Photo from gallery of photos by Tracy Valko & Kim Supko from the CB South/CB West district semifinal game. Check out the gallery documenting the night in photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p659955707
Football Forecast – 12 A
By Scott Huff
Don’t forget to turn on the Friday Night Lights @ Titan Stadium!
No. 5 Central Bucks South (12-1) will host the PIAA District One 6A championship game this Friday against No. 6 Downingtown West (11-2). And the odds of that happening at the outset of the district playoffs were extremely long at best.
The Titans earned that coveted home District One 6A championship date with a stunning 42-14 victory over previously undefeated – and No. 1 seed – Central Bucks West (12-1).
And the Whippets earned that championship date with CB South with an equally stunning 17-14 victory over previously undefeated – and No. 2 seed – Downingtown East (11-1).
For it’s one, two, three, (and really four) strikes you’re out at the old (6A District-1) ballgame.
In addition to the Titans taking out No. 1 CB West – CB South also jettisoned No. 4 Spring-Ford (35-19). And in addition to the Whippets taking out No. 2 seed Downingtown East – Downingtown West jettisoned No. 3 Souderton (34-17).
Both the road warrior Titans and Whippets collectively knocked out the top four District One 6A seeds – all on the road – on its journey to the title game.
Central Bucks South and Downingtown West both avenged regular season losses to CB West and Downingtown East in the process. The Titans had lost convincingly to the Bucks 40-29, while the Whippets were whipped by the Cougars 35-7.
If you had wagered on a Titan-Whippet District One championship final, you would have made some serious cash. And this 6A district final between the SOL National Conference runner-up and the Ches-Mont National Conference runner-up will be extremely difficult to put a wager on.
The last time those Friday Night Lights were on @ Titan Stadium, Central Bucks South won a 21-20 thriller over No. 12 Coatesville in the opening round of the district playoffs.
And Titan fans would love nothing better to see a repeat of that thriller – and with the same victorious ending.
Stay tuned.
And the beat goes on…
PIAA District One 6A Championship Game
No.6 Downingtown Whippets (11-2) @ No. 5 Central Bucks South Titans (12-1)
Playoff Resume:
Downingtown West advanced to the championship game with a dramatic 17-14 victory over district rival Downingtown East. Quarterback Quinn Henicle scored the game-winner on a 4-yard touchdown run with just 16 seconds left in the game. Henicle also fired a 42-yard scoring pass to Dean Hangey. Ben Mehan opened the scoring for the Whippets with a 21-yard field goal. Downingtown West opened the playoffs with a 17-0 victory over No. 11 Council Rock South and followed with a 34-17 victory over No. 3 Souderton.
Central Bucks South advanced to the championship game with a convincing 42-14 victory over district rival Central Bucks West. Anthony Leonardi rushed for an astonishing 301 yards and scored 3 touchdowns – one of 52 yards – and another of 41 yards. Corey Moore added 3 touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards. Central Bucks South opened the playoffs with a 21-20 win over No. 12 Coatesville and followed with a 35-19 victory over No. 4 Spring-Ford.
Regular Season Resume:
Downingtown West has captured victories over Lincoln (32-27), Perkiomen Valley (35-14), Neshaminy (42-17), Avon Grove (44-6), West Chester Henderson (42-7), West Chester East (28-0), Coatesville (21-14) & Bishop Shanahan (43-7). The Whippets have lost games to Chester (28-19) & Downingtown East (35-7).
Central Bucks South has captured victories over Father Judge (13-10), Harry S Truman (42-7), CR North (47-0), CB East (13-6), Pennsbury (24-13), North Penn (50-28), Abington (42-0), Neshaminy (42-0) & Pennridge (42-14). The Titans have lost to Central Bucks West, 40-29.
Scoring Summary:
Downingtown West has scored an average of 29.3 points per game and has allowed an average of 14.3 points per game. A winning margin of 15.0 points per game.
Central Bucks South has scored an average of 34.0 points per game and has allowed an average of 13.2 points per game. A winning margin of 20.8 points per game.
The Winner Gets:
The winner of the game between Downingtown West and Central Bucks South will play the winner of the game between District 12 champion St. Joe Prep (10-1) & District 11 champion Nazareth (12-1).
*****Prediction*****
**Central Bucks South Titans 28 *** Downingtown West Whippets 27**
If I Were The King of District One…
I would end the football season with the District One championship.
Does the District One 6A champion - competed fairly during the season with all public schools in the district - need to get as a reward for that championship season to move on and take a spanking in the state playoffs against a District 12 private school powerhouse like St. Joseph Prep???
