Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Friday. Pennsbury/CR South photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Tennent/Upper Merion photos courtesy of Kadi Schenk, Upper Moreland/Interboro photos courrtesy of David Tucker, and Upper Dublin/NP photos courtesy of Shannon O’Sullivan. Check back for complete galleries: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f1050704496
PENNSBURY 28, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 19
In a contest pitting a pair of 2-0 squads, it was the Falcons – sparked by their relentless ground game – earning the hard-fought win in a contest that wasn’t decided until the game’s closing minutes.
“We found a way to make things interesting,” Pennsbury coach Galen Snyder said.
Nathan Beighley sealed the deal when he scored from eight yards out to give the Falcons a 28-19 lead with 5:32 remaining, a score that stood until the final horn.
“I thought we got better in a lot of areas tonight,” Snyder said. “The first thing we did was defensively we stopped the run, which we have been doing, but CR was having some good success the first couple of weeks running the ball. It was a great team effort on defense. Everyone understood their responsibilities. We took any lanes away.
“Then we were able to run the ball, and that was a combination of the backs and also the offensive line. A big part too is – there were a couple of times where we could have taken the game over, but some weird things happened here and there, and all of a sudden, we’re in a tight spot. It was good we were able to respond and come away with a victory.”
The Golden Hawks got on the scoreboard first when Chase Ennis – rolling to his right –found Daniel Voss for a 26-yard touchdown and an early 7-0 lead. The score was set up by an 18-yard punt return to midfield by Caleb Christian.
Early in the second quarter, the Falcons evened the score when Beighley – who had a clutch 11-yard run on fourth down early in the drive – scored from six yards out – also on fourth down.
Darius Simmons gave the Falcons their first lead when he intercepted a pass and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. It was his first of two interceptions in the game.
“He had a pick-6 in our scrimmage too,” Snyder said. “He really seems to have a nose for the ball. He’s playing very well for us this year.”
The Golden Hawks recovered a fumble on the Falcons’ 22-yard line with 1:21 remaining in the half, and they capitalized when Ennis – throwing across his body – somehow found Nick Haurin with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 2.2 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock. The missed extra point allowed the Falcons to go into halftime with a 14-13 lead.
Jordan Czerniak’s electrifying 40-yard touchdown run – which included shedding one would-be tackler after another – on the opening drive of the second half put the Falcons on top 21-13.
“It’s definitely the best we’ve played offensively this season,” Snyder said. “But you expect that the more games we play.”
A bad snap prevented the Falcons from tacking on a 28-yard field goal after a drive that included a 66-yard run by Jaydyn Bright. The Hawks made things interesting when – on third-and-long and Ennis on the run – the senior QB lofted a soft pass to Haurin over several charging defenders, and Haurin raced 81 yards to the Falcons’ seven. On the very next play, Chase Myers scored to make it a 21-19 game with 2:34 remaining. That score stood until Beigley’s TD that iced the win.
“I thought he definitely had some really nice plays,” Snyder said of his senior quarterback. “Rock South battled very hard. The entire ‘D’ did a nice job.”
Pennsbury (2-1) will play its first home game of the season on a refurbished Falcon Field on Thursday when the Falcons will host Central Bucks West in the SOL National Conference opener for both teams. Council Rock South (2-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks East Thursday for its SOL opener.
Pennsbury 0-14-7-7 28
Council Rock South 7-6-6-0 19
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 40, QUAKERTOWN 20
It was a sequence that might well have gotten lost in the shuffle, but listening to West coach Rob Rowan tell it, it might well have been the turning point in the game. Or at least something pretty close to that.
Granted, it was early, and the Panthers – deadlocked with West 7-7 at the time – rallied to take a lead one last time after the clutch play, but that did not diminish its significance to the Bucks’ coach.
“There was a moment in the game where we fumbled in our own territory, so they had the ball in the red zone,” Rowan said of the Panthers taking over on West’s 14-yard line. “Our defense got a four-and-out. We held them and stopped them on fourth down. I thought that was a huge momentum swing in the game because usually turnovers inside of your own red zone don’t end up well.”
The Bucks took over on downs, and senior quarterback Cooper Taylor raced 76 yards for a touchdown that gave West a 13-7 lead after one quarter.
