By Scott Huff
LANGHORNE – It was a good day to celebrate if you are a fan of a team that wears red and white.
On a gorgeous day that saw millions celebrate a Phillies World Championship with a parade in Philadelphia, Neshaminy Redskins fans celebrated a Suburban One League National Conference championship on the field with a 16-13 victory over arch rival Pennsbury.
The Redskins (9-1, 7-0) opened the season with a 14-13 loss to Souderton but reeled off nine straight and will host a District One Playoff game. The Falcons (8-2, 6-1), despite the loss, will also host a district playoff game next week.
“Before the game, we were very loose and excited to play,” smiled Neshaminy head coach Mark Schmidt. “We were a very green team when the season began – one player back on defense and two on offense.
“Pennsbury is a very good football team,” added Schmidt. “They gave us exactly what we expected – a hard played football game.”
The two biggest drives of the game for Neshaminy netted just three points – but those three points were the margin of victory.
The final ‘drive’ in the fourth period that sealed the win began at the Neshaminy five-yard line with 6-minutes and 15 seconds left in the game – with NHS leading 16-13 - and resulted in no points. The Skins reeled off five first downs, and the Falcons never took another offensive snap.
“We just wanted to waste the clock,” said Neshaminy senior center John Zavorski. “We really didn’t run anything different, but we wanted to accept the challenge of moving the ball.”
The Redskin game plan in that final march was to hand the ball to senior running back Quilan Arnold. Arnold carried the ball seven times for 42 yards, while Jay Colbert added two rushes for 20 yards.
“We knew we could do it – I definitely trust my offensive line,” said Arnold. “It was a time that we knew we had to hit, and we did a good job of moving the ball.”
The ‘other’ key drive came in the waning moments of the first half when Neshaminy took over on its 25-yard line with less than a minute left in the half. The Skins moved to the Pennsbury 14-yard line as time ran down, and senior place kicker Seth Jeffries booted a 31-yard field goal as time ran out to increase the Skins lead to 13-6.
“Seth broke his nose in a district soccer game on Wednesday, and he came up big tonight,” said Schmidt. “He is a winner.”
Pennsbury looked like it was going to be a winner when the Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched 74-yards on 12 plays for the score. Senior Jordan Lollis scooted into the end zone on an eight-yard TD dash, and when the extra point failed, Pennsbury settled for a 6-0 lead.
Neshaminy scored its first points when Jeffries split the uprights on a 20-yard field goal. The Skins received excellent field position after Kevin Magee recovered a fumble.
The lone touchdown drive for the winners came in the second period when Bryan Dean capped a seven-play scoring drive with an 8-yard run. Jeffries PAT boosted the lead to 10-6 – it was a lead that the Skins would never relinquish.
Neshaminy took advantage of another Falcon turnover – this time a Cody O’Neal interception – to set up another Jeffries field goal. Jeffries blasted a 21-yard field goal with 2:48 left in the half.
Pennsbury used a terrific punt return by Scott Woodard to gain great field position on its initial drive of the second half.
Brandon Pepper culminated the five-play, 27-yard drive with a three-yard scoring run. Blake Montgomery’s extra point closed the gap to 16-13 with 7:56 left in the third period.
That score, however, would become the final score.
“Turnovers are part of football, and that hurt us tonight,” said Pennsbury coach Galen Snyder as the Falcons lost the turnover battle 3-1. “And even with the turnovers, we hung in the game and had our chances.
“We played a good football team, and people saw a good football game,” added Snyder. “We have a game next week – a home game – and we have a second chance.”
And maybe the fans of the team in black and orange will get its chance to celebrate.
Pennsbury 6 0 7 0 - 13
Neshaminy 0 16 0 0 - 16
P: Lollis 8 run (kick failed)
N: Jeffries 20 FG
N: Dean 8 run (Jeffries kick)
N: Jeffries 21 FG
N: Jeffries 31 FG
P: Pepper 3 run (Montgomery kick)
First Downs: [P] – 8; [N] – 17
Rushing Yards: [P] – 156; [N] – 200
Passing Yards: [P] – 0; [N] – 72
Total Offense: [P] – 156; [N] – 272.
Punts: [P] – 4-36; [N] – 3-35.
Penalties: [P] – 2-20; [N] 0-0.
Pennsbury:
Rushing: Pepper 14-60-TD; Lollis 6-38; Devine 10-32; Applegate 7-26. Totals 37-156-TD.
Passing: Pepper 0-1-1; 0 yards.
Receiving: None
Interceptions: None
Neshaminy:
Rushing: Arnold 18-92; Tolbert 11-59; Dean 12-58-TD; Titus 3 (minus 7). Totals 44-200-TD.
Passing: Titus 6-16-0; 72 yards.
Receiving: Orr 2-47; Carrezola 2-21; Brebner 1-2; Arnold 1-2. Totals 6-72.
Interceptions: O’Neal.
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