Photos courtesy of Ethan Sklut. To view a complete gallery, click on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f732406078
Football Forecast – Volume 14 / 2024
By Scott Huff
North Penn & Downingtown West have historically been two of the elite scholastic football programs in all of District One.
And both the brave Knights & the speedy Whippets were in search of still another PIAA District One 6A championship last week under the Friday Night Lights @ Downingtown’s Walter E. Kottmeyer Stadium.
The last district title for North Penn came back in 2016 when the Knights outscored Garnet Valley, 48-38. The last district title for Downingtown West came back in 2019 when the Whippets outscored Coatesville, 48-36.
The challenging search for still another PIAA District One championship will have to continue for North Penn as Downingtown West captured the 2024 District One title with a somewhat deceiving 35-16 victory.
The Knights had possession of the football in the fourth quarter and were down on the scoreboard by a slim 21-16 margin.
However, it was Downingtown West that made the critical plays in the final period to secure its second District One championship.
North Penn has captured an impressive 7 District One titles – all under current head coach Dick Beck.
And now the District One champion Whippets will move on to the PIAA state semifinals this week against nationally ranked St. Joseph Prep.
The Prep is ranked 37th in the nation – and is the No. 1 ranked team in the state of Pennsylvania.
The District 12 champion Hawks routed District 11 champion Parkland, 42-7, in a PIAA state quarterfinal game played @ Pennridge High School.
St. Joe Prep is a private school – with no geographical boundary restrictions - and SJP can literally recruit players from literally anywhere into its program.
Both Parkland & Downingtown West are public schools – with very strict geographical boundary restrictions – no recruiting for either the District 11 champion Trojans or District One champion Whippets.
Don’t get me started on why a private school (SJP) competes with a public school (DW) for a PIAA football championship.
Good luck to Downingtown West – but all the finger crossing & leg breaking in the world will not get you a victory against St. Joe Prep.
And the beat goes on…
How many SOL teams have won district football titles?
Note: The PIAA increased the classifications in the ‘big schools’ from 4A to 6A in 2016.
*Upper Dublin won a ‘big school’ 4A championship in 2015 & moved ‘down’ to 5A when the expanded classifications shifted in 2016.
*The list of Suburban One League high schools that compete under the current PIAA classifications – 2024 male enrollment figures for each school is in parenthesis.
6A Classification
- North Penn (1711 male students),
- Neshaminy (1332)
- Pennsbury (1166)
- Abington (1092)
- Pennridge (1027)
- Bensalem (964)
- Souderton (855)
- Central Bucks South (803)
- Central Bucks East (772)
- Central Bucks West (758)
- Council Rock South (728)
- Harry S Truman (726)
- Quakertown (709)
- Plymouth Whitemarsh (653)
- Council Rock North (635)
- William Tennent (626).
5A Classification
- Wissahickon (592)
- Cheltenham (583)
- Hatboro Horsham (530)
- Upper Dublin (494)
- Upper Moreland (444)
4A Classification
- Springfield (322).
*The first year that teams competed for a District One Championship was in 1992.
And now … the SOL District One Championship Honor Roll consists of the following…
North Penn Knights [7] – 2016 (6A), 2011 (4A), 2010 (4A), 2008 (4A), 2005 (4A), 2003 (4A) & 2002 (4A).
Central Bucks West Bucks [5] – 2000 (4A), 1999 (4A), 1998 (4A), 1997 (4A) & 1993 (4A).
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals [4] – 2022 (5A), 2020 (5A), 2018 (5A) & 2015 (4A).
Neshaminy Redskins [3] – 2013 (4A), 2004 (4A) & 2001 (4A).
Pennsbury Falcons [2] – 2014 (4A) & (4A) 2006.
Springfield Spartans [2] – 2014 (2A) & 2011 (2A)
Central Bucks South Titans [1] – 2023 (6A)
Souderton Indians – [1] 2020 (6A)
Upper Moreland Golden Bears [1] – 2020 (4A)
Cheltenham Panthers [1] – 2019 (5A)
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials [1] – 1995 (4A)
Hatboro Horsham Hatters [1] – 1992 (3A)
Just in case you wanted to know…and even if you didn’t.
Pennridge Rams (4-6) @
Quakertown Panthers (6-5)
***Alumni Field*** 10:15 am***
95th Thanksgiving Meeting
Pennridge leads Series
58-31-5
The only Thanksgiving football classic that has survived in the Suburban One League (& the old Bux-Mont League) will showcase the host Quakertown Panthers & their neighborhood rival Pennridge Rams.
That to me is extremely sad due to the importance now placed on the PIAA District One playoffs - but then that might just be me.
Quakertown earned a gold star as the Panthers captured a SOL Continental Conference tri-championship this season (6-1 conference record) along with Souderton & Upper Dublin.
But the Panthers (6-5 overall) & Pennridge (4-6 overall) each have had rather modest success record-wise during the 2024 season.
For the seniors on both QHS & PHS, a victory in their final scholastic football game will become a long-lasting memory.
