Check out the results for all of Friday night’s SOL football games. To view photos of the CR North/CR South and Pennsbury/Neshaminy games, please visit the Photo Gallery. (Stats used in the wraps below are provided courtesy of Calkins Media. For complete game coverage, please visit the web site www.PhillyBurbs.com.)
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 31, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 21
This is the game they wait for all season.
For one team, there is the inevitable heartbreak of a loss. For the other, the thrill of winning the coveted prize – the Rock Cup.
On Friday, the Indians earned their second win in as many years over the Golden Hawks, and in the process, they also earned a trip to the District One Quad-A Tournament.
“We set this as a goal at the beginning of the year,” Rock North senior Dean Cohen said. “To come out on top and accomplish that goal means everything to us. All the hard work we put in – to come out on top feels amazing.
“I have been on the other side of it, and that side’s not good. I would much rather be on this side. It’s the best feeling. It can’t even be described.”
Words weren’t needed.
When the final horn sounded, the Indians were mobbed by their student body for a jubilant postgame celebration on the field.
“We worked for this since the beginning of the season, since the preseason,” Rock North senior Josh McWilliams said. “This is what we wanted – to get to the playoffs and to beat South. That’s our goal every year. It’s great that we did it my senior year. It’s something special.”
There was no mistaking the Indians’ urgency from the outset as they took their opening possession and – after benefitting from a personal foul against Rock South on the first play of the drive – marched in for the score when Eddie Mackin took it in from four yards out to put the Indians on top 6-0.
“As seniors, this could have been our last game,” said Mackin, who led the Indians wtih 50 yards on four carries. “We could have put our pads on for the last time, but we bought ourselves another week with hard work. Our coach is going to keep us working, and hopefully, we’ll get another ‘W’ next week.”
Later in the quarter, Dejuan Martin caught a 30-yard TD pass from Brandon McIlwain, and when Matt Cabo hauled in a McIlwain pass for the two-point conversion, the Indians led 14-0.
It looked as though the Indians might be on their way to a rout when McWilliams caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from McIlwain to put Rock North on top 21-0.
“Our plan was to score because it would put their defense on its (heels),” said McWilliams. “Our hurry-up offense played a big part. We tried to keep the pace fast, get them tired early and it worked.”
“We needed to do that,” Rock South coach Adam Collachi said of scoring early. “We hadn’t done that for a while. We kind of sputtered and got behind in big games, and then it snowballed on us.
“We got in a good rhythm early and were able to do some things that gave us confidence and kind of settled us down. There’s so much emotion that goes into it early.”
Vincent Alimenti, who rushed for 150 yards, put the Golden Hawks on the scoreboard when he took it in from three yards out, but the Indians answered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from McIlwain to Martin to go on top 28-7. A late Rock South touchdown drive was capped by a six-yard touchdown run by quarterback Greg Paprocki around the left side to make it a 28-14 game at the intermission.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Golden Hawks made things real interesting when Tyler Anderson took it in from nine yards out with 8:19 remaining to make it a 28-21 game after the extra point.
The Indians, however, would not be denied. McIlwain completed a huge pass for a first down on third-and-11, and when Alexander Greenberg nailed a 23-yard field goal with 2:38 remaining, the Indians led 31-21, and the Golden Hawks’ fate was all but sealed.
“As soon as we went into the locker room, I told them, ‘They’re coming back. They’re not rolling over,’” Mackin said of South. “We came out, and we did what we had to do, and now we’re moving on to the playoffs.
“Like coach said, ‘No excuses,’ and we couldn’t let him down.”
“South is not going to go away,” said Cohen, who had four catches for 42 yards. “It’s their last game too, and they started playing their hearts out. I have to give them credit. They’re an amazing team.”
Collachi tipped his hat to his senior class.
“It’s their night,” he said. “I took over four years ago, and they were freshmen. They saw the 1-9. They’ve been here as we’re trying to build.
“It hasn’t been easy, but these guys have battled and stuck with me and stuck with our staff, and this is the result of that. It’s not over. We get to play at least another week.”
Seniors on the teams include McWilliams, Martin, Mackin, Greenberg, Cohen, Joe Elck, Raj Patel, Brett Miller, Tyler Callender, Sam Horbal, Colin Kaschak, Seamus Bishof and Jimmy Gemmell.
“It’s really unbelievable,” Mackin said. “You can feel the tension in the air. As a senior and having an actual impact on the game, you know you did something, and you know you worked hard for it.”
The Indians (7-3, 4-3) have a projected date with top-seeded Garnet Valley in the opening round of the playoffs.
“Getting to the playoffs was the second goal we set this year,” Cohen said. “To accomplish both of those goals means that all of the hard work we put in during the two-a-days, all the hard work we put in at mini camp has really paid off, and it just feels amazing.”
The Golden Hawks closed out the year with a 2-8 record (2-5 SOL).
