Pennridge scores 48 in 1st half, rolls past Hatboro-Horsham
EAST ROCKHILL — Pennridge coach Jeff Hollenbach thought Friday night was the right time to make a change.
“I’ve always deferred (the kickoff), we always go to defense when we had the choice with the option,” he said. “So, this case, they lost the toss and I said ‘We’re going to take the ball.’ I told them yesterday, I’m going to take the ball.”
The decision proved to be ingenious once Iziah Lewis received the opening kickoff from Hatboro-Horsham and on the first play of the 2015 season dashed 84 yards to the end zone.
“I really thought we’d do some ball control on offense – that’s what I wanted to do — and Iziah’s running down the field, but that awesome,” Hollenbach said.
Lewis’ score 12 seconds into the Suburban One League non-conference matchup was just the start for Pennridge. The Rams posted the first 28 points and had 48 on the scoreboard at halftime as they cruised to a 55-29 over the visiting Hatters at Helman Field.
“We wanted to come out and make a statement to the league and I think putting up 48 in the first half, that was amazing,” Rams senior quarterback Devon Balmer said. “Offense did great. At halftime, I credited my offensive line, giving up all those rushing touchdowns, protecting me. So, 48, we just really wanted to come out and make a statement.”
Devon Balmer connects with Ryan Cuthbert for a 26 yard TD, putting @pennridgefb up 21-0. pic.twitter.com/drNCINw11N
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) September 5, 2015
Balmer threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another while Pennridge (1-0) tallied 310 yards on the ground and eclipsed the half century mark in points for the first time since beating Hatboro-Horsham 54-14 in Week 10 in 2012.
“I told these guys I think that the first half was maybe one of the better first half we’ve played as an offensive in a long time,” Hollenbach said. “Certainly didn’t hurt (that) we got a kickoff return, made some big plays on defense, but our offensive is who I really want to give credit to.”
Down 28-0, Hatboro-Horsham (0-1) scored consecutive touchdowns to pull to within 28-13 after Casey Walsh connected with Calvin Broaddus for a 25-yard score with 6:22 left in the second quarter. But Pennridge reached the end zone on its next two series and from there, the Hatters never got closer than 22.
“You can’t spot a team 21 points, I mean, I don’t care who you’re playing and that’s a really good football team,” Hatboro-Horsham coach Mike Kapusta said. “I mean, credit goes to Pennridge, they’re fast and tough and they really came out at us early and put ourselves in a hole and they hold us.”
Walsh was 11-for-27 passing for 228 yards, one TD and two interceptions. He also ran for two scores. Joe Lee caught led the Hatters with six receptions for 164 yards.
Joseph Piacine paced Pennridge on the ground with 91 yards and a score on six carries. Nick Hirsh added 87 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
“Honestly, I think this week we worked on just sticking to the basics,” Balmer said. “We used our big guys up front and we could create those holes, that was the plan coming in. We executed coach (Hollenbach’s) game plan and came out with the win big tonight.”
After Lewis gave Pennridge a 7-0 lead, Walsh was intercepted by Mark Weichel and two plays later the Rams doubled their advantage when Piacine ran for a 54-yard score at 9:30 in the first quarter.
@pennridgefb's Connor Hansen goes down the sideline on a 39 yard TD run 2Q in the 55-29 win over Hatboro-Horsham pic.twitter.com/u9NhhRopCp
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) September 5, 2015
Pennridge made it 21-0 at 4:07 as Balmer capped a six-play drive by rolling out and finding Ryan Cuthbert in the end zone from 26 yards out.
On the first play after the Rams recovered a Hatboro-Horsham fumble, Hirsch muscled through the line then broke free for a 24 yard touchdown at 1:58.
Walsh’s three-yard TD run as time expired in the first quarter gave the Hatters their first points, while his scoring strike to Broaddus cut margin to 28-13.
“That’s what we expect. As a football team, you can never stop playing hard, regardless of the situation,” Kapusta said. “The kids, to their credit, made some plays and put some points on the board and kept on fighting, got some stops on defense, but it was too little, too late.”
Pennridge, however, responded with a six, play, 65-yard drive that Gordon finished with a 40-yard run to the end zone at 4:52. After the Hatters went three-and-out, the Rams made it 42-13 on their next series as Balmer took a hit but found Piacine for a 56-yard touchdown pass at 3:07.
“Sometimes you just got to take one for the team,” Balmer said. “Luckily, it went our way that time.”
Props to the offensive line, Iziah Lewis in @pennridgefb's post game huddle after its 55-29 win over Hatboro-Horsham pic.twitter.com/MRsmYeFrwn
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) September 5, 2015
A Walsh 8-yard touchdown run at 2:00 had the Hatters within 42-20, but Pennridge went into halftime up 28 thanks to Connor Hansen’s 39-yard TD run at 1:41.
Balmer put the 35-point running clock in play by scoring on a QB sneak with 11 seconds left in the third. Hatboro-Horsham scored the final nine points on a safety — a Rams snap on a punt going out of the end zone — and a Jordan Mason 13-yard touchdown run.
Top Photo: Pennridge’s Nick Hirsch (48) breaks through a host of Hatboro-Horsham defenders for a touchdown during first-half action of their contest at Helman Field at Pennridge High School on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. (Mark C Psoras/The Reporter)
