(Photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography, Kim Supko, Karla Donohoe, Michael Rice Photography. Visit the photo gallery: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f732406078
Football Forecast – Volume 11
By Scott Huff
SOL Football Playoff Countdown…11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6…
The Suburban One League began the PIAA District One playoffs with 11 teams involved in the playoffs – and now there are just 6 SOL teams remaining.
In the 6A playoffs Central Bucks South, Plymouth Whitemarsh, North Penn & Central Bucks West all captured opening round victories and will all move on to the district quarterfinals.
In the 5A playoffs Upper Dublin captured an opening round victory and will advance to the district quarterfinals.
And in the 4A playoffs Springfield captured a semifinal victory and will advance to the district final.
Stay tuned.
PIAA DISTRICT ONE
4A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#2 SPRINGFIELD SPARTANS (9-2) @
#1 POPE JOHN PAUL II GOLDEN PANTHERS (10-1)
I’m sure that Springfield head coach Chris Shelly and his coaching staff have watched countless hours of film featuring high-powered Pope John Paul II.
After all, Springfield opened the 2024 season back on August 23rd with a more than competitive 34-27 non-league loss to the highly touted Golden Panthers.
In that game played at Spartan Stadium under the Friday Night Lights, PJP II held a tentative 21-19 lead at the close of the first half, but the defending PIAA District One 4A champion Golden Panthers made the critical plays they needed to secure the victory in the second half.
Springfield quarterback Jack McGuckin was featured in the starring role in the opener for STHS completing 9 passes for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns. McGuckin also rushed for 86 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.
A lot has changed for the battle tested Spartans since that painful opening game loss – and McGuckin has picked up a breathtaking co-star in running back CJ Johnson.
Shelly and his coaches have seen some spectacular team and individual performances on tape from both Springfield on its 9-win journey and Pope John Paul II on its 10-victory trek.
Pope John Paul II is a private school that is currently ranked #10 in the 4A classification in the state of Pennsylvania, while Springfield is a public school currently ranked #16 in that same 4A classification.
Don’t get me started on why a private school – with no geographical boundaries – competes with a public school – with strict geographical boundaries – for a PIAA football championship.
Remember though, that sometimes film sequels are much better than the original flick.
What am I talkin’ about?
I thought that Godfather II was a much better film than The Godfather – and I also thought that the Empire Strikes Back was a much better film than Star Wars.
And the Springfield-Pope John Paul II – Part 2 sequel may be a much more enjoyable game film for Shelly & his coaching to staff to view.
The loyal fans of the Spartans sure hope so – nothing better than watching a PIAA District One 4A home-town champion capture a district title.
Stay tuned.
Last Week:
Springfield showcased the tremendous talents of its dynamic duo of CJ Johnson & Jack McGuckin in a 42-21 District One 4A semifinal victory over #3 Bishop Shanahan.
*Johnson had a superlative night as he carried the ball 27 times for 259 yards & scored 4 touchdowns. McGuckin turned in a magnificent performance as he rushed 17 times for 91 yards & scored 2 touchdowns.
Pope John Paul II showcased the tremendous talents of its dynamic duo of Luke Terlesky & Branden Reed in a 46-0 semifinal rout over #4 Lower Moreland.
*Terlesky passed for an astonishing 312 yards and 6 touchdowns against the overmatched Lions. Reed snared 4 of those touchdown aerials and racked up 244 receiving yards.
2024 Season ‘Oscar’ Nominations
Springfield quarterback Jack McGuckin has completed 81 passes for 1361 yards & 12 touchdowns. McGuckin has 103 carries for 621 yards & 13 rushing touchdowns.
Pope John Paul II quarterback Luke Terlesky has completed 140 passes for 1941 yards & 26 touchdowns. Terlesky has 62 carries for 334 yards & 5 rushing touchdowns.
Springfield running back CJ Johnson has 111 carries for 1187 yards & 23 touchdowns and has also caught 36 passes for 491 yards & 5 touchdowns.
Pope John Paul II receiver Braden Reed has caught 70 passes for 999 yards & 13 touchdowns.
And the winner is…????
Stay tuned.
Regular Season Resume:
Springfield has defeated Kensington (41-0), New Hope-Solebury (54-0), Elizabethtown Area (24-21), Lower Moreland (35-0), Upper Moreland (41-7), Hatboro Horsham (42-7), William Tennent (43-7) & Wissahickon (50-49).
*Springfield has lost games to Pope John Paul II (34-27) & Plymouth Whitemarsh (42-0).
Pope John Paul II defeated Springfield (34-27), Neuman-Goretti (18-0), Bishop Shanahan (42-14), Phoenixville (24-13), Upper Perkiomen (36-0), Pottsgrove (41-0), Pottstown (42-14), Upper Merion (41-0) & Perkiomen Valley (28-19).
*Pope John Paul II lost its only game of the season to West Chester Rustin, 20-13.
Scoring Summary:
Springfield has scored an average of 36.3 points per game and has allowed an average of 18.0 points per game.
Pope John Paul II has scored an average of 33.2 points per game and has allowed an average of 9.7 points per game.