You know St. Joe Prep who has competed in the large-school state championship game in nine of the last 10 years – winning the state championship seven of those years. SJP won last season’s 6A title game against Harrisburg – 42-7.
And the Hawks soared to those titles with often crushing victories over District One competition along the way.
In 2022 SJP shellacked District One champion Garnet Valley 48-7, and in 2021 the Hawks routed those same Jaguars 49-13.
I’m sure Garnet Valley fans enjoyed the district title run – but really – did Jaguar fans love what took place the following week.
Hey – but what about 2020 when St. Joe Prep won a 51-43 one score victory over D-1 champion Souderton?
Well, Hawk quarterback Kyle McCord threw 6 touchdown passes in the first half to give SJP a 44-7 halftime lead. The lead at one point was 51-7 early in the third period.
McCord – the starting quarterback this season for the No. 2 nationally ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes – passed for close to 200 yards in the first half and sat out the entire second half. McCord threw 2 touchdown passes to current OSU teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. – considered by most pundits as the most coveted NFL prospect at wide receiver.
Speaking of the NFL – any guess where explosive Philadelphia Eagle running back D’Andre Swift went to high school?
Swift – a second round pick by the Detroit Lions - is a 2017 St. Joe Prep graduate.
And how about current NFL Players like cornerback John Reid (4th round 2020 pick by the Houston Texans) or offensive lineman John Runyan Jr. (6th round 2020 pick by the Green Bay Packers) or wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (undrafted in 2019 by the Falcons and currently on the Eagles)?
All St. Joe Prep graduates.
And what elite colleges did Swift, Reid, Runyan & Zaccheaus attend?
Swift attended Georgia (currently the No. 1 ranked college team in the country) – Reid attended Penn State (currently ranked No. 11) – Runyan attended Michigan (currently ranked No. 3) - and Zaccheaus attended the University of Virginia.
You know – those small-time college football programs.
Let’s just have a District One champion in football and be done with it!
Should either a Central Bucks South or a Downingtown West – a couple of terrific public schools restricted by the PIAA from recruiting - be forced to compete against a SJP that is a private school that can recruit and is ranked nationally?
*Note* St. Joe Prep must first defeat the Nazareth Blue Eagles (12-1) in a state quarterfinal game this week before either a CB South or Downingtown West game in the state semifinal next week. **
But you can bet the house – or everything you own for that matter – on the high-flying Hawks to devour those Blue Eagles.
St. Joseph Prep is ranked No. 9 nationally by MaxPreps and there are NO District One teams ranked in the top 100 nationally. In fact, there are only 3 Pennsylvania teams in the top 100 – Imhotep Charter (no. 94) & Bishop McDevitt – Harrisburg (No. 97) are the other two.
The Hawks are the ranked No. 1 in the state of Pennsylvania by MaxPreps by a wide margin. There are just five District One 6A teams ranked in the top 50 statewide. That select group includes Downingtown East (No. 11), Central Bucks South (No. 14), Downingtown West (No. 18), Central Bucks West (No. 29) & Spring-Ford (No. 38).
Again – it is not the problem of St. Joe Prep which does not violate any current PIAA rules – it is the problem of the PIAA that allows private schools to compete with public schools for state championships in football.
Just sayin’.
This is what my revamped 6A & 5A football schedule would be for District One in the year 2024.
- Open the regular season with a single game in August (8/30/24).
- Play four regular season games in September. (9/6/24 – 9/27/24)
- Play four regular season games in October. (10/4/24 – 10/25/24)
- And a final regular season game on November 1st.
- That would give each team a total of 10 regular season games (Which is the same regular season schedule that exists now)
- Select 8 teams to play in the District One playoffs instead of the current 16 – this would add three weeks of postseason football (11/8/24 – 11/22/24).
- Then all 6A & 5A teams would have completed the regular season and playoffs with a district championship game played on November 22nd.
- And then - from my selfish Suburban One League perspective - each of the 24 SOL teams would end the year with a traditional Thanksgiving Day game on November 28th.
But guess what?
I’m NOT the King of District One and none of the above is about to happen!
However….
This Would Be My Thanksgiving Wish List
And here is the Turkey Day menu for the entire SOL.
- Pennridge Rams & Quakertown Panthers
- Council Rock North Indians & Council Rock South Golden Hawks
- Neshaminy Redskins & Pennsbury Falcons
- Central Bucks West Bucks & Central Bucks East Patriots
- Central Bucks South Titans & William Tennent Panthers
- North Penn Knights & Souderton Indians
- Upper Moreland Golden Bears & Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
- Abington Ghosts & Cheltenham Panthers
- Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals & Wissahickon Trojans
- Bensalem Owls & Harry S Truman Tigers
- Lower Moreland Lions & New-Hope Solebury Lions
- Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials & Springfield Spartans
**There would be some teams that would have played each other during the regular conference season (CR North/CR South * Neshaminy/Pennsbury * CB West/CB East * Bensalem/Truman * Lower Moreland/New-Hope Solebury * Plymouth Whitemarsh/Springfield).
