight points. It’s just a huge win for the program.”
Pennridge (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Friday, and Souderton (3-1, 0-1) will host Central Bucks South Friday.
Souderton 10-0-0-0 10
Pennridge 7-7-14-10 38
NORTH PENN 48, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 20
In a battle of teams with identical 3-0 records, it was the Knights who owned Friday night’s SOL opener at Crawford Field. Senior quarterback Reece Udinski turned in yet another excellent performance, throwing for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Ricky Johns was his favorite target, finishing with 107 receiving yards.
A 50-yard touchdown run by Anthony Andrews midway through the first quarter marked the beginning of a 35-0 Knight tear that culminated with Udinski finding Johns for a six-yard TD – the third touchdown connection on the night for the dangerous duo.
By the time the Bucks got on the scoreboard, there was a running clock, and both teams were substituting freely.
All but lost in the shuffle of another glittering offensive performance by Udinski and company was yet another stellar defensive effort by the Knights, who did not allow a point until the mercy rule was in effect.
North Penn (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Pennridge next Friday, and Central Bucks West (3-1, 0-1) will host Bensalem in a non-league contest on Friday.
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-20 20
North Penn 14-14-7-13 48
American Conference
QUAKERTOWN 40, WISSAHICKON 28
On a night that saw both offenses pile up more than 300 yards, it was the Panthers’ unstoppable running attack that prevailed. Senior Noah Wood turned in a brilliant performance, rushing for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Teammate Christian Patrick added 105 yards and three touchdowns in a supporting role.
The Trojans led 14-7 after one quarter, scoring the go-ahead touchdown when quarterback Mike Schoenleber hit Marlyn Johnson for 81 yards. The Trojans did not score again until the fourth quarter. By that time, the Panthers – who reeled off 27 straight points – led 34-14.
Down but not out, the Trojans made things interesting with back-to-back TDs of their own. Antaun Lloyd’s 62-yard punt return made it a 34-28 game, but the Panthers closed it out with a TD drive that was capped with Wood taking it in from one yard out.
Schoenleber threw for 215 yards with Johnson hauling in seven catches for 137 yards.
Quakertown (1-3, 1-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin next Friday, and Wissahickon (1-3, 0-1) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Friday.
Quakertown 7-13-14-6 40
Wissahickon 14-0-0-14 28
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 21, UPPER MORELAND 14
The Colonials took a 14-0 lead into halftime of Friday’s SOL opener and then fought off the Golden Bears’ second half comeback attempts to earn the win.
PW quarterback Joe Stoberl capped a 66-yard touchdown drive with a one-yard run to give the Colonials a 7-0 lead after one quarter, and another Soberl TD run in the second quarter – this one from 12 yards out – sent the Colonials into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
UM’s Sterlen Barr Jr – coming off a 203-yard performance a week earlier – took the second half kickoff 71 yards for a touchdown that made it a 14-7 game. Stoberl answered with his third touchdown run, this one from 36 yards out, to give the Colonials a 21-7 advantage. The Bears made things interesting when – after a PW fumble – senior quarterback Casey Decker took it in from 12 yards out to pull the Bears to within 21-14. They would get no closer.
Khan Jamal had another big night, finishing with 124 yards to lead the Colonials’ ground attack.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Wissahickon Friday, and Upper Moreland (2-2, 0-1) will host Hatboro-Horsham Friday.
Upper Moreland 0-0-7-7 14
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7-7-7-0 21
UPPER DUBLIN 33, CHELTENHAM 0
The Flying Cardinals continued their early season dominance, rolling to their third shutout in as many games and outscoring their opponents 115-0 in that span.
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard when Malik Bootman took it in from one yard out, and when Justin Horn found George Weems with a 16-yard touchdown strike, the Cards led 13-0 before the first quarter was in the books. Phil Butler’s 62-yard touchdown run sent the Cardinals into halftime with a 19-0 lead.
In the third quarter Horn delivered his second TD pass – this one for 50 yards to Jalen Hein. Nick Sonetto’s fourth quarter touchdown run closed out the scoring.
Horn completed 10-of-16 passes for 202 yards and two TDs. Butler finished with 94 yards, but the Cards’ defense – which posted has not allowed a point this season – was the story of the game.
Upper Dublin (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Quakertown on Friday, and Cheltenham (1-3, 0-1) will travel to Upper Moreland on Sept. 30.
Cheltenham 0-0-0-0 0
Upper Dublin 13-6-7-7 33
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