Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. CB East/CB South photos courtesy of Kim Supko. North Penn/Neshaminy photos courtesy of Geanine Jamison. Check back for galleries of both games. All SOS photo galleries for FOOTBALL can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Stats provided courtesy of the Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier Times. For additional football cover, visit the Intelligencer (https://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school) and Courier Times (https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/)
SOL National Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 21, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7
It was only the first game of what promises to be a grueling run through the SOL National, but
adding intrigue to an already spirited rival was the fact that the sister schools brought identical 3-0 records into the game. Only East left with its perfect record intact.
“South is a very good football team,” East coach John Donnelly said. “It’s a great atmosphere, an inter-district game, first part of CB Cup and first league game. It’s important on a lot of levels.”
The Patriots took a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter when Pat Keller found Jack Donnelly with a 16-yard touchdown pass to cap a 20-play drive that took close to 11 minutes off the clock. They took that lead into halftime, but listening to coach Donnelly tell it, things might have been different had it not been for a clutch defensive play late in the half.
“The game moved pretty quickly – we had super long drives that consumed the clock, mixing the run and pass,” the Patriots’ coach said. “We had a big first drive which ended in a miffed exchange – a fumble.
“We scored right before the half, and South, in typical fashion, they’re so explosive – they moved right down the field and Declan Kelly made a huge pick right near the goal line. That was enormous. Momentum changed right there at the end of the half. We go in 7-0.”
Early in the third quarter, East running back Ethan Shine raced 79 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead, but South cut that lead in half when quarterback Brett Szarko connected with Sebastian Pacchione for a nine-yard TD.
Shine’s second touchdown of the night – this one on a seven-yard run – capped an 11-play, 88-yard drive that gave East a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots went on to win by that score.
“Again, the offensive line was really big, and the tight ends came up big,” Donnelly said. “We had super long drives that I thought Pat
Keller – when we threw the ball – was very effective, put the ball right on the money. I thought we did a really good job of moving the ball, moving the chains.
“Our kicker (Jack Corrigan) did a great job – three of his four kickoffs were in the end zone, made South have a long field.”
East’s defense also played a starring role in Friday’s win, limiting a South squad that had scored 112 points in its first three games combined to just seven points.
“Our defense came up big with pressures in a timely fashion,” Donnelly said. “I think our D-line did a great job against the run. We have a rotation – we have three different lines go in, and a shoutout to all the D-linemen that go in.
“Declan Kelly just had a huge play in the secondary. Enormous. South is explosive in a lot of areas especially with the pass. Tommy Donnelly has been a great player for them for three years. He made some plays, but we were able to contain him, which was a big key for us going into this game – to try and slow down Tommy Donnelly.”
Shine finished another brilliant offensive effort with 224 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. It is the second week in a row the senior running back surpassed the 200-yard mark. Keller completed 8 of 11 passes for 76 yards and a TD.
For the Titans, Szarko was 18-for-24 for 231 yards and a touchdown. Donnelly caught six passes for 106 yards. Defensively, linebacker Sean Moskowitz turned in another impressive performance, finishing with 15 tackles – eight solo. Jack Carver and Colin Kelly each had a hand in nine tackles while Will Ratcliffe and Matt Krysko were part of eight.
Central Bucks East (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Friday, and Central Bucks South (3-1, 0-1) will host Pennsbury Friday.
Central Bucks East 0-7-7-7 21
Central Bucks South 0-0-7-0 7
PENNSBURY 26, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 21
What a difference a year makes.
Last year, when the Falcons made the trip to War Memorial Field to take on the Bucks, they found themselves on the short end of a 42-0 score at halftime. This year, it was another story as the Falcons – behind a punishing running game led by Galamama Mulbah’s 234 yards and three touchdowns – led 19-14 at halftime on their way to the impressive road win their SOL opener.
“It was a big win,” Pennsbury coach Galen Snyder said. “Last year Pennsbury went up to West and probably played its worst game of the season (in a 42-14 loss). You have to give all the credit to the kids. They really wanted this game. They took the initiative and got it done.”
Mulbah – who had 130 yards on the ground in the first half – scored on touchdown runs of 24 and 13 yards to give the Falcons a 13-7 lead. West speedster Conor McFadden accounted for West’s first score with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Bucks took a 14-13 lead after McFadden turned a short pass from quarterback Ganz Cooper into a 95-yard touchdown.