The Panthers & the Rams have played four common opponents this regular season.
Quakertown (2-2 vs common opponents) has defeated Bensalem (49-21) & Harry S Truman (54-14), and the Panthers have lost games to Pennsbury (17-7) & North Penn (35-12).
Pennridge (3-1 vs common opponents) has defeated Pennsbury (18-13), Bensalem (38-27) & Harry S Truman (19-0), and the Rams lost to North Penn (31-0).
Quakertown has scored an average of 26.3 points per game and has allowed an average of 25.5 points per game.
Pennridge has scored an average of 16.4 points per game and has allowed an average of 24.2 points per game.
Prediction:*******Upset Special*******
Pennridge Rams 16 * Quakertown Panthers 14
Quakertown-Pennridge History
- Quakertown has captured the last three Thanksgiving Day games with victories in 2023 (22-7), 2022 (22-6) & 2021 (21-0).
- Pennridge last captured a Turkey Day game victory in 2020, (21-14).
- Quakertown went 8 years without losing on Thanksgiving to the Sell-Perk Bulldogs – which later became the Pennridge Rams.
*The Panthers tied SPHS in 1945 & 1946 (both 0-0 ties) * won 5 straight games from 1947 to 1951 & tied 7-7 in 1952. - Pennridge won 7 straight games against the Panthers winning each game from 1972 to 1978.
- In the last 10 years, the Rams & Panthers each won 5 games.
*PHS won 5 straight games in 2016 (55-27), 2017 (34-6), 2018 (37-6), 2019 (19-13) & 2020 (21-14). *QHS won games in 2014 (8-7), 2015 (28-21), 2021 (21-0), 2022 (22-6) & 2023 (22-7). - The longest Thanksgiving morning/afternoon game happened in 2000 when the Panthers defeated the Rams in 6 (no typo) overtimes, 52-45.
- The highest scoring game happened in 1970 when the Panthers defeated the Rams 66-28.
- The only Q-town-Pennridge rivalry game that was not played on Thanksgiving Day was in 1989 due to a snowstorm.
*The game was played two days later, and the final score was 0-0. - Pennridge legendary head coach Wayne Helman collected 18 wins over Q-town while coaching on the Ram sideline.
- Quakertown head coach George Banas is currently 5-9 against the Rams, while Pennridge head coach Kyle Beller is 0-1 against the Panthers.
Did You Know?????
- Did you know…Quakertown High School played Perkasie High School from 1920 until 1929?
*Perkasie held a 4-3-3 winning record against Quakertown over that decade, and those results are NOT factored into the Quakertown-Pennridge Turkey Day series record.
*These 10 games were NOT played on Thanksgiving. - Did you know…Perkasie consolidated with Sellersville in 1930 & the Sell-Perk Bulldogs played Q-town from 1930 until 1952?
*Sell-Perk held a winning 11-8-4 record against Quakertown that IS factored into the Q-town-Pennridge series record. - Did you know…Perkasie & Sellersville absorbed neighboring towns and townships to form the Pennridge school district in 1952?
*The Pennridge Rams holds a 47-23-1 winning record against Quakertown that IS factored into the Panther-Ram series.
Just in case you wanted to know – and even if you didn’t!
Max preps final rankings
There are 567 high school football programs in the state of Pennsylvania that are rated by Max Preps.
The latest rankings (pending the Q-town/Pennridge game) for the teams in the Suburban One League are as follows:
- No. 19 Central Bucks South Titans (12-1)
- No. 27 North Penn Knights (11-3)
- No. 28 Central Bucks West Bucks (10-3)
- No. 66 Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (9-3)
- No. 86 Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (9-4)
- No. 94 Souderton Indians (7-4)
- No. 113 Pennsbury Falcons (5-6)
- No. 114 Springfield Spartans (9-3)
- No. 116 Neshaminy Redskins (6-5)
- No. 137 Quakertown Panthers (6-5)
- No. 148 Upper Moreland Golden Bears (8-3)
- No. 155 Central Bucks East Patriots (4-6)
- No. 177 Wissahickon Trojans (5-5)
- No. 190 Pennridge Rams (4-6)
- No. 221 Cheltenham Panthers (3-7)
- No. 226 Council Rock Golden Hawks (4-6)
- No. 243 Bensalem Owls (5-5)
- No. 279 Hatboro Horsham Hatters (3-7)
- No. 307 William Tennent Panthers (3-7)
- No. 337 Abington Ghosts (1-9)
- No. 391 Council Rock North Indians (1-9)
- No. 430 Harry S Truman Tigers (1-9)
When the last second ticks off the Alumni Field scoreboard in Quakertown on Thanksgiving morning to end the Quakertown-Pennridge Classic, the curtain will finally close on the 2024 football season for the teams in the Suburban One League.
Happy Thanksgiving…Merry Christmas…Happy Hanukkah…Happy Kwanza…. &… Happy New Year.
-30-
- Log in to post comments
