Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. North Penn/Pennridge photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko Photography. CB West/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Quakertown/Upper Dublin photos provided courtesy of Geanine Jamison Photography.
Stats provided courtesy of Intelligencer/Courier. For additional football stats and coverage, visit the Intelligencer (https://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school) and Courier Times (https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/)
SOL National Conference
NORTH PENN 21, PENNRIDGE 14
(Game stats courtesy of Kev Hunter/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/2021/09/24/north-penn-powers-past-pennridge/)
In one of the SOL’s marquee matchups, it was the Knights defeating the visiting Rams to remain perfect on the season. Both teams gave the fans their money’s worth in this one.
The Rams got on the scoreboard with 1:16 remaining in the first quarter when Phil Picciotti capped an impressive 12-play, 84-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run.
“We got it going pretty early running the football,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller said. “It’s funny – everybody always says, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ We do what we do. At the end of the day, we’re going to do what we’re good at. The kids did a great job of moving the ball and getting down there to score and get the lead early on.”
The Knights knotted the score when standout senior running back Khalani Eaton – who had a 53-yard run on the drive – scored from seven yards out with 11:51 remaining in the second quarter. Two minutes later, Ryan Zeltt and Levi Carroll combined to work their magic with the junior quarterback hitting Carroll with a 75-yard touchdown strike that sent the Knights into halftime with a 14-7 advantage.
“A couple times we could have put points on the board, but we didn’t,” Muller said. “We got inside the 10-yard line. We could have tied it at 14, and we had a snap infraction penalty, a bad play, and the next thing you know we’re pushed back outside the 20. Just little things we need to be better with.”
It was still a 14-7 game after three quarters, but another Eaton touchdown run upped the Knights’ lead to 21-7 with 9:56 remaining in the final frame. Connor Lelii’s 25-yard touchdown run with 7:25 on the scoreboard clock made it a one-score game, 21-14, but the Rams would get no closer.
“Our kids played hard,” Muller said. “The effort was there. I think it’s just a matter of cleaning up little things, little details. We played a good team. We have to be better and take advantage of the opportunities that are there.
“Our guys at the end of the day – they want it, it’s there. It’s just a matter of continuing to get better across the board. Once we do that, we’ll be okay.”
Eaton was the workhorse for the Knights, carrying the ball 25 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
North Penn (5-0, 3-0 SOL) will host Neshaminy on Friday, and Pennridge (3-2, 2-1) will host Central Bucks West.
Pennridge 7-0-0-7 14
North Penn 0-14-0-7 21
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3, ABINGTON 0
Eleven years had separated CB East from its last win over Abington, but the Patriots brought an end to that drought on Friday night. It wasn’t easy, and 3-0 is hardly a typical football score, but the Patriots – whose only score was an Alex Seserko field goal – were more than happy to take it.
“Abington is very well coached,” coach John Donnelly said. “You’ve got Kevin Conlin, who has been their head coach for a long time and was their D-coordinator when Tim Sorber was the head coach. Tim’s the offensive coordinator, and Rob Rosenberger is their (defensive coordinator). He’s been a head coach, so they’ve got a lot of knowledge, and they certainly put their guys in great positions to be successful tonight.
“Abington’s got tough kids, so it was a battle. I thought our defense played very well. Coach Ray Riley had a great game plan, and our guys executed it. It was a slugfest for a huge part of the game. The game went pretty fast because there was a lot of running and not a ton of throwing.”
The Patriots capped a long drive in the third quarter with the game’s only score, a 29-yard field goal by Alex Seserko.
“We were able to move the ball,” Donnelly said. “We probably went maybe 70 yards and were in position for a 30-yard field goal, and Alex Seserko drilled it.
“We always talk about making a fourth quarter killing. The defense did and we got the ball with eight minutes to go. We proceeded to go on an eight-minute drive and chewed the clock. Our guys did a great job of game management, starting with (quarterback) Pat Keller making sure the guys were staying inbounds.
“Ethan Shine broke through on a run play between the tackles, and he’s going to score, but he’s got the wherewithal to slide down inside the five. We went into the victory setup after that, so it was a very heady play for a young man to make. It was just smart football, so we got our fourth quarter kill on defense and then on offense.”
The Patriots’ coach credited his entire defense for its performance in the shutout.
“Ethan Shine played middle linebacker and had some big plays,” Donnelly said. “We rotated our D-line pretty exclusively, and a lot of guys made plays – bend, don’t break. Dan Voglesong came up with a huge play on a third down, knifed through and got a huge sack for a loss, so as a sophomore he’s our leading tackler, and he came up with a big one today.
“Quinn Moody had a really big game on defense and was coming up and making tackles from his free safety position.”
Abington’s Jamie Rivera was the leading ground gainer with 129 yards on 16 carries.