“We put Nathan Beighley on him,” Snyder said of McFadden. “Nathan’s been doing an excellent job last year and this year at running back for us. Tonight, he played both ways, and we put him on McFadden, who’s a great player. The one time he made a big play on us on a short pass, Nathan needed a blow, so he came off the field, and sure enough, they threw it right away to McFadden and he went 95 yards for a touchdown. But the rest of the time, I would say Nathan Beighley did a great job with him.”
It looked like the Bucks had all the momentum when they came up with an interception late in the half only to lose the ball on a fumble that linebacker Cade Gabbett scooped up and scored on a 65-yard return that sent the Falcons into halftime with a 19-14 advantage.
“Jake Mullery, who played a tremendous game for us, stripped the quarterback, and then Cade Gabbett picked it up and ran it for a touchdown,” Snyder said. “On the way, after stripping the ball, Mullery also ran down and got the final block that cleared the way for Gabe. That was a big momentum change.”
Mullery, a strong safety, and Gabbett, a linebacker, were part of a defense that put constant pressure on the quarterback.
“That was big time,” Snyder said. “Our co-defensive coordinators, Luke Snyder and Anthony Checchia, did a great job tonight.”
A 14-yard run by quarterback Shane McGurrin set up a one-yard touchdown by Mulbah, his third TD of the night. This one gave Pennsbury a 25-14 lead late in the third quarter.
“G’s a great kid, a great football player, and he did a tremendous job tonight as did our quarterback McGurrin,” Snyder said. “We ran a lot of triple option tonight which we added to the mix since it kind of goes with the wing-t.
“They ran it last year, so we incorporated it into our wing-t package and really hadn’t used it until this game. One of the things we did too – we brought down Bill Ferrara, who was with Vinnie Bedesem at (Council) Rock South, and they ran it for years. We added Bill as our quarterback coach to work with Shane and G (Mulbah). Now was the time we decided to run some of it with our wing-t.”
Cooper found Jack Williams with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 2:46 remaining to make it a 26-21 game, but that’s as close as the Bucks would get.
Pennsbury (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Friday, and Central Bucks West (1-3, 0-1) will be on the road at North Penn on Friday.
Pennsbury 13-6-7-0 26
Central Bucks West 7-7-0-7 21
NORTH PENN 35, NESHAMINY 28 (OT)
It took overtime, but the Knights finally put away a pesky Redskin squad.
It was quarterback Ryan Zeltt delivering a 10-yard TD pass to Mario Sgro – who made a terrific grab of the low throw off the turf – on the first play of the first overtime series. The Knights’ defense
held, and the win was in the books for the Knights.
Zeltt was a thorn in the Redskins’ side all night, and while their defense never allowed the Knights to establish a running game, the Knights’ senior quarterback was shredding the defense for 327 yards and four touchdowns.
The Redskins served early notice that they meant business when Markus Barnett capped a long drive with a four-yard touchdown run, giving the Redskins a 7-0 lead after one quarter. Michai Cuffie’s nine-yard touchdown run made it a 7-6 game, and when Rashad McNeil hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Zellt, the Knights – after a successful two-point conversion – led 14-7. They took that seven-point lead into halftime with Zeltt (9-for-13, 128 yards) and Barnett (98 rushing yards) accounting for most of their team’s
offensive output.
The Knights opened up a 21-7 lead, but the Redskins turned a fumble at North Penn’s 10-yard line into a one-yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Colin Baker. A three-yard touchdown run by Barnett with 4:46 remaining, knotted the score 21-21.
It took just one play – a 61-yard touchdown strike from Zeltt to McNeil – put the Knights back on top, and once again, the Redskins responded with Baker converting a huge fourth down with a 53-yard completion and then finding Joey Zack with a 14-yard touchdown pass that knotted the score, setting the stage for overtime.
While Zeltt stole the spotlight for the Knights, Barnett was the workhorse for the Redskins, finishing with 183 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries.
North Penn (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Friday, and Neshaminy (2-2, 0-1) will host Abington on Friday.
Neshaminy 7-0-0-21-0 28
North Penn 0-14-7-7-7 35
PENNRIDGE 34, ABINGTON 0
(Stats courtesy of Andrew Robinson/PAPrepLive: https://papreplive.com/2022/09/16/takeaways-defensive-scores-power-pennridge-against-abington/ )
For the second time in as many weeks, Pennridge posted a shutout, and after an 0-2 start, the Rams are finding their stride.
“Week one, the lights were bright, and the kids and coaches were learning how to be in a game situation with each other,” Pennridge coach Chuck Burgy said. “It’s all fun and games until it’s live fire. The first week was just that, and then there was measured improvement in the Souderton game, and Bensalem and tonight – I think we’re moving in the right direction, and I think we’re doing things better and playing well together and just getting used to each other and jelling.”