Council Rock South 0-14-0-7 21
Council Rock North 14-14-0-3 31
PENNSBURY 31, NESHAMINY 3
(To read Scott Huff’s complete game story, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/pennsbury-rolls-conference-crown-0039217)
The showdown between the neighboring rivals began tilting in the Falcons’ favor when – on the Redskins’ opening possession - sophomore outside linebacker Rob Daly intercepted a pass and raced in for a 44-yard touchdown. The Redskins trimmed that lead to four with a Dylan McDonald 22-yard field. It would be their last hurrah.
Charles Snorweah took it in from 17 yards out, and then Josh Leon made it a 17-3 game at the intermission when he connected on a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter. Breon Clark and Ronquay Smith each added touchdown runs for the Falcons, who limited the Redskins to less than 200 yards of total offense.
D’Andre Pollard finished with a game-high 140 yards rushing. Snorweah led the Falcons with 80 yards and a TD while Smith had 74 yards and a TD and Raheem Thompson chipped in with 63 yards.
With the win, the Falcons (9-1, 7-0 SOL) clinched sole possession of first place in the National Conference standings. They are projected to be the three seed in next week’s district tournament with the distinct possibility they will host 14th-seeded Perkiomen Valley. The Redskins, who appeared headed for the number one seed, are projected to be seeded the fourth seed with a home date against 13th-seeded Unionville. The Redskins are 9-1 overall (6-1 SOL).
Neshaminy 3-0-0-0 3
Pennsbury 7-10-7-7 31
ABINGTON 33, WILLIAM TENNENT 12
Craig Reynolds turned in another brilliant performance, rushing for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Ghosts to the big win. Quarterback David Kretschman, filling in for the injured Anthony Lee, threw for 172 yards, which included a 41-yard touchdown pass to Khari Jefferson.
Nik Banks 10-yard touchdown run accounted for Tennent’s only score in a first half that saw the Ghosts score 13 points in each of the two quarters to go into halftime with a 26-6 lead. Reynolds had TD runs of three, seven and eight yards in the opening half.
If initial projections are correct, Abington (8-2, 5-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin in an all-SOL opening round district contest. Tennent closed out its season with a 2-8 record (1-6 SOL).
William Tennent 0-6-0-6 12
Abington 13-13-7-0 33
HARRY S TRUMAN 20, BENSALEM 13
Jake Zolna, who rushed for 125 yards on 14 carries, took it in from 24 yards out to spot the Tigers the early lead. A 70-yard Bobby Hill touchdown run sent Truman into halftime with a 14-0 lead. The teams exchanged big play touchdowns in the third quarter with Devante Porter taking it in from 73 yards out to make it a 14-6 game. Trysten Hunt answered with an 80-yard TD run for the Tigers. A nine-yard run by Ian Pisarchuk accounted for Bensalem’s fourth quarter score.
The Owls closed out their season with a 1-9 record overall (1-6 SOL) while the Tigers, who will face Conwell Egan on Thanksgiving, upped their overall record to 4-6 (2-5 overall).
Harry S Truman 0-14-6-0 20
Bensalem 0-0-6-7 13
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 34, UPPER MERION 14
Suffocating Cardinals Defense Keys Victory
By Jesse Bernstein for SuburbanOneSports.com
Channeling some pent-up frustration over a disappointing loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh, Upper Dublin absolutely dominated the Upper Merion Vikings on homecoming night for the Cardinals.
Senior quarterback John Derr said, “We came out, and we just wanted to give a beating to this team. That [last week’s game vs. PW] was the worst loss of my life…We just had to kick Upper Merion’s butt”
Derr certainly tried to do that, taking the first play from scrimmage for a 50-yard touchdown run that sent the crowd into a frenzy. A forced fumble on the ensuing Viking drive set up the next touchdown, a 25-yard catch-and run touchdown to senior wide receiver Ryan Siwinski.
The teams traded punts before Vikings junior quarterback Isiah Graham-Mobley found junior wide receiver Matt Thorton for a 71-yard touchdown that injected a little life into the Upper Merion sideline. Upper Dublin would add another touchdown before the half on a 5-yard plunge from Derr to put the score at 21-6.
The third quarter found both teams stuck in an offensive funk, neither even coming within 20 yards of the end zone. That would change early in the fourth when the Vikings, pinned deep in their own territory, watched sophomore safety Ryan Stover pick off Mobley and take the ball back for a 20-yard touchdown. Just a few minutes later, Derr found Siwinski open in the end zone for their second hookup of the night. The Vikings were able to score again on a diving 3-yard run from Mobley, but his fourth pick of the second half cooked Upper Merion’s goose. As the fog rolled in from the east side of the stadium and the homecoming fireworks were set into place, all the Cardinals had to do was high-five and chest-bump as the clock wound down to zero.
