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Back for its 13th season, the popular Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features football beat writer Drew Markol. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the Intelligencer (http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/) and Courier Times (http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/) web sites.
Join Jeff Nolan and Kevin Cooney for the WPHT High School Football Scoreboard Show as they recap the night of high school football on Friday at 10 p.m. on 1210AM/WPHT and the Audacy app.
SuburbanOneSports.com: CB South defeated CB West 27-14 in a rivalry game. You were at that game. Share your thoughts.
Drew Markol: “That was a game – I thought West would win it. South the past couple of weeks as we’ve talked about has discovered a running game. Owen Wheeler is a very good baseball player – he’s going to Maine, and he caught a huge touchdown pass in the back of the end zone that put them ahead for good. 
Tommy Donnelly, another senior wide receiver, returned a punt for a touchdown to get the scoring started. South just played really good defense because West kept the ball and did a lot of the things that West always does, including a 99-yard touchdown drive that included Matt Cleland running about 30 yards on a a fake punt in West territory on fourth down to keep it going. It was just one of those games – West would move up and down the field, but they couldn’t crack the South defense, and South was able to get some scores here and there, and they got themselves a really nice win that’s going to push them up the district rankings. I’m not sure it’s going to get them a home game – the top eight get a first round home game, and they’re at number nine in the power point rankings for the district tournament. They put themselves in a spot if they win against this week, they go to 7-3. That’s a pretty nice season.
“Jack Carver, the senior, is kind of South’s go-to running back right now. He’s big, and he can get those tough yards that you need. They have a passing game with senior quarterback Brett Szarko. He can throw it, and they were relying on him almost exclusively in the early going. They had a three-game losing streak after they won their first three games, and now they’ve won three in a row. They’re running the ball, they’re passing, and they’re playing really good defense. You do that – you win. West came in on a roll needing to win, made some mistakes and ended up with a loss.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: North Penn defeated Pennridge 42-6. Your thoughts.
Drew Markol: “Pennridge had played a whole bunch of close games all season. At one point, they had lost three straight by seven total points, but the wheels have kind of come off. North Penn beat them 42-6. Ryan Zeltt, the four-year starter at quarterback for North Penn, had five touchdown passes. That win got North Penn to 4-5. I’ve heard rumors they’ve clinched a spot in the playoffs. They’re going to be a team – you don’t want to play them. If the season ended today, we would have a Pennsbury/North Penn rematch in the first week of the district tournament because Pennsbury is the two seed, and North Penn is 15. That would be very interesting. Again, we have to wait and see what happens, but if it would be this week, that’s what we would have.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks East defeated Neshaminy and will host Central Bucks West this week. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “CB East defeated Neshaminy 22-7, East is 8-1 with their only loss to Pennsbury. They’ve just played very well. Ethan Shine, their running back, had a couple of touchdowns, and they have a nice quarterback in Pat Keller. They’re sitting at third in the district seedings. They have to play West, and the game is at East under the lights for the first time ever on Friday. If East wins that, you stay in third - if form holds - and you get two home games, which is nice. It’s nice not having to travel to Downingtown or Ridley if you don’t have to. Make them come to you. I’m sure that’s being stressed by John Donnelly at East – let’s do what we do. It’s a big rivalry game against West. They can get the CB Cup if they win that. They already beat South.