As for his team’s lockdown defense, the Rams’ coach had plenty of praise to go around.
“Craig Whitten, Jay Jones, Mike Chando and Josh Lake – all those coaches are coaching their rear ends off with that defensive group,” Burgy said. “They’re just coming together, the kids are playing well together.
“Getting (Dylan) O’Brien back was so clutch. He’s that guy that we need – the heart in there. That’s evident that he’s the leader. Our front has played better – Chase Washington, Will Smith, Brian Kirkwood were the three guys across the front, and Kyle Franks subbed in, and they were lights out.”
An Abington fumble set up a nine-yard touchdown run by Tyler Wetzel, and after O’Brien came up with a defensive stop on fourth-and-short, the Rams were back in business with Nate Mossbrook scoring on a 70-yard run.
Trevor Fuhs returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown, and the Rams led 21-0 with time winding down in the opening quarter. They took that lead into halftime.
The Rams led 27-0 after Jack Walker recovered a fumble and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Rams had their final margin of victory after a 10-yard touchdown run by Mossbrook.
“Nate Mossbrook had a really nice night,” Burgy said. “Our offensive line, specifically Landon Moyer and Andrew Volberg were really, really solid for us tonight, and that was nice to see. We worked hard with them, making some improvements
“Pat Burdick is growing every week as a young quarterback. He’s still learning and still coming along. (Brennan) Fisher did his thing. I’d love it if he did, but it’s unrealistic to expect he’s going to have a monster week every week. Other guys are there to pick it up. It really was a team effort.”
Fisher led the Rams with 119 yards on 20 carries while Mossbrook had 81 yards on four carries.
“East is on the radar now – they beat South tonight,” Burgy said. “That’s going to be a real test. That’s a great coaching staff, they’re always ready to go. We’re all eyes on East.”
Pennridge (2-2, 1-0S) will travel to Central Bucks East on Friday, and Abington (1-3,0-1) will be on the road at Neshaminy.
Pennridge 21-0-6-7 34
Abington 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Continental Conference
SOUDERTON 35, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 14
The Indians rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win in Friday’s SOL opener.
“I thought we executed really well,” said Souderton coach Ed Gallagher, whose team was coming off a 30-13 loss to Central Bucks East. “We came out with something to prove. We came up a little short last week. East was a little more physical than us all night. They executed their game plan very well last week against us and took us out of ours.
“I think we did the same tonight to Council Rock North. We definitely took care of things and did what we needed to do to get points on the board.”
On the Indians’ opening possession, Jared Zimmerman capped a scoring drive with a one-yard TD on the quarterback keeper. Ryan Sadowski’s touchdown late in the quarter capped a drive that included a Chris Kerns 24-yard run to Rock North’s 20. Caleb Hageman’s pick six with time winding down in the opening quarter put the Indians on top 21-0.
“That was huge,” Gallagher said of Hageman’s interception. “I thought we were pretty disruptive – we got after it pretty well.
Kerns scored a touchdown that upped the Indians’ lead to 28-0, and they weren’t finished yet. A screen pass from Zimmerman to Kerns took the ball to Rock North’s 19. An eight-yard run by Sadowski set up another Kerns touchdown, and the Indians led 35-0.
“Chris Kerns had two touchdowns and probably 75-80 yards rushing in the first half, and he was all over the field on defense” Gallagher said. “He had another solid game.
“Jared Zimmerman probably had 80 yards passing and another 40 yards rushing. He had another solid game at quarterback for us.
“We did have a couple of different kids running the ball. Bryce Williams is a sophomore that had a pretty good night. Ryan Sadowski also had also had some good runs for us. A lot of solid performances tonight.”
Souderton (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Friday, and Council Rock North (1-3,0-1) will host Bensalem on Saturday.
Council Rock North 0-0-7-7 14
Souderton 21-14-0-0 35
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 14, HARRY S TRUMAN 6
The Golden Hawks opened up a 14-0 halftime lead. That would be the extent of their scoring, but it was enough to hold off the Tigers for a win in the SOL opener for both squads.
“We had our chances in the second half, but we shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times,” Rock South coach CJ Szydlik said. “We’re a young team learning how to win. We definitely don’t make it easy on ourselves, that’s for sure.
“Once you get into this part of the season – we know how much everything means. For us, every (win) we can add here is a big deal, and it will go a long way for the program and for the kids.”
Nick Diaz scored on a six-yard run early in the first quarter for a 6-0 Rock South lead. In the second quarter, Chase Ennis delivered a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jake Zarnowsky on fourth down. The successful two-point conversion sent the Golden Hawks into halftime with a 14-0 lead.