Shine and Keller both had 74 yards to lead the Patriots.
Central Bucks East (4-1, 3-0 SOL) will host Pennsbury next Saturday at 1 p.m., and Abington (1-4, 0-3) will be on the road at Central Bucks South Friday.
Central Bucks East 0-0-3-0 3
Abington 0-0-0-0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 42, PENNSBURY 14
The Bucks scored early and often on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win, opening up a 21-0 lead after one quarter and extending that to 42-0 by halftime.
“It was a full team collective effort in all three phases of the game,” West coach Rob Rowan said. “All of our running backs scored in the first half – Vinny Cherubini, Eli Boehm and Donte Mancini. They all carried the ball very well. Our offensive line executed.
“Defensively, it was team defense and a collective effort there.”
The Bucks scored on their opening possession, and the tone was set.
The Bucks have rolled to four straight wins since a loss to powerful Coatesville in their season opener.
Central Bucks West (4-1, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Pennridge on Friday, and Pennsbury (0-5, 0-3) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Saturday.
Pennsbury 0-0-0-14 14
Central Bucks West 21-21-0-0 42
SOL Continental Conference
QUAKERTOWN 31, UPPER DUBLIN 0
It was an emotional night at Quakertown’s Alumni Field Friday.
The Panthers not only won their eagerly-awaited conference showdown with the Flying Cardinals in convincing fashion, they did it in their Pediatric Cancer Awareness contest.
“The kids played exceptionally well,” Quakertown coach George Banas said. “The atmosphere was absolutely electric. It was our Childhood Cancer Awareness game, which was great. We have kids in our school district who are battling or who have battled cancer, so it’s a pretty emotional night.
“Then to have such a big game on top of it and our kids play exceptionally well.”
The Panthers forced a three-and-out on the Cardinals’ opening possession and then marched down the field for a drive that culminated with a John Eatherton 27-yard touchdown run.
“We balanced it out between (Tyler) Woodman and Eatherton, just back and forth,” Banas said. “We did some things and just really looked good, drove down and scored, but then we started to hit some bumps on offense, and they started to do some different things to us.”
Late in the second quarter, the Panthers got a safety and then capitalized on their ensuing possession when senior quarterback Will Steich connected with Eatherton from 33 yards out for touchdown and a 16-0 lead. It was a key sequence in the game.
“We held them deep in their end zone, and they snap it over the kid’s head for a safety,” Banas said. “Then they had to kick off from the 20, and we got a short field and were able to punch it in before halftime, which was a momentum booster. We were up 16-0 and we were getting the ball to start the second half, so that’s huge that we got that score before the half.”
In the third quarter, Steich hit Zach Fondl with an electrifying 75-yard touchdown pass that – after the successful two-point conversion – put the Panthers on top 24-0. For good measure, Steich connected on a two-yard touchdown pass to Fondl in the fourth quarter for the 31-0 final
“We had a couple of huge plays from Fondl in the second half from Steich that put the finishing touches on,” Banas said. “They did a good job of trying to contain Woodman. They really put a lot of guys on him and flowed to him, so that opened up Eatherton and Fondl and Steich in the passing game.
“That’s what I like about our offense. It’s not just one person. It’s a bunch of different people that can make plays.”
Eatherton led the Panthers’ ground game with 11 carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. Steich was 9-for-14 for 149 yards and three touchdowns.
While the Panthers’ offense was putting up the points, the defense was stymying the Cardinals at every turn, limiting them to just over 100 yards of total offense, 36 on the ground.
“Defensively, they played lights out,” Banas said. “Everybody played well, and they tackled exceptionally well tonight. The whole team was just solid. Any time you can hold Upper Dublin to a shutout – that just doesn’t happen.
“We can enjoy this one until tomorrow night, and after that, we have to really concentrate on Souderton.”
Quakertown (5-0, 3-0 SOL) will host Souderton in a battle for the conference’s top spot on Friday. Upper Dublin (3-2, 2-1) will travel to Harry S Truman.
Upper Dublin 0-0-0-0 0
Quakertown 7-9-8-7 31
SOUDERTON 35, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 7
The Indians showed no ill effects from last week’s disappointing showing against Neshaminy in a 17-6 loss, scoring 21 points in the opening quarter on their way to the convincing win.
“I was pleased with the way we were able to bounce back,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “We were really sloppy last week, so I thought we executed better offensively. We took better care of the football. We didn’t have any fumbles tonight. We had six fumbles last week, and they faked three punts successfully – one for a touchdown. They had no offense last week, but we were worse.
“I thought overall we played really well, much better offensively. The defense really played well except for a couple passes they converted that is not their MO. They’re a running team. I thought we took away the run pretty well and tried to force them to beat us with the pass, and they made some good plays. Their quarterback made some good throws, their receivers made catches and their line gave them some time. Give them credit for being able to adjust to that.