Prediction:
Pope John Paul II Golden Panthers 35 * Springfield Spartans 31
Good News…Bad News
The good news for Quakertown was that the Black Cats captured a SOL Continental Conference tri-championship this season with Souderton & Upper Dublin.
The bad news for the Panthers was that 12 seeded Quakertown was eliminated from the 6A District One playoffs with a stunning 56-0 loss to 5th seeded Haverford.
*Quakertown was outscored 42-0 in the first half – and both the Panthers and the Fords played junior varsity players in the second half.
The good news for Pennsbury was that the seniors on this 2024 team finished their careers by making the playoffs 3 years in a row – defeated Neshaminy 3 seasons in a row – and won a conference title in 2022.
The bad news for the Falcons was that the 2024 season came to an end for #14 seeded Pennsbury in the first round of the district playoffs by #3 seeded Central Bucks West, 17-0.
*The Falcons could manage just 19 rushing yards and could manage just 4 first downs the entire game against an elite Buck defense.
The good news for Neshaminy was that it made the 16-team District One 6A playoff field as the #10 seed and finished the season with a winning record at 6-5.
The bad news for the Redskins was that they could not extend their season with an opening round playoff loss to the #7 seeded Owen J Roberts Wildcats, 38-24.
*Carter Clee scored 2 touchdowns to fuel the offense - Neshaminy closed to within 14-9 but OJR scored the next 21 points to secure the victory.
The good news for Souderton this season was it earned a SOL Continental Conference tri-championship along with Upper Dublin & Quakertown. SAHS entered the district 6A playoffs as the #9 seed with a 7-3 regular season record.
The bad news for the Indians was that they were jettisoned from the districts by #8 seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh, 33-14. The lone touchdowns for Souderton came on 1-yard touchdown runs by Ben Walsh & Mike McCormick.
The good news for Upper Moreland was that it was invited to the district 5A playoffs as the #10 seed with an 8-2 regular season record.
The bad news for the Golden Bears was they were eliminated from those district playoffs by #7 seeded Chester, 48-14.
*The two scoring plays for the Purple & Gold came on an 18-yard TD pass from Alex Foley to Braden Moore & a 63-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Larry Hughes.
Very good 2024 seasons by the Panthers, Falcons, Redskins, Indians & Golden Bears…but not good enough to compete for PIAA District One championships.
And the beat goes on…
PIAA District One 6A Quarterfinal Games
# 8 PW Colonials (9-2) @ #1 CB South Titans (11-0)
Last Week:
Plymouth Whitemarsh opened the PIAA District 1 playoffs with a convincing 33-14 victory over #9 Souderton.
*The Colonial defense highlighted the win with 5 interceptions – 3 by Marcus Laffredo – and a ‘pick-6’ by Kevin Hegerty.
*Everett Baker scored 3 touchdowns for the winners, while Christian Diciurcio rushed for a game-high 125 yards and scored on a 53-yard touchdown run.
Central Bucks South opened the PIAA District 1 playoffs with a convincing 49-7 victory over #16 Spring-Ford.
*The Titan defense highlighted the win with a pair of ‘pick-6’ scoring plays as Matt Harmon & Austin White came up with the journey to paydirt.
*Quarterback Owen Pinkerton scored on a pair of short touchdown runs and fired a scoring pass to Harmon. Braylen Cape finished with 156 yards and added a rushing TD. Gavin Graham added a rushing touchdown for the winners.
Regular Season Resume:
Plymouth Whitemarsh has defeated Upper Merion (49-14), Interboro (51-6), Penn Wood (42-15), Hatboro Horsham (38-0), Wissahickon (37-34), Springfield-Montco (42-0), Upper Moreland (21-14) & William Tennent (35-2).
*The Colonials have lost games to Wilson West-Lawn (21-7) & Manheim Township (20-18).
Central Bucks South has defeated Archbishop Wood (35-0), Souderton (21-6), Upper Dublin (33-7), Central Bucks East (34-15), Central Bucks West (22-17), Pennsbury (12-7), North Penn (14-6), Abington (63-0), Neshaminy (35-7) & Pennridge (34-6).
Scoring Summary:
Plymouth Whitemarsh has scored an average of 33.9 points per game and has allowed an average of 12.7 points per game.
Central Bucks South has scored an average of 25.5 points per game and has allowed an average of 7.1 points per game.
Winner Gets:
The winner of the game between Plymouth Whitemarsh & Central Bucks South will play the winner of the game between #4 North Penn & #5 Haverford.
Prediction: ***Upset Special***
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials 17 * CB South Titans 14
#5 Haverford Fords (10-1) @ North Penn Knights (9-2)
Last Week:
Haverford showcases perhaps the elite running back in all of District 1 – and the awesome talent of Liam Taylor stole the spotlight as the Fords destroyed #12 Quakertown, 56-0, in the opening round of the PIAA D-1 playoffs.
*Taylor rushed for a staggering 200 yards on 17 carries and scored 4 touchdowns – all in the first half. *Haverford led 42-0 at the close of the first half and played junior varsity players the remainder of the game.
North Penn opened the D-1 playoffs with a solid 24-14 victory over #13 Ridley. The Knights led 21-0 @ the close of the first half.