“Chase Ennis is a really good football player,” said Szydlik of his quarterback, who threw for 120 yards. “He’s big – 6-4, 215 pounds, he throws a nice ball. He ran the ball really well for us today. When the going got a little tough, he was the one that grinded out some yards for us.
“Our running back Nick Diaz was basically platooning in and out with our other running back, and Nick ran really hard too. It was a big help for us on offense.”
The Golden Hawks’ coach was pleased with his team’s defensive effort.
“Our defensive backs, Nick Haurin and Jake Hemple, played really well,” Szydlik said. “Our defensive line was fantastic.”
Comprising the defensive line were Tom Gallagher and Anthony Carey, Luke O’Hanlon and James St. Thomas.”
Council Rock South (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Quakertown on Friday, and Harry S Truman (1-3, 0-1) will travel to Souderton.
Council Rock South 6-8-0-0 14
Harry S Truman 0-0-6-0 6
UPPER DUBLIN 33, BENSALEM 7
The Flying Cardinals opened up a 30-7 halftime lead on their way to the decisive road win in Friday’s SOL opener. The win came on the heels of last week’s miracle finish in UD’s 32-28 win over North Penn.
“We didn’t play great early,” UD coach Bret Stover said. “They fumbled the first snap – their (starting) quarterback did not play, so everything that (defensive coordinator) Dave Sowers prepared the kids for was thrown out the window because they came out in a totally new offense.
“It was good for our defense to experience that and be able to adjust in game, not wait until we watch film on it. To watch the defensive staff figure it out and put the kids in the right places was awesome. I was happy with that.”
UD led 6-0 on a five-yard run by Nyfise McIntyre only to watch the Owls answer with a touchdown to go on top 7-6. Colin O’Sullivan had a touchdown run and also found Chris Kohlbrenner with a TD strike in the air. Kohlbrenner also came up big on the defensive end, coming up with an interception and taking it all the way to the Owls’ 10-yard line. Austin Pendleton’s 35-yard field goal sent the Cardinals into halftime with a 30-7.
Pendleton split the uprights for his second field goal on UD’s opening drive of the second half for the 33-7 final.
“We moved the ball when we had to,” Stover said. “We need to get better. We beat North Penn, but that’s not the end of the rainbow for us. We still have six more weeks to improve before hopefully the second season begins. That’s what the kids have to realize. It’s a maturity thing.
“We tried to guard all week – ‘Don’t read your press clippings, where you rank,’ but in today’s world, you can’t hide that stuff from kids. We were able to get through tonight, but we told them – had that been a playoff game, we might be going home, and our season might be over. We’ll use it to our advantage.”
Upper Dublin (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon for a non-league game Friday, and Bensalem (1-3, 0-1) will travel to Council Rock North on Saturday (12 noon).
Upper Dublin 20-10-3-0 33
Bensalem 7-0-0-0 7
CHELTENHAM 7, SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL 6
Jamal Banks bulled his way into the end zone from seven yards out for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. It would be the Panthers first and only score of the game, but it was enough to eke out the non-league win in a contest that saw the respective defenses steal the spotlight.
“It was just a tough defensive game on both sides,” Cheltenham coach Troy Gore said. “Our defense played their heart out, and they were tough defensively. Their kids tackle well, they’re very disciplined. They just played solid football.”
The Panthers took a 7-0 lead into halftime, and Springside Chestnut Hill pulled to within one when they scored a touchdown on a two-yard pass play but missed the extra point, allowing the Panthers to maintain a tenuous 7-6 lead that held until the final horn.
“The player of the game was my kicker and punter – Josh Grady,” Gore said. “His punts kept them out of field position, and that was very important. That was huge for us.”
The Panthers’ coach pointed to linebacker Tre McLeod, linebacker Kion Wright and cornerback Julian ‘Jules’ Arthur as catalysts on the defensive side of the ball.
“I’m very happy, but we have a whole lot of work to do,” Gore said. “This win was important. When you’re on a two-game losing streak, it’s very important to get that monkey off your back and build the confidence of the team back up, get us back to our winning ways and doing what’s right to win.”
Cheltenham (2-2) will host Upper Darby on Friday at 5 p.m.
Springside Chestnut Hill 0-0-6-0 6
Cheltenham 7-0-0-0 7
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 49, QUAKERTOWN 0
(Game info courtesy of Mike Cabrey/PAPrepLive twitter: @mpcabrey)
It’s been feast or famine for the Colonials so far this season.