“I felt that was a huge point in the game because if they punch it in, they’re up a score, and it just changes the dynamics of the game,” Rowan said. “For us to be able to come up with a stop there – I thought that was a huge answer by our defense.”
Early in the second quarter, the Panthers went on top 14-13 when Vince Micucci – who early in the game had a 28-yard TD run – took it in from two yards out.
The Bucks took a lead they would not lose when – on fourth-and-long – Cooper found Conor McFadden in stride for a touchdown that put the Bucks on top 20-14, and they added another score to go into halftime with a 27-14 lead.
Junior Ryan Clemens raced 40 yards for a touchdown that sent the Bucks into the fourth quarter with a 34-14 lead.
“We challenged our guys to come out and play a significantly cleaner third quarter, minimize some mistakes,” Rowan said. “We came out and got a three-and-out, we went down and scored pretty quickly and took control of the game from that point on.”
The two teams exchanged fourth quarter touchdowns with the Bucks receiving a 20-yard TD run from Vance Morelli, and Quakertown added six points when Brady Martin connected with Aiden Burgy for a 54-yard touchdown.
Rowan credited the play of some his team’s offensive heroes.
“Offensively, Coop (Cooper Taylor), for sure, Ryan Clemens had a great night running the ball,” the Bucks’ coach said. “Conor McFadden was a major contributor – two scores. He actually had three, one was called back on a penalty. He was obviously very involved again.
“We ran for a lot of yards again. The offensive line did tremendous again. Jack Williams, on both sides of the ball, played really well. Obviously, Coop, Ryan and Connor are making really great things happen, but our offensive line is executing really, really well.”
Comprising the offensive line that has scored 77 points in the Bucks’ last two games combined are Jack Williams (tight end), Matt Cleland (fullback), Finn McGowan (right tackle), Christian Pudlo (right guard), Cole Patterson (center), Gio Pellegrino (left guard) and Hayden Mulligan (left tackle).
Central Bucks West (3-0) will travel to Pennsbury for its SOL National Conference opener on Thursday.
“We’re going to go and play a really, really well-coached Pennsbury team next week on a short week, and that’s followed up by North Penn,” Rowan said. “It doesn’t get any easier for us.
“I say it all the time, and I know it sounds like coach speak, but we really focus on trying to continue to grow each week and maximize our potential as a team because every week we’re going to play an extremely well-coached, difficult opponent. Sometimes it seems like we’re going to get everyone’s best effort, but we want that. That’s something we cherish. We’ll enjoy it and we’ll wake up tomorrow and get ready to turn the page.”
Quakertown (1-2) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday for a non-league game.
Central Bucks West 13-14-7-6 40
Quakertown 7-7-0-6 20
SOUDERTON 23, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 21
The Indians led for the better part of Friday’s showdown only to watch the Patriots take their first lead late in the game, but Rylan Zuk’s 23-yard field goal allowed the Indians to escape with the win.
“It was bound to be exciting, there was never a doubt,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “That’s a really good football team. I had a feeling coming in it was going to be a hard-fought game between two really good teams – it usually is when we play, so I am absolutely thrilled to get out of there with a win.”
Zuk’s game-winner was his third field goal of the night.
“Rylan Zuk did a great job kicking tonight,” Gallagher said. “He really came through. He sometimes gets down on himself because he’s a little bit inconsistent, but he’s got a really strong leg. He was confident tonight. He had three field goals and was really kicking off well. He had at least three or four touchbacks
“We were blessed last year to have two outstanding kickers. Ty (Quintois) kicked off and did field goals, Rylan punted and they alternated extra points. Neither missed an extra point all year. He’s a really good kicker. This is his year where he’s doing all three.”
The Indians struck first with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter when Ryan Sadowski scored on an eight-yard run. East had a chance to even the score, but saw that drive end when the Indians came up with an interception by Alec Sprouse on a fourth down play.
The Indians capitalized on that turnover, capping a six-minute drive with a seven-yard touchdown run by Sadowski. The successful two-point conversion put the Indians up 14-0.
This Patriots answered, this time capitalizing on a Souderton turnover when Dean Blackwell took it 60-plus yards on a scoop-and-score to make it a 14-7 game at halftime.
“We were up 14-0, our kid fumbled – there was no question it was a fumble, but the kid that picked it up – his knee was on the ground,” Gallagher said. “There never should have been a runback, but the officials weren’t in a position to see it, so that’s the way it goes. It’s not their fault.”