**Those teams could open the conference schedule in September with its rivalry game – and close the season with a second rivalry meeting on Thanksgiving. **
But I’m NOT in Disney where wishes actually do come true.
Pennridge/Quakertown Thanksgiving Day trivia:
- This Thanksgiving morning game will be played @ Helman Field named in honor of legendary Pennridge head coach Wayne Helman. Helman coached the Rams from 1955 to 1980 and collected 18 Turkey Day wins against the Panthers. Pennridge was 18-8 on Thanksgiving with Helman at the helm.
- The head coach with the most victories for Quakertown in the series are Joe Musso who coached the Panthers from 1946-1951 & Dick Wisneski who coached Q-town from 1952-1967. Musso was an unbeaten 5-0-1 against the Rams, while Wisneski was 5-10-1 against Pennridge.
Thanksgiving Morning – 10:15 A.M.
Quakertown (6-5) vs. Pennridge (3-7) @ Helman Field
94th Meeting Between the Panthers & the Rams
- Pennridge/Sell-Perk holds a commanding 58-30-5 lead over Quakertown in the series.
- Quakertown defeated Pennridge 22-6 last season @ Alumni Field in Q-town. The Panthers also defeated the Rams 21-0 in 2021 @ Helman Field.
- Quakertown head coach George Banas is 4-9 against Pennridge in his tenure as head coach. This will be the first Pennridge/Quakertown game for Ram head coach Kyle Beller.
Season Resumes: (common opponents in italics)
Quakertown has captured wins over North Penn (38-17), Plymouth Whitemarsh (21-0), Bensalem (38-14), CR North (50-7), Truman (49-0) & Upper Dublin (21-17).
The Panthers have lost games to Southern Lehigh (28-21), Central Bucks West (40-20), CR South (20-17), Souderton (35-14) & a District One 6A playoff game to Perkiomen Valley (36-26).
Pennridge has captured victories over Bensalem (33-0), Abington (28-0) & Pennsbury (15-14).
The Rams have lost games to Downingtown East (43-0), Souderton (19-14), Central Bucks East (18-17), Neshaminy (17-7), Central Bucks West (28-0), North Penn (17-16) & Central Bucks South (42-14).
Scoring Summary:
Quakertown has scored an average of 28.6 points per game and has allowed an average of 20.2 points per game. A winning margin of 8.4 points per game.
Pennridge has scored an average of 14.4 points per game and has allowed an average of 19.8 points per game. A losing margin of 5.4 points per game.
*****Prediction*****
****Upset Special****
**Pennridge Rams 16 * Quakertown Panthers 14**
PIAA 6A State Tournament F.Y.I.
The western bracket features the Manheim Township Blue Streaks (12-0) vs. the Harrisburg Cougars (11-1) & the North Allegheny Tigers (11-1) vs. the McDowell Trojans (8-4).
6A Playoff Resumes:
Manheim Township has defeated William Penn (44-8) & Cumberland Valley (37-27), while Harrisburg has defeated Cedar Crest (48-28) & Central York (28-21).
North Allegheny has defeated Canon-McMillian (49-7) & Pittsburgh Central Catholic (44-41), while McDowell has defeated Erie (58-20) & State College (47-20).
PIAA 5 A State Tournament F.Y.I.
The eastern bracket features the Chester Clippers (12-1) vs. the Strath Haven Panthers (12-1) & the Delaware Valley Warriors (10-3) vs. the Imhotep Panthers (12-0).
The western bracket features the Cathedral Prep Ramblers (7-3) vs. the Peters Township Indians (13-0) & the Ephrata Mountaineers (12-1) vs. the Cocalico Eagles (11-1).
5A Playoff Resumes:
Chester has defeated Upper Moreland (44-0), Phoenixville (40-14) & West Chester Rustin (26-20), while Strath Haven has defeated Great Valley (42-7), Upper Dublin (26-21) & Springfield-Delco (14-12).
Cathedral Prep needed just a single win to advance and did so with a 63-35 victory over Holidaysburg, while Peters Township has defeated Franklin Regional (35-0), Moon (41-18) & Pine Richland (43-17).
Ephrata has defeated Lower Dauphin (14-13), Garden Spot (31-10) & Hershey (47-7), while Cocalico has defeated Conestoga Valley (42-10) & Cedar Cliff (31-13).
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