Garner, Pleibel power Pennridge past Central Bucks West

DOYLESTOWN >> Connor Pleibel’s reaching, 35-yard touchdown reception on fourth down provided the early initiative, and Ryan Garner “ran like a man possessed” in the second half to propel Pennridge to a 21-10 victory over Central Bucks West at packed War Memorial Field Friday night.

“We were ready to go all week,” said Garner, whose two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the Rams in front for good. “We were just sick of losing. It was just time to turn some things around.”

Underneath the weight of Pennridge’s bulky offensive line (including 300-pounder Brian Lafty), a four-game losing streak was snapped.

“I’ve been waiting for it to come out on a Friday night,” coach Cody Muller said of his squad, which dominated in second-half plays from scrimmage, 40-12. “Everybody can finally see what we’ve been working so hard to do.”

Pennridge, rallying back from a 10-7 halftime deficit, raised its overall record to 2-4 while improving its Suburban One League Continental Conference record to 1-2. The Bucks dropped to 2-4 overall, 1-2 in the conference.

“We just kind of wore down a little bit up front,” West coach Robert Rowan said. “They probably average about 300-plus, and we’re 210. We just kind of wore down there.

“And fourth downs (were key). We had opportunities to get off the field and we didn’t.”

Six times throughout the evening, Pennridge converted a fourth down into a first, including twice on the drive that put the visitors into the lead. 

Garner (60 yards) ran for six on a 4th-and-3 and Kantor later sprinted 14 on 4th-and-3, setting up Garner’s two-yard burst, making it 14-10 Pennridge in the third quarter. 

Said Garner, a versatile threat who mans the slot and carries the ball with force, with four touchdowns in the last two games: “It’s been a good couple weeks for me, I guess. 

“We came out (after halftime) ready to go. We weren’t too happy with how the first half ended, but we came out in the second half ready to go.” 

Pennridge moved the ball consistently in the second half and extended the margin to 21-10 when Kantor connected up high with the 6-foot-5 Jonathan Post for an 11-yard TD, naturally, on fourth down.

The Rams then forced a pair of three-and-outs to wrap things up.

“We just got back to realizing that we can’t kill ourselves,” Muller said of Pennridge’s dominant second half. “We cleaned up some things and got after it. A kid like Ryan Garner, he ran like a man possessed. I’m so proud of the way he played.”

The Rams took a 7-0 lead on their first series of the game, thanks to Pleibel’s ability to go up and grab a 35-yard touchdown reception from Kantor on 4th-and-15.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my line,” said the 6-foot-2 Pleibel (6 rec/100 yds). “They were blocking well, and gave Kantor a chance to throw the ball.”

“It’s a big morale boost for us,” Garner said of the TD, coming on 4th-and-12 from the 32, “and a big downer (for West). When it goes your way, it’s good.”

The Bucks tied things up at seven apiece early in the second quarter, thanks to a six-yard run by Garrett Hitchens.

West went ahead for the only time, 10-7, when Sean Metzer’s 20-yard field goal split the uprights just before the break.

But the second half belonged to Pennridge. 

“Good weather, good crowd, and our student section traveled well,” Garner said. “It was nice to have ’em.”