Zuk put the Indians on top 17-7 when he split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal. East answered with a touchdown drive that was capped when Blackwell took it in from two yards out on fourth down to make it a 17-14 game with 3:51 remaining in the third.
A 74-yard kickoff return by the Indians set the stage for another Zuk field goal – this one from 42 yards to give the Indians a 20-14 lead with 3:15 remaining in the third.
“I felt pretty good up 17-7,-but we weren’t going to hold them down the whole game,” Gallagher said. “They’re a big, physical proud football team. They came out and scored, we responded with a field goal, they scored to take the lead, and we responded again.”
East took its first lead of the game with 8:20 remaining on a 30-yard shovel pass from quarterback Dan Voglesong to Jack Donnelly. Jack Corrigan’s extra point put the Patriots on top 21-20.
Gallagher tipped his hat to Voglesong.
“He’s a heck of a competitor,” the Indians’ coach said. “He didn’t find a lot of space. We had a really good pass rush on him most of the night, but he did find some room to run.”
That set the stage for Zuk’s third field goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
Gallagher pointed to Sadowski and Danny Dyches as the offensive catalysts for the Indians.
“We spend a lot of time trying to get the ball in Danny and Ryan’s hands as many different ways as we can, and the two of them made plays and plays and plays on offense,” Gallagher said. “Defensively, it was a very good, solid team effort. I think the whole defense responded pretty well at all three levels. Mike Heath, our ‘D’ coordinator, put together another scheme to try and slow them down. You’re not going to completely stop them. They’re averaging 39 points a game, and it could have been worse if they played the second half of any game, but I just kept stressing to our kids – ‘Guys, they haven’t played a fourth quarter yet, you need to be the more physical, conditioned team, and get to the fourth quarter and win the game,’ and they responded. I’m really pleased with the overall effort tonight.”
Souderton (3-0) will travel to Council Rock North on Thursday for its SOL Continental opener, and Central Bucks East will host Central Bucks South in its National Conference opener on Thursday.
Central Bucks East 0-7-7-7 21
Souderton 6-8-6-3 23
HARRY S TRUMAN 13, ABINGTON 6
Perseverance.
That’s been the rallying cry for the Tigers, who lost their first two games by a combined score of 84-7.
“We just talked about building a program at Truman,” first-year coach Cordero Newkirk said. “It’s not one game, we’re trying to build a program. I plan on being here for a while.
“We have a great freshman team with a lot of guys – it’s our first freshman team in years, so we’re just trying to build the program up, and I told the guys, ‘Things will happen in the beginning, but just keep your heads up.’ Our word so far has been perseverance, so we have to persevere through all the things that come our way. It was bad things the first two games with the injuries and the turnovers, and we got beat up by some pretty good Central Bucks teams, and we were able to bounce back.”
For a young Truman squad that is already down to its third quarterback (Billy Danhierdt), Friday’s win was a testament to that perseverance.
“It was great,” Newkirk said. “The kids persevered. We have a lot of injuries, and they’re young. My third quarterback came in and played well tonight. Our senior quarterback went down early in the season, and he’s out. Our second guy came in, and we got the news on Wednesday that he was out, and he’s going to be out for the season.
“Billy stepped in at Thursday’s practice. He knows the offense, he was in command of the offense, and he did a great job tonight. My third center was starting tonight, and he did well. It was a great boost of confidence for our kids tonight.”
Senior Aqual Chapman scored both touchdowns, jumpstarting the Tigers by running the opening kickoff back 90 yards for a TD and an early 6-0 lead.
Damian Mager evened the score with a four-yard touchdown run to knot the score with 5:39 remaining in the first quarter.
Chapman’s second TD – from the one-yard line – gave the Tigers a 13-6 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, and that score stood until the final horn.
“(Chapman) is a baseball player first – he’s a great baseball player,” Newkirk said. “He was named captain this week, and he showed why. He did a great job on special teams, great job on defense (at cornerback) and did a great job on offense. Our skill guys were very good tonight.”
Credit also the Tigers’ defense for limiting the Ghosts – who were coming off a 44-7 win over Council Rock North – to just six points.