In their two wins, they have outscored their opponents 83-0. In their two losses combined they’ve scored just 19 points. On Friday night, the Colonials had everything going their way, scoring early and often against a Panther team that is in a rebuilding phase after last year’s historic season.
“George (Banas) always does a great job of getting his guys ready,” PW coach Dan Chang said. “They’re always a well-coached team. It was just one of those nights where things were hitting for us.”
Tommy Hannon put the Colonials on the scoreboard with a one-yard plunge, and then it was Luke Winterbottom sprinting 62 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 PW lead. Quarterback Aiden O’Brien connected with Seve Spruill for an 80-yard touchdown, and after a successful two-point conversion by O’Brien, the Colonials led 21-0, and they weren’t finished yet.
O’Brien’s second touchdown throw of the quarter – this one for 62 yards to Nazye Boggs – gave PW a 28-0 lead after one quarter.
By halftime, the Colonials – propelled by three O’Brien TD passes – led 42-0, and they added a touchdown by Vincent Storti on a 79-yard run in the third quarter for the 49-0 final.
“Aiden played well, he threw the ball well, he made good decisions,” Chang said. “I think our offensive line tonight really made a big step in how physical they were, and that’s what we hang our hat on. We were able to get that ball out on the edge because our guys up front were really doing their job their job tonight.”
Comprising PW’s offensive line were center Connor Capizzi, guards Tye Hines and Nate Mascio, tackles Joe Foy and Zach Smith, and tight end Jared Kolsun.
“Nazye Boggs caught a pair of touchdown passes and had some nice runs,” Chang said. “Luke Winterbottom ran the ball hard again. Tommy Hannon – we got him back in the backfield, and he and Greg Feinberg one-two punch-wise out of the backfield is always tough for us.”
Defensively, the Colonials were equally dominant.
“I thought Kevin Hegarty at linebacker position played a nice game, and we had a sophomore, Chase Smith, play corner who I thought did a nice job as well tonight,” Chang said.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to McCaskey for a non-league game Friday, and Quakertown (1-3, 0-1) will be on the road at Council Rock South on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 28-14-7-0 49
Quakertown 0-0-0-0 0
Non-league
WILLIAM TENNENT 30, HATBORO-HORSHAM 18
Timmy Lawson would prefer playing running back, and teammate Zach Stanfield’s preference is playing quarterback. Both players – without complaint – have sacrificed their positions of choice for the team, and it resulted in the team’s first win of the season on Friday night.
Lawson excelled in his move to quarterback, scoring three touchdowns, and Stanfield turned in a strong showing on both sides of the football at tight end and defensive tackle.
“I was most pleased with the play of Timmy Lawson, our quarterback,” Tennent coach Richard Clemens said. “He started his first game for us last week, and he played really well, and this week he played even better.
“Zach Stanfield, our other quarterback, played really well at our tight end and D-line spot. He now fills two holes for us on the team. Both of those guys and their unselfishness – how many guys go from quarterback to d-tackle and tight end and don’t miss a beat? Most of them pout.
“Timmy is the same deal. He always wanted to be a running back, he never thought he would be our quarterback. He was our backup in case of emergency, but coach (Cordero) Newkirk, our offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, does a great job of putting him in a position to make plays, and Timmy takes full advantage of it.”
Lawson set the tone for a big night when he scored on a 49-yard run to spot the Panthers a 7-0 lead after one quarter. Lawson delivered an electrifying 91-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Panthers led 14-0.
The Hatters cut that lead in half, thanks to Michael Clauser’s 12-yard touchdown run. Kyle Flack split the uprights with a 34-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the quarter to send the Panthers into halftime with a 17-6 lead.
Mason Bynum’s 10-yard touchdown run pulled the Hatters within three, but Joe Hebling returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and a 24-12 Tennent lead.
Clemens credited the play of his special teams.
“We had a kickoff run back,” the Panthers’ coach said. “We had a punt that we got some pressure on we were able to run with as well as another long kickoff return by LJ Rosales to the 20. Coach (Matt) Kashow, our special teams coach, did a great job. Special teams did well.”
Clauser’s second touchdown in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter make it a 24-18 game, but Lawson answered with his third TD on a one-yard keeper for a 30-18 lead with just over three minutes remaining. That score held until the final whistle.
Bynum’s 115 rushing yards with one touchdown led the Hatters.
William Tennent (1-3) will travel to Central High on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (0-3) will be on the road at Lower Moreland next Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-6-6-6 18
William Tennent 7-10-7-6 30
SIMON GRATZ 33, WISSAHICKON 6
JENKINTOWN 6, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 3
NATIVITY BVM 45, LOWER MORELAND 12
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