“Overall, I thought our defense played well. We had two interceptions. Overall, it was a very sound game in all three phases. I’m very happy with the win. Unfortunately, we’re still not healthy. We just have to keep playing with who we’ve got and do the best we can.”
Brayden Porter set the tone for a big night for the offense when – on his team’s opening drive – he scored on a tough 28-yard touchdown run. An interception by Sean McGoldrick on the 17-yard line set up a second TD drive. With the ball on Rock South’s eight-yard line, the Indians set up for a field goal. Instead, Jarred Zimmerman ran it in for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
The Indians’ defense – sparked by an Aiden Elliott sack deep in the Golden Hawks’ own territory – held, and after a big run by Elijah Goods, Porter punched it in from a yard out, and with 31 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, the Indians led 21-0.
A 52-yard scoring strike from Rock South quarterback Matt Striffolino to Jake Zarnowsky made it a 21-7 game at the intermission. The Indians added a touchdown in the third quarter when quarterback Nate Hageman scored on a keeper from the one-yard line. Chris Kerns capped an Indians’ TD drive in the fourth quarter with a one-yard TD plunge for the 35-7 final.
Both Porter and Goods had big nights running the football.
“I think both Brayden Porter and Elijah Goods ran for over a hundred yards,” Gallagher said. “I don’t know if we had a hundred yards passing, but it was probably close. (Quarterback) Nate Hageman had a solid night. Danny Dyches made some nice catches at wide receiver for us.
“I think overall our defense played really well. Luke Pollard had 19 tackles last week, and when we put on the film, I’m sure we’re going to see him close double digits again because that’s what he does every week. Nick Corrado made some nice plays defensively at the other inside linebacker spot. I thought our defensive line played pretty well overall. No one stood out, but they all took turns making plays. Our secondary kids all came up and made some tackles. I give them credit. Even though a couple of times they got beat by good throws and good catches, they did come up and make some tackles. Caleb Hageman had another interception.
“For the first time all year, our defense didn’t score. Mike Heath’s been doing a great job as our defensive coordinator for years, and he said, ‘I think we went through five years without a defensive score,’ and we went four straight weeks with one.”
Souderton (3-2, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Quakertown for a key conference showdown Friday.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Gallagher said. “Our kids have a great test in front of them in Quakertown. It’s a big rivalry game, it’s for first place. That place is going to be packed. I think it’s going to be great for both communities. Two rivals getting to play each other for something important.”
Council Rock South (0-5, 0-3) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Council Rock South 0-7-0-0 7
Souderton 21-0-14-0 35
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 (Forfeit)
SOL American Conference
WISSAHICKON 43, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 7
(Statistics provided courtesy of Ed Morlock/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/2021/09/24/wiss-qb-aidan-defeo-does-it-all-in-win-over-new-hope-solebury/)
Aidan DeFeo had himself a night.
The Trojans’ quarterback has spent the season putting up impressive numbers, but this one – which included six touchdowns –- resulted in a win, the first of the season for the Trojans. DeFeo threw for five touchdowns and ran for another.
“Aidan had a big night tonight,” Wissahickon coach Bruce Fleming said. “He has done a great job of really putting things together and really realizing what’s needed to lead our football team.”
The win was especially welcome for a Trojans’ squad that had the corner of the market when it came to heartbreaking losses. Wissahickon had the lead in three of its most recent losses only to see it slip away late.
“I’m trying to break that habit – it’s not something I like to have, but we’re a young team this year, so learning how to win and close out games is a very big thing, and we’re getting better and better every week,” Fleming said.
DeFeo threw a pair of touchdown passes in the opening quarter. His first to Jaylen Quick from 42 yards out put the Trojans on top 7-0. He set up the game’s second score with a 35-yard keeper on fourth-and-four. An 11-yard touchdown pass to Braheem Thomas gave the Trojans a 14-0 lead at the end of one quarter. Quick hauled in his second touchdown of the game, this one for 31 yards on a sideline route that gave the Trojans a 21-0 lead that they took into halftime.
DeFeo connected with Thomas for his second TD reception of the night, this one on a 44-yard strike that made it a 28-0 game. The senior quarterback scored on a two-yard keeper and then ran it in on the successful two-point conversion to put the Trojans on top 36-0.
New Hope-Solebury’s Sean Cooney found Miles Demby with a 29-yard touchdown reception, but the Trojans answered with one final score. This time DeFeo hooked up with Jaden McLean for the 43-7 final.
DeFeo completed 11-of-21 passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns. He spread the wealth around, connecting with six different receivers. Kyle Lehman had 16 carries for 108 yards.
