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By Scott Huff
The Suburban One League National Conference championship came down - in overtime - to host Pennsbury being able to defend 4 ½ yards of its turf against Neshaminy.
The Falcons, who scored on their drive in the overtime to take a 27-20 lead, were faced with stopping the Redskins on a fourth and 4 ½ in the OT. A stop would result in the coveted title – the first for Pennsbury since 1993 – a Neshaminy score would most likely send the contest into a second overtime.
As the raucous bleachers in the capacity crowd watched, Pennsbury defensive back Eric Williams made a spectacular play to bat down the pass in the end zone to preserve the thrilling Falcon victory.
“I saw the tight end (Shane Quinn) was open and knew that I had to make a play,” said Williams – who is headed to the University of Pittsburgh next season. “I just wanted to make the safe play – knock it down – not to try and intercept the ball.
“I don’t want this season to end,” added Williams. “I will be able to take this memory with me to Pittsburgh, but I will always be a Pennsbury Falcon.”Memories were also made for senior Falcon linebacker Kevin Bree who led an inspired defense that limited the talented Neshaminy offense to just 80 rushing yards.
“This is the best feeling ever,” smiled Bree who calls the defensive signals for the Falcons. “Last week (a 27-13 loss to Abington) was the worst feeling.
“We knew that Neshaminy was a great team,” added Bree who led the team in tackles. “This week was the hardest we have practiced all year – even counting the two-a-days in the summer.”
“I would agree with Kevin that we worked them pretty hard this week,” said Pennsbury head coach Galen Snyder. “Neshaminy is a great rivalry, and the game always seem to come down to the end.
“Kevin did a great job running our defense, and Eric came up with the big defensive play in the overtime,” added Snyder. “I guess that’s why he is going to Pittsburgh next year.”
The game didn’t look like an overtime affair with the way that Pennsbury dominated the first half. The Falcons led 14-0 and held Neshaminy to just two first downs and only 33 total yards of offense.“We spent the whole first half just watching the game,” said Neshaminy head coach Mark Schmidt. “We did all the things we couldn’t do in the first half, and Pennsbury outplayed us.
“But we had our chances in the second half,” continued Schmidt. “We had our chances to win the game.”
Pennsbury scored a first period touchdown when Dante Devine crashed in from the one yard line, and the Falcons added a second period touchdown when
Brandon Pepper capped a seven-play, 61-yard drive with a one-yard sneak. Placekicker Corte Rumph was perfect, and Pennsbury led 14-0 at intermission.
Neshaminy sliced the lead to 14-7 as senior running back Bryan Dean capped a Skin scoring drive with a 2-yard burst. Ricky Domico added the PAT.
Pennsbury seemed to take control of the game as it answered the Redskin drive with a nine-play scoring march that was finished with a second 1-yard scoring run by Pepper. The PAT failed, and the Falcons settled for a 20-7 lead.
Neshaminy answered right back with a scoring drive that was set up by a 67-yard kickoff return by Ricky Williams. Dean touched off the eight-play scoring march with a 5-yard TD run, and Domico’s PAT made the score 20-14.
The Skins forced a punt – and one play later the game was tied.Williams gathered in a pass from senior quarterback Brian Titus and streaked down the Redskin sideline for an 85-yard TD run. However, the PAT failed and the score was knotted at 20-20.
Another Falcon punt – and another Neshaminy drive almost resulted in a win for the Skins in regulation. Nine plays – including a brilliant hook-and-ladder play from Titus to Rick Brebner to Dean for 22 yards – pushed the ball to the Pennsbury 18-yard line with just 11 seconds left in the game.
Domico attempted a 35-yard field goal and had the ball headed between the goal posts. However, the ball fell short and the game was headed for overtime.
Pennsbury scored on its first possession in overtime and was aided by a pair of Neshaminy penalties – one for a personal foul on a late hit out of bounds, and the other for a facemask penalty. Pepper scored on a 1-yard run, and Rumph added the PAT to push the lead to 27-20.
The first three plays in the OT netted 5 ½ yards for the Redskins, and Neshaminy needed to convert on fourth down.And Falcons were able to defend that 4 ½ yards, and in doing so Pennsbury became the SOL National Conference champions.
Neshaminy 0 0 7 13 0 - 20
Pennsbury 7 7 6 0 7 - 27
P: Dante Devine 1 run (Corte Rumph kick)
P: Brandon Pepper 1 run (Rumph kick)
N: Bryan Dean 2 run (Ricky Domico kick)
P: Pepper 1 run (kick failed)
N: Dean 5 run (Domico kick)
N: Ricky Williams 85 pass from Brian Titus (kick failed)
P: Pepper 1 run (Rumph kick)
Neshaminy Pennsbury
8 First Downs 12
80 Yards Rush 237
144 Yards Pass 38
224 Total Offense 275
4-36 Punts / Avg 5-29
4-16 Pen. / Yards 5-70
Neshaminy
Rushing: Bryan Dean 20-63, 2 TD; Corey Majors 7-37; Charlie Marterella 4 (minus 3); Ricky Domico 1 – (minus 17). Totals 32-80- 2 TD.
Passing: Brian Titus 7-17-0, 137 yards & TD; Marterella 1-5-0, 7 yards. Total 8-22-144, TD.
Receiving: Ricky Williams 2-95, TD; Rick Brebner 4-22; Dean 1-19; Majors 1-8. Totals 8-144 yards, TD.
Interceptions: None
Pennsbury
Rushing: Brandon Pepper 19-106- 3 TD; Jeff Fisher 8-68; Dante Devine 15-50- TD; Joe Brown 5-9; Chris Glennie 1-4. Totals 48-237- 4 TD.
Passing: Pepper 2-8-0, 38 yards.
Receiving: Eric Williams 1-27; Jay Jabat 1-11. Totals 2-38.
Interceptions: None
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