“We came out hungry, and we just wanted to set the tone of what we could be,” Newkirk said. “We had so many mistakes, and we’re young. We’ve had to switch up our philosophy and scheme because of the injuries we’ve had to the older guys, but Zach Denucci stepped up tonight, RJ Cox stepped up, Mohamed Touray had a great game tonight, Kabree Harris, Maxx Strong and Landon Vingless – they did a great job on defense. Raheem Bradley at safety had an interception, and he ran the ball well. He did a great job and he’s only a sophomore.”
Harry S Truman (1-2) will be on the road at Council Rock South on Thursday for its SOL opener, and Abington (1-1) will travel to Pennridge Thursday.
Abington 6-0-0-0 6
Harry S Truman 6-0-7-0 13
NORTH PENN 42, UPPER DUBLIN 7
(Game info provided by @ADRobinson3/The Reporter: https://www.thereporteronline.com/2023/09/09/north-penn-sets-early-tone-blasts-upper-dublin-for-first-win/ )
The Knights needed a win. Just how badly was summed up in one word.
“Desperately,” said NP coach Dick Beck, whose team was coming off back-to-back losses to La Salle and Quakertown. “Look, we’ve been really down. We have not played well
the first two weeks. It’s been a ton of things – it’s been mistakes, it’s been fumbles, whatever it’s been.
“I thought tonight we cut down some of the mistakes we’ve been making, and our quarterback (Matt Bucksar) played by far his best game. He made great decisions out there, so I was really happy with that. I know he wasn’t happy with the way he played the first two weeks, so it was good to see him get going. I thought the O-line played pretty well tonight.”
In a contest that saw the Knights put up close to 400 yards total offense, Bucksar threw for 187 yards and ran for 32 more. Seven players combined for 181 yards on the ground behind an offensive line comprised of Aiden Quallet (right tackle), Vinnie Montmore (right guard), Jacob Finn (center), Trey Anderson (left guard), Dylan Webb-Dennis (left tackle), and Dylan Hastings (tight end).
Amir Major scored a pair of early touchdowns – the first from 16 yards out just over two minutes into the game after an interception by Christian Johns-Wallace and the second from two yards in the closing minute of the first quarter to put the Knights on top 14-0.
“He’s been running tough all year,” Beck said of Major. “I felt bad because he hasn’t had a lot of holes. He really played well against La Salle with not a lot of holes – he was really getting north and south. I thought tonight he was cramping a little bit, so he was hampered in the second quarter, but early, he was really going north and south.”
In the opening minute of the second quarter, Upper Dublin cut the Knights’ lead in half (14-7) after Kevin Etkin connected with Chris Kohlbrenner for a 66-yard touchdown pass. Less than four minutes later, the Knights got that score back when Bucksar found Austin Eves with a 48-yard touchdown toss. Major’s third TD of the game – this one from a yard out – put the Knights on top 28-7 in the closing seconds of the first half. A diving catch at the one-yard line by Rashad McNeil set up the final score of the half.
Bucksar capped the opening drive of the second half by once again hooking up with Eves, this time for a 13-yard touchdown and a 35-7 lead. Bucksar capped a big night by connecting with Marc Cobbs for a 31-yard touchdown and the 42-7 final.
Beck lauded the efforts of several players in the big win.
“Christian Johns-Wallace was great tonight – making tackles, keeping contain, he had an interception, and he stripped the ball (setting up the Knights’ final TD),” Beck said of the junior linebacker. “He really played well.
“Aiden Eves caught two touchdown passes. We moved him from linebacker to defensive end, which is a place I think he’s a little more comfortable with and I think it really made a difference for us.”
Upper Dublin managed less than 200 yards total offense with Etkin accounting for 136 of those yards.
North Penn (1-2) will travel to Neshaminy on Thursday for its SOL opener.
“We tell the kids we’re 0-0 right now,” Beck said. “Our record means nothing with the league starting.”
Upper Dublin (1-2) will host Bensalem on Thursday in its SOL opener.
North Penn 14-14-14-0 42
Upper Dublin 0-7-0-0 7
PENNRIDGE 33, BENSALEM 0
(Game info courtesy of @realstuartl X/The Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier: https://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high-school/ )
The Rams found their stride late in Friday’s road game, erupting for 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to turn a 13-0 lead into a 33-0 win.