“Kyle Lehman had a great night,” Fleming said. “He didn’t have a chance to score tonight. He always draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses, which opens things up for Aidan to run the ball but also to pass the ball to our receivers as well.”
The Trojans’ coach pointed to senior linebacker Jeremiah Clark as a catalyst on defense.
“He had a high ankle sprain from our scrimmage, so he didn’t get a chance to play our first game against Upper Dublin,” Fleming said. “He battled through when we played Owen J. Roberts, but he wasn’t 100 percent. He did not play against Methacton, so the fourth game was really his first full game of really feeling healthy.
“He’s an emotional leader for our defense. The guys really feed off his energy that he brings in at the linebacker spot, so having him back for two good full weeks, we’re starting to play a lot better defensively now.”
The win stopped a four-game skid out the gate for the Trojans.
“I preach to my guys about execution, knowing what we have to do and executing it the right way,” Fleming said. “There were times tonight when we did that. I liked to see the guys following through on what we’re coaching them up to do, giving maximum effort every time they’re out on the football field, and each week we’re getting better and better at doing those things.
“As a teacher, you always try to find teachable moments. I used the metaphor for our season that we’re a snowball on the hill. Last week, our snowball started to roll a little bit, we were putting things together, but we hit a pebble that was Upper Moreland. I told them tonight we had to find a way to get past this pebble and get our snowball rolling again. Now we’re gaining some momentum. I told them they’re like what the snowballs do when they roll down a hill – they gain momentum, and they get bigger and bigger, and that’s what we’re starting to see. We’re starting to put things together offensively and defensively, and hopefully, as the rest of these games come up, which are all going to be tough – nothing is going to be given to us. We’re going to have to go out and work for it, but we’re going in the right direction right now.”
Wissahickon (1-4, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Springfield Township on Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (0-4, 0-2) will host Upper Moreland on Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 0-0-7-0 7
Wissahickon 14-7-22-0 43
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 35, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 14
(Stats provided courtesy of Andrew Robinson/PA Prep Live: https://papreplive.com/2021/09/25/obrien-defense-set-pace-as-pw-tops-springfield-twp-for-fourth-straight-win/)
It’s hardly a secret that the Colonials like to pound the ball down opponent’s throats, but Aiden O’Brien showed that he can air it out as well, tossing a 59-yard touchdown pass to Jared Kulson to kick off the scoring. It was his first of two TD passes for PW’s junior quarterback, who also ran for a score in the Colonials’ big win.
“Everything goes around Aiden on our offense,” PW coach Dan Chang said. “He was solid again tonight, made a couple of nice throws. We’re starting to show teams that we can throw the ball. It’s a nice little added bonus to have.”
The Colonials took an early 7-0 lead on the O’Brien strike only to see the Spartans answer with back-to-back touchdowns. Ben Cooney scored on a 52-yard TD run and then scored on a one-yard keeper that put the Spartans on top 14-7 with just over a minute remaining in the opening quarter. That lead was anything but secure as the Colonials answered with a quick score when Nate Kern took it to the house on a 19-yard run, knotting the score 14-14 after one quarter.
The Colonials – thanks to an 11-yard TD run by O’Brien – took a 21-14 lead into halftime. They added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. O’Brien hooked up with Phil Taormina from 27 yards out, and Zion East scored on a 23-yard run for the 35-14 final.
“Credit to Springfield for coming out firing,” Chang said. “They were very excited, got off to a great start and did some nice things against us.
“Luckily, we were able to adjust. I was kind of happy – our kids got tested. We got a full game in with them and faced a little adversity, so I was happy with how we bounced back, especially in the second half.”
The Colonials’ coach went on to credit a pair of his team’s unsung heroes.
“Our offensive line has been playing well, getting better every week, but unnoticed sometimes is our receivers,” Chang said of Taormina and Jullian Williams. “They block downfield all the time and they’re relentless. They’re both split out, and they’re blocking 80 percent of the time out there. I’m happy with how they’re improving as blockers at the receiver position too.”
The PW coach also credited several players on the defensive side of the football.
“Tommy Hannon has been the sparkplug of our defense, and I thought he played another good game,” Chang said. “I thought our secondary guys – Jim Foy, Zion East and Chris McLaughlin – did a nice job of controlling their passing game.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-1, 2-0 SOL) has a bye next week and will host Cheltenham on Oct. 8. Springfield Township (3-1, 1-1) will host Wissahickon on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14-7-0-14 35
Springfield Township 14-0-0-0 14
CHELTENHAM 32, UPPER MORELAND 21
(Game info will be added when it is received)
Non-league
FATHER JUDGE 38, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The visiting Crusaders, who led 10-0 after one quarter, took a 24-0 lead into halftime. The Panthers never threatened.
William Tennent (0-4, 0-1) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday.
Father Judge 10-14-14-0 38
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
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