Truman football blanks Council Rock South to remain unbeaten

September 16, 2017

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BRISTOL TWP., PA – It’s a whole new world on the campus of Harry S Truman High. The Tigers received some brand new turf in the offseason and a new head coach to go along with it.

The football team is paying the school back in dividends. Friday night at Henry Morgan Stadium, Truman went out and completely dismantled the 1-3 Golden Hawks, 42-0.

“Everything is a lot different – new offense, new defense, new coaches,” said senior RB David Akinwande. “At first, we felt like we weren’t going to adjust this quickly.

“We didn’t know how we’d play in the first game but we did good. So we kept doing that week two, week three and tonight, too.”

Guided this season by former Pennsbury offensive line coach Mike LaPalombara, the unbeaten Tigers scored on five of six first-half possessions to go up 35-0 at the half and push this game to a running clock.

It took Truman just two plays to drive the ball 70 yards down the field with speedster Sayyid Saