Blog Post

SuburbanOneSports.com: In another National versus Continental showdown, Pennsbury will travel to Pennridge. Comment about that game.

Kevin Cooney: "You look at the numbers Mike Class is putting up, and you're amazed, but then you realize - is he going to throw 200 up against Pennsbury? I kind of doubt that. The key for Pennridge is that Crawford, Bigam, Krivda and Stutzman - these other players - are gong to have to make big plays. I think what Galen Snyder and that coaching staff is going to do is try and take Class away and dare anybody else to beat them. They have decent weapons around him, and that's what this time of year is going to prove. At some point, you're going to have to show that you're not totally reliant on one player. Pennridge has done a pretty good job of that, but I think this is where the biggest test is going to be.

"I wasn't there, but it sounds like Souderton was the one in control for three quarters. I've heard Souderton people complaining about the officiating at the end of the game, and a fumble apparently went against them, but it's just another case - you can't let it get to the final week. For Souderton, this has become too much of a recurring a trend. It always comes down to that last game. It hasn't always been North Penn, but now that it is North Penn it's like a double whammy. When you let yourself get in that spot - and they did with that non-league loss to Unionville, you have to beat either Pennridge or CB South. Those were the teams that were the cream of the division this year. You have to beat North Penn because they're the cream of the division every year. You have to take care of business. If you had a bad call go against you, that bad call was nine weeks in the making. Obviously, I can't comment on the call. It sounds like it was pretty awful, but again, the lesson is to avoid going into the final week with this hanging over them. Until that happens, they're going to keep risking this.

"Pennsbury really took off during the conference season. They have not played a bad game. They have been a more diversified offense than they have in the past because of their big-play capability and their ability to throw the ball now if they so choose. Shawn Pepper, to me, is the player of the year in the conference. He's had so many breakaway runs and is such a versatile performer. Breon Clark, their sophomore quarterback, can really run it. He's going to be a fine player in the next couple of years too as he smooths out his passing and they incorporate that more in their offense. Pennsbury, on both sides of the ball, is a strong team. To me, they're a threat to go far in the playoffs.

Kevin Cooney: "I think it's important for both CB South and Pennridge to get home games. Obviously, Pennridge should win their final two regular season games, and if they do, they should get two home games.

"The momentum CB South had earlier in the year seems as though it got stymied a little bit after that Pennridge game. Quite honestly, they need a home game.

"Honestly, the best Suburban One League team right now is Pennsbury. Pennsbury is the team that seems as though it has the most talent. Pennsbury seems as though it's starting to get in a favorable spot in the rankings. If they beat Neshaminy next week, they will have a big boost there.

"It's an outrageous joke what transpired the last few days over a trivial 'incident.' It's an absolute joke, and Neshaminy's administrators ought to be ashamed of themselves. Mark Schmidt has been there 18 years, and while he is volatile and in your face - well, so is the game of football. Good luck to them trying to find another coach as good as this guy. To get called on the carpet for this is outrageous, and to drag it out for five days is such a disservice to the kids and the rest of that loyal coaching staff and to a great Neshaminy football nation of devoted people and their storied tradition. It's ridiculous.

Kevin Cooney: "We have gone now from talking about possibly four playoff teams out of the Suburban One Continental Conference, and now realistically, we could be looking at two. You look at the American Conference, and you're talking about one or two. I think you put Plymouth Whitemarsh in that group and maybe Wissahickon. In the National Conference, Pennsbury is a given. I think Neshaminy probably will finish strong, so they will probably get in. The Neshaminy/Abington game will probably decide the second entry from that conference.

SuburbanOneSports.com: As someone who covered the Souderton/CB South game, what were your impressions of both teams after watching that game?

Kevin Cooney: "Honestly, everyone looks at the almost 200 yards Josh Adams put up. I thought (quarterback) John Pileggi was really impressive with his 12-for-13, 223 yards. A lot of them were the drop-in-the-barrel throws where you have to throw it over a defender. He's not graced with height - he's 5-9, but he's able to make the plays when he has to, and that's a huge, huge thing for him. That's also a huge thing for a team that wants to establish themselves as a premiere team, and I think they are slowly but surely putting themselves in that class.

SuburbanOneSports.com: William Tennent pulled off the upset of the SOL season so far with its win over Neshaminy on Friday. Share your thoughts about that game.

Dan Dunkin: "That was a shocker when you take the fact that Neshaminy was coming off a very disappointing home loss to Souderton, which every year is a battle with two good teams from rivaling conferences. They were angry about that loss, so you're thinking they're a clear favorite in the game against Tennent. You have to give Tennent so much credit in this game and feel good for those kids and that coaching staff. They came really close to beating CB West. This time they closed the deal. To come back and march 72 yards in the last minute to win that game - boy, that's just really something. That's a good Neshaminy team. They've lost two in a row, which hardly ever happens, but they have a lot of players on that team, and it's time to get it going.

Dan Dunkin: "Pennsbury is very interesting, whether to look at the glass as half full or half empty, because they did play a brutal pre-conference schedule. Pennsbury played the second toughest schedule in District One. I stand corrected - North Penn did play the toughest schedule. They were right in the game with Downingtown East really all the way through the first 40 minutes of the game into the early fourth quarter. There's a lot to be said for that. Like a lot of teams, they had a difficult time stopping that no-huddle, spread offense. They did a good job at times but still got tagged for 42 points.

SuburbanOneSports.com: North Penn earned a big win over Archbishop Wood on Saturday night. Share your thoughts about that game since you were there.

Dan Dunkin: "North Penn plays its typically brutal non-conference schedule. I really thought it was going to be a coin flip game. I picked North Penn because I thought Wood wasn't quite as dominant as last year, but they're still really good. It's going to take them a few weeks to really hit their stride.

"I thought North Penn could stand up to the Wood running game with their great linebacker play. It wasn't starting out that way...