“In the fourth quarter offensive-wise, we just finally started jelling a little bit,” Pennridge coach Kyle Beller said. “I think it would have been really easy for them to get down. Even though we were up 13, we don’t get in before half, we come out and we throw an interception on the first drive, and they hit a big run right away.
“It would have been real easy for them to get down – here we are like last week, but they didn’t. There was no negativity, they just kept playing hard. They just did what they do in practice. They kept to their training, they kept together. It was all positive, and it was just nice to see them just really get going.
“The second half was two different quarters. In one, we had mental mistakes, errors, not seeing things right, and then in the fourth quarter, they were just focused, they were locked in. It was just nice to see them play.”
If there was one play that ignited the Rams, it came early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Noah Keating connected with Chase Marshall for a 75-yard touchdown that gave Pennridge a 20-0 lead.
“They were making the reads,” Beller said. “Noah and Chase had a good catch-and-run, but that being said, there was a great block in front of them where in the first half – we didn’t get in.
“Sometimes in football – it’s weird. All you need is that one play, and Noah read it. It wasn’t a call. He did what he was supposed to do. Earlier in the game, he had a bad throw that slipped out of his hand.
“Little things like that stack up on kids, and they put pressure on themselves. He made a great read, a good throw, a good catch, a great block, a great run. We need more of that and just keep building off of that.”
The Rams’ defense did its part as well with Trevor Fuhs coming up with a pick-6 for a touchdown that put the Rams on top 26-0 with 8:35 remaining in the game. Joe Hamburger’s nine-yard touchdown run gave Pennridge its final margin of victory.
“The guys on defense played really well,” Beller said. “We gave a couple of big runs up, but when they got inside the 20, the kids stepped up and made plays when they needed to. Honestly, it was just a team effort.”
Earlier, a touchdown run by Jacob Arteaga put the Rams on the board in the second quarter, and the Rams led 13-0 after Keating found Joe Gregoire with a 35-yard touchdown pass.
The win was Beller’s first with the Rams, who came oh so close a week earlier only to see a 14-0 lead slip away in a 19-14 loss to archrival Souderton.
“I just think it’s important to get a win for the program,” Beller said. “It matters – it matters to see some success. The kids have been really working hard since we took over. It’s good for them to see it’s paying off.”
Bensalem (0-3) will be on the road at Upper Dublin Thursday in its SOL opener, and Pennridge (1-2) will host Abington on Thursday.
“I’m expecting a game,” Beller said. “They have some athletes, and they’re big.”
Pennridge 0-13-0-20 33
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
WILLIAM TENNENT 21, UPPER MERION 20
The Panthers rallied from a 17-7 halftime deficit to win a thriller, giving coach Colin Leach a first win he’ll not soon forget. Making the win even sweeter was the fact that it
was dedicated to sophomore Nate Gonzalez – who just one day earlier rang the bell at CHOP to celebrate the end of his treatments for brain cancer.
“It was a storybook kind of thing for Nate, and that’s really what it’s all about – it was all about Nate,” Leach said.
Sophomore running back Lorenzo Hurley had a pair of touchdowns to lead the Panthers, and sophomore quarterback Derrek Guenther also had a TD run.
“Harrison Tindell had a huge fumble recovery – I mean massive,” Leach said of his senior cornerback. “That really sprung the game for us.
“They were up 17-7, Harrison Tindell got the fumble recovery, we scored the next drive with Lorenzo Hurley, and then it was just stop after stop.”
The Vikings answered with a field goal to make it take a 20-14 lead. The Panthers marched down the field,
relying on a mix of Hurley and senior running back Liam Gibson. The 14-play, 87-yard scoring drive was capped by a Hurley 6-yard touchdown run with less than six minutes remaining.
“We got two stops, and we ended with the ball in our hands, and we ran the clock out,” Leach said.
The Panthers’ coach credited the efforts of his sophomore quarterback, Guenther, as well as Hurley, Gibson and AJ Alwan in the Panthers’ first win of the season.
“This win is massive for changing over the culture of where we are,” Leach said. “We want to become a new team. I think this is the win we needed. We really worked for it, we busted our butts.
“It was good to come out on top, but it’s only the beginning for us. We want to build off of this.”
Guenther finished the game 7-for-10 for 58 yards. Stephen Cosenza had a pair of receptions for 51 yards. Hurley had 16 carries for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Senior Gary Miluzzo added 29 yards and junior Isaiah Rosario had 23 yards.
William Tennent (1-2) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday.
Upper Merion 7-10-0-3 20
William Tennent 7-0-7-7 21
UPPER MORELAND 25, INTERBORO 0
It was the tale of two halves.
The Golden Bears took a tenuous 2-0 lead into halftime, the result of a safety when Interboro had a bad snap go
out of the end zone. They came out of halftime and scored 23 unanswered points in the third quarter to seize control of the game.
“We’re such a young team, and we talked at halftime – we’re stopping ourselves, we’re just not executing up front, and guys were taking turns making mistakes,” Beach said. “But defensively, the kids really improved. I think they’re starting to see it and react, and they were doing a really good job. Interboro wasn’t able to move the ball.
“In the second half, we came out, and their first drive we get a pick-6 from our senior captain Zion Akinbo. Once we got that pick, everyone was like, ‘Okay, we’re good.’ Once we had that one good thing happen, everyone kind of settled down, they just started executing, and things just started to roll from there, so it really started with the pick-6 at the start of the second half.”
The win came on the heels of two straight losses to open the season, and things didn’t look all the promising in the first half.
“We’d go down the field, we’re on the one-yard line, we’re going to score, and we fumble the snap,” Beach said. “We’re having a great drive, and we get a negative play.
“I told them – ‘We have to go through it, there’s only one way to go through this. We have to go right through it, and you guys have to learn,’ and they are. It was good for them to have success. Hopefully, it’s something we can build on next week, and we keep growing from there.”
In the third quarter, Akinbo’s interception for a TD turned the tide, and sophomore running back Elijah Davis had a pair of touchdown runs to account for Wissahickon’s scores.
Beach also acknowledged the strong efforts of several players.
“Alex Simpson did a real nice job,” the UM coach said. “Frankie McDermott played for us for the first time and did a real nice job.
“Francesco Maglio did a nice job, and Justin Valentin – he’s a sophomore lineman, and he really had a nice game. He had a couple of nice plays in the backfield and actually caught a pass out of the backfield and almost scored. He had a nice game as a sophomore, so that was good for him.”
The win was a much-needed boost for a young Golden Bear squad.
“It’s confidence,” Beach said. “You preach it, you coach it and you teach it, but until it happens for them – they have to go through it.
“We’re focusing on things to work on every week. This week we really focused on a couple of things defensively – staying low and squeezing and reading our keys, and they were able to do it in the game, and they had a lot of success doing it, so hopefully, they’re starting to realize, ‘Okay, this is working, we get better, we grow, and we just go from there.’”
Quarterback Alex Foley’s 105 yards in the air led the offense. Davis finished the game with 55 yards and two TDs.
Upper Moreland (1-2) will host Radnor in a non-league game Thursday.
Interboro 0-2-0-0 2
Upper Moreland 0-0-23-0 23
HATBORO-HORSHAM 27, SPRINGFIELD TWP 0
The Hatters – operating on all cylinders on both sides of the football – opened up a 20-0 halftime lead on their way to the big win in Friday’s non-league contest, knocking off a Spartan squad that entered the game with a pair of wins under its belt.
“This was huge,” HH coach Tom Butts said. “I’m excited for our kids. They’ve worked so hard. It was a long week. We (practiced) at night a couple of times because of the heat, and they’re not getting home until eight o’clock at night.
“The first week of school is always tough for kids because they’re going through that grind of being in school for seven-and-a-half hours and then they’ve got to jump on the field, and to get pushed back tonight makes it even longer. Our kids just work really hard. I’m proud of them.”
It was a night of big plays for the Hatters, who got on the scoreboard in the opening quarter on Luke Foley’s 41-yard touchdown run.
“We were a little more explosive,” Butts said. “The last couple of weeks, we were more ground and pound and had some 13 or 14-play drives. We were a little more explosive tonight, which was nice to see.”
Quarterback Chris Roughton connected with Mason Bynum for a 36-yard seam pass for a touchdown, and near the end of the first half, Bynum ripped off an 89-yard touchdown run to send the Hatters into halftime with a 20-0 lead.
Junior Jackson Minch scored the only touchdown of the second half on a seven -yard run for the 27-0 final.