*Matt Bucksar completed 10 passes for 115 yards, while Matthew Pownall rushed for a game-high 221 yards. North Penn finished with 384 yards of total offense in the win.
Regular Season Resume:
Haverford has defeated South Philadelphia (42-0), Harriton (50-0), William Tennent (49-6), Marple Newtown (17-0), Lower Merion (49-14), Springfield-Delco (21-13), Ridley (31-14), Radnor (40-3) & Conestoga (42-7).
*Haverford lost its only game of the season to Garnet Valley, 35-20.
North Penn has defeated Downingtown East (28-25), Council Rock South (34-6), Quakertown (35-12), Neshaminy (37-7), Pennridge (31-0), Central Bucks East (42-21), Pennsbury (22-14) & Abington (44-7).
*North Penn has lost games to Central Bucks South (14-6) & Central Bucks West (14-7).
Scoring Summary:
Haverford has scored an average of 37.9 points per game and has allowed an average of 8.4 points per game.
North Penn has scored an average of 27.5 points per game and has allowed an average of 12.2 points per game.
Winner Gets:
The winner of the game between Haverford & North Penn will play the winner of the game between #1 Central Bucks South and #8 Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Prediction:
North Penn Knights 20 * Haverford Fords 17
#11 Downingtown East Cougars (6-4) @ CB West Bucks (9-2)
Last Week:
Downingtown East was the lone lower seeded team in all of the D-1 playoffs to advance as the Cougars defeated #6 Perkiomen Valley, 17-10.
*Downingtown East trailed 10-0 at the close of the first half but rallied back for the win. Mark Ippolito sparked the offense completing 9 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard run.
Central Bucks West showcased a suffocating defense to post a shutout in the opening round of the D-1 playoffs with a 17-0 victory over Pennsbury.
*CBW limited the powerful Falcon running game to just 19 yards rushing and limited P-bury to just four first downs.
*Ryan Clemens scored a rushing touchdown & kicked a 22-yard field goal, while Vance Morelli scored on a 1-yard run to account for the all the Buck scoring.
Regular Season Resume:
Downingtown East has defeated Spring-Ford (17-14), Boyertown (35-7), Great Valley (31-6), West Chester East (35-0) & Bishop Shanahan (63-28).
*Downingtown East has lost games to North Penn (28-25), Tom’s River, N.J. (31-2), West Chester Rustin (14-7) & Downingtown West (14-13).
Central Bucks West has defeated Easton (21-12), Upper Dublin (35-14), Abington (38-6), Neshaminy (21-10), Pennsbury (27-6), Pennridge (38-7), North Penn (17-14) & Central Bucks East (35-7).
*Central Bucks West had lost games to Souderton (20-13) & Central Bucks South (22-17).
Scoring Summary:
Downingtown East has scored an average of 24.5 points per game and has allowed an average of 15.2 points per game.
Central Bucks West has scored an average of 25.3 points per game and has allowed an average of 10.7 points per game.
Winner Gets:
The winner of the game between Downingtown East & Central Bucks West will play the winner of the game between #2 Downingtown West & #7 Owen J Roberts.
Prediction:
Central Bucks West Bucks 20 * Downingtown East Cougars 13
PIAA District One 5A Quarterfinal Game
#6 Upper Dublin Cardinals (8-3) @ #3 Phoenixville Phantoms (10-1)
Last Week:
Upper Dublin captured an opening round D-1 5A playoff victory defeating # 11 Unionville, 31-21.
*Jordan Fields stole the offensive spotlight with 25 carries for 175 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kevin Etkin fired a scoring pass to Eric Berman, while Matt Miller added a 26-yard field goal.
Phoenixville captured an opening round D-1 5A playoff victory defeating #14 Upper Perkiomen, 31-7.
*Trey Lewis stole the offensive spotlight catching a touchdown pass – rushing for a touchdown – and returning a kickoff for a touchdown. Deacon Williams rushed for a game-high 107 yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown.
Regular Season Resume:
Upper Dublin has defeated Wissahickon (38-21), Council Rock North (42-7), Council Rock South (24-7), Harry S Truman (35-0), Quakertown (37-34), Cheltenham (20-14) & Bensalem (17-10).
*Upper Dublin has lost games to Central Bucks West (35-14), Central Bucks South (33-7) & Souderton (47-21).
Phoenixville has defeated Reading (41-16), West Chester Henderson (48-14), Kennett (9-0), Upper Merion (37-21), Pottstown (42-0), Upper Perkiomen (40-14), Pottsgrove (36-13) & Owen J Roberts (24-0).
*Phoenixville has lost its only game of the season to Pope John Paul II, 24-13.
Scoring Summary:
Upper Dublin has scored an average of 28.5 points per game and has allowed an average of 16.5 points per game.
Phoenixville has scored an average of 29.2 points per game and has allowed an average of 9.9 points per game.
Winner Gets:
The winner of the game between Upper Dublin & Phoenixville will play the winner of the game between #2 West Chester Rustin & #7 Chester.
Prediction:
Phoenixville Phantoms 27 * Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals 17
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