Upper Dublin moves to 9-1, (6-1 SOL), and Upper Merion tumbles to 3-7, (1-6 SOL)
SCORING
Upper Dublin 14-7-0-13
Upper Merion 6-0-0-8
Statistics:
John Derr 12/14, 131 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception; 13 rushes for 92 yards, 2 touchdowns
John Lee:
11 rushes for 44 yards
Kaleif Lee:
18 rushes for 85 yards
Ryan Siwinski:
6 catches for 81 yards, 2 touchdowns
Isiah Graham-Mobley:
13/26, 202 yards, 4 interceptions, 1 fumble; 8 rushes for 41 yards, 1 touchdown
Matt Thorton:
4 catches for 105 yards, 1 touchdown
WISSAHICKON 27, UPPER MORELAND 20
The Trojans, who spent the entire game playing catch-up, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to earn the come-from-behind win. The Golden Bears took a 14-7 lead on a Tyler Whitmore three-yard run. Quarterback Mike Marino answered with a three-yard TD run for the Trojans. The two teams continued to exchange TDs with the Trojans taking their final lead (20-13) after a 30-yard touchdown run by Whitmore.
A 65-yard touchdown pass from Marino to Josh Trunk knotted the score, and the Trojans won it when Marino punched it in from three yards out for his second TD of the game.
Marino finished the night with 15 yards and two touchdowns on three carries. He completed 8-of-18 passes for 115 yards and one TD. Trunk had a pair of receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown while Jared Reed had seven receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.”
The Trojans closed out their season with a 6-4 record (5-2 SOL). The Golden Bears (3-7, 2-5) will host Owen J Roberts next Friday.
Upper Moreland 7-7-0-6 20
Wissahickon 7-0-6-14 27
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 27, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 12
The Colonials clinched sole possession of the American Conference crown with Friday’s win. PW improved to 8-2 overall (7-0 SOL), and if early projections are correct, the Colonials will travel to Central Bucks West for an opening round district game next Friday. The Spartans are 5-4 overall (3-4 SOL) heading into postseason play.
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 44, SOUDERTON 14
The Knights closed out a perfect conference season to clinch sole possession of the Continental Conference crown on Friday night. They opened up a 14-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back. Justin Hudimac got the ball rolling for the Knights with a 55-yard touchdown run. Then it was Luke Berry scoring his first of two touchdowns from three yards out. The Knights led 20-0 after Kris Akins scored on an 11-yard run, his first of two rushing touchdowns.
Matt Ammendola put his name in the school record books in the closing seconds of the first half when he nailed a 56-yard field goal, breaking the record of Brandon McManus, who connected on a 54-yarder.
Quarterback Austin Shearer threw for 173 yards to lead the Knights. Manny Nieves hauled in seven passes for 85 yards and a touchdown to lead the Indians, who closed out their season with a 2-8 record (2-5 overall). The Knights improved to 7-3 overall, and they will return to action next Friday in the District One AAA Tournament against projected opponent Coatesville.
Souderton 0-7-0-7 14
North Penn 14-9-21-0 44
PENNRIDGE 35, HATBORO-HORSHAM 7
Mike Class rushed for a game high 194 yards on just 11 carries to lead the Rams’ offense in Friday night’s win at Hatboro-Horsham. In a first half that saw the Rams open up a 28-0 halftime lead, Class had TD runs of 58 and 76 yards. The Rams got on the scoreboard when Micah Stutzman caught a 15-yard TD pass from Matt Pasquale. Josh Beare returned a Hatter fumble 45 yards for the score and 14-0 Pennnridge lead.
The Hatters actually ran more than twice as many plays as the Rams in the first half, but a pair of fumbles proved costly.
The Hatters’ only score came in the fourth quarter on a one-yard Jeff Panera run.
Based on initial projections, Pennridge (7-3, 3-3 SOL) will be on the outside looking in when district play begins on Wednesday. The Rams will face Quakertown on Thanksgiving. The Hatters (3-7, 1-6) will host Cheltenham next Friday.
Pennridge 14-14-7-0 35
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-0-7 7
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 45, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7
The Bucks took out any frustration they may have been feeling after last week’s lopsided loss to North Penn on the Patriots, exploding for 31 points in the second quarter to turn a 14-0 lead at the end of one quarter into a 45-7 halftime lead.
Marvin Todd got things started with a 44-yard touchdown run, and Corey Schott continued his impressive special teams play, returning a punt 69 yards for a touchdown that put the Bucks on top 14-0 at the end of one quarter. The Titans made things interesting when Matt Radwanski found Eric Kratz with a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-7 game.
The rest of the half belonged to the Bucks, who got touchdown runs of 28 and eight yards from Todd. Thalen Sayres followed with a pair of TD runs, the first six yards and the second, four.
Todd finished the game with 165 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries – all in the first half.
The Bucks, projected to host Plymouth Whitemarsh in an opening round district game next Friday, upped their overall record to 8-2 (6-1 SOL). The Titans closed out the year with a 4-6 record overall (2-5 SOL)
Central Bucks South 0-7-0-0 7
Central Bucks West 14-31-0-0 45
QUAKERTOWN 34, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 28
The Panthers came up with a defensive stand late in Friday’s game after the Patriots had a first-and-goal at the Quakertown 11-yard line. Junior quarterback Alec Vera broke a 28-28 tie with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when he scored on a 38-yard run.
East was led by sophomore Alex Gibson, who ran for 156 yards on 29 carries, which included an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter.
The Panthers (6-4, 3-3 SOL) will host Saucon Valley next Friday. The Patriots close out their season with a 4-6 record overall (3-4 SOL).
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