“He’s a pretty neat story,” Butts said of Minch. “He’s a kid that’s been a jayvee kid for us, and he’s been scout player of the week for us in the past.
“We’re a little banged up right now – we have a lot of kids going both ways, and he was a kid that came in and spelled some of our kids that have been playing a lot. He played really, really well, blocked well for us. It was really neat to see him get in and get a score.”
The Hatters’ coach acknowledged several catlysts on defense as well.
“Roman Marinucci had a really good game for us,” Butts said of his senior defensive lineman. “Jaxson Bumpus is our middle linebacker, and he’s really settled into his role of being the quarterback of the defense.
“Jaden Lebens had a big play for us. He tipped an option pitch and recovered it. I thought he was going to score. He tried to scoop it up, and it fell through his hands and landed on it.
“I’m super excited for the kids. They bought in – they’ve been fantastic.”
Hatboro-Horsham (2-1) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday, and Springfield Township (2-1) will host West Philadelphia on Thursday.
Springfield Twp 0-0-0-0 0
Hatboro-Horsham 7-13-0-7 27
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 42, NESHAMINY 17
Colin Baker gave the Redskin faithful plenty to cheer about when he raced 64 yards for a touchdown to spot the home team an early 7-0 lead over the Whippets.
Downingtown West answered with a touchdown, but the Redskins had an answer when Kaden Nicastro connected on a 36-yard field goal to go on top 10-7 with 7:36 remaining in the opening quarter. A two-yard touchdown run by Miles Burke put the Whippets on top 14-10.
Again, the Redskins had an answer. This time it was Carter Clee punching it in from two yards out to give Neshaminy a 17-14 lead with 1:39 remaining in the opening quarter.
Unfortunately for the Redskins, that turned out to be their last hurrah as the Whippets closed out the half with 21 unanswered points to go into the intermission with a 35-17 lead. The Redskins’ defense tightened up in the second half, allowing just one touchdown.
The Redskins – led by Baker’s 94 yards and Clee’s 82 – held a 225-158 advantage on the ground, but the Whippets gained 238 yards in the air.
Neshaminy (1-2) will host North Penn on Thursday.
LOWER MORELAND 23, JENKINTOWN 13
WISSAHICKON 16, LOWER MERION 12 (Game suspended with 6:03 remaining in the third quarter and will be resumed Saturday at 11:30 a.m.)
Thursday, Sept 7
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 47, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
(Info received courtesy of Drew Markol, Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier: https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/sports/2023/09/07/high-school-football-central-bucks-south-council-rock-north-bucks-county/70772134007/ )
The Titans opened up a 13-0 lead late in the opening quarter of Thursday night’s non-league contest and then endured a lightning delay of close to 40 minutes. Showing no ill effects from the delay, the Titans reeled off 27 unanswered points to close out the half on their way to the mercy rule win.
Quarterback Owen Pinkerton connected with Jack Mauz for a 35-yard touchdown pass, capping a seven-play, 85-yard drive that put the Titans on the board midway through the opening quarter. Then it was Corey Moore scoring on a seven-yard TD run to make it a 13-0 game with 1:52 remaining in the quarter.
Early in the second quarter after play resumed, Sebastian Pacchione scored on a 22-yard touchdown run. A highlight of South’s first-half onslaught was Adam Oscar returning a fumble that was forced by Dilan Monteiro 15 yards for a touchdown. Junior Jim Wade scored on a one-yard plunge to make it a 33-0 game, and Pinkerton’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Fischer put the Titans on top 40-0 at the intermission.
Michael Chiliberti’s three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter accounted for the only points of the second half.
Moore led the Titans’ ground game, rushing for 110 yards on just seven carries. Pacchione had 57 yards on six carries, and Pinkerton, who threw for 83 yards and two touchdowns, had three carries for 49 yards. All told, the Titans amassed 313 yards on the ground.
The Titans limited the Indians to less that 50 yards of total offense.
A highlight for Rock North – which has allowed over 40 points in each of its first three games – was Jack Paessler coming up with an interception in the end zone.
Central Bucks South (3-0) will travel to Central Bucks East on Thursday, and Council Rock North (0-3) will host Souderton on Thursday at 3:15 pm.
Central Bucks South 13-27-0-7 47
Council Rock North 0-0-0-0 0
About the Author