“I really do think that getting the lights coupled with East having a really good year has been a really good combination for them. That’s a great rivalry. Where East is sitting, if they lose to West, they could jeopardize their home field advantage. That’s a good game. It should be played on Thanksgiving, but that’s neither here nor there anymore. West is going to have to bounce back, and I think it might actually help them that they’re playing East because South took a little bit out of them beating them last week. Both sides get up for this game. It’s just – can West stop Ethan Shine and Pat Keller at quarterback, and not many teams have.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Dublin had a big 34-3 win over Souderton in that showdown to clinch at least a share of the SOL Continental title. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “Upper Dublin is a 5A team. They’re number one in the state – they beat CB West, they beat North Penn, now they’ve beaten Souderton. They’re going to be a really tough out in 5A. At some point, they’re going to have to play Imhotep Charter – if Imhotep can beat Roman Catholic, which is also a 5A team. Upper Dublin is going to have to get past whoever comes out of District 12, but that’s a couple of weeks away. They’re head and shoulders above everyone else. Souderton went into that game – they’re having a good season, but they lost 34-3. Upper Dublin has been impressive from the start. We all shook our heads when they beat North Penn early on, but no one is shaking their heads anymore.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Moreland will take on Plymouth Whitemarsh for the SOL American title. Neither team has a loss in conference play. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “You look at Upper Moreland – right now they’re in the nine spot in the 5A seedings. They’d love to get in the top eight to get the home game in the first round, but they have to play Plymouth Whitemarsh, which lost its opening game to CB South, but they’ve been 7-1 since with its only loss to Upper Dublin, and they’re at number five. You have five versus nine. If Upper Moreland wants to get that home game, they have to go and beat Plymouth Whitemarsh. They pulled out a close one against Cheltenham two weeks ago, they pulled out a close one against Springfield Township last week. Good teams win the close games.
“Stephen Broderick has had a big year for Upper Moreland, and PW – led by quarterback Aiden O’Brien – has received contributions up and down its lineup.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Council Rock North will face Council Rock South in the annual Unity Cup game. Rock North has won the last two years. Your thoughts.
Drew Markol: “CJ Szydlik, the Upper Moreland coach, has taken over the program at Council Rock South. You have to lean toward South. They’re showing improvement, and that’s the goal. If they win, they’ll finish the season 5-5. It’s hard when they split your school in half, and it’s been like that for a long time now. You’re dealing with a smaller deck of cards. Council Rock North won the last the two years. Revenge in high school is short-lived because most of the players are juniors and seniors, but in this case, Council Rock South doesn’t want to lose again. Those rivalry games are fun.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennsbury will close out its regular season at Neshaminy in another rivalry game. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “Neshaminy at 4-5 coming off a loss to CB East – they have to win. Right now they’re 20th in the power rankings, but I do think if they beat Pennsbury they’d get in. That’s always a good one too. No one has stopped Galamama Mulbah all season. Pennsbury’s last win before its 17-game losing streak was over Neshaminy in 2019, and now they’ve got a bunch of wins. In the life of a high school football player, 2019, might as well be 1919. For Neshaminy, if you want to play in districts, you have to win that game. I’m sure they’d like nothing more than to knock Pennsbury down a few pegs too. Pennsbury has been so good. They’ve won eight in a row. They want revenge too. That series, I believe, is 43-42-6 in favor of Neshaminy. It’s something like that, and Neshaminy leads all time by one win, which is really a fabulous rivalry when it’s that close. That’s what rivalries are supposed to be.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Quakertown will travel to Upper Dublin on Friday. Your comments about a Panther squad in the hunt for a district berth.
Drew Markol: “Quakertown at 5-4 – they’ve won four in a row, and they’re at 14 in the latest power rankings, so I would think they’re in. Again, it’s a really big order to beat an Upper Dublin team that’s gone through everybody. I think with even a loss they’ll get in at 5-5, but a lot of things happen. So much depends on what happens ahead of you. You need a PhD to figure out the math.”
Markol’s picks (Winners in bold)
(Last week 11-2)
North Penn @ Abington
Souderton @ Bensalem
Central Bucks West @ Central Bucks East
Central Bucks South @ Pennridge
Wissahickon @ Cheltenham
Council Rock North @ Council Rock South
Springfield Delco @ Harry S Truman
Twin Valley @ Hatboro-Horsham
Lower Moreland @ Harriton
Pennsbury @ Neshaminy
George School @ New Hope-Solebury
Plymouth Whitemarsh @ Upper Moreland
Quakertown @ Upper Dublin
Springfield Twp @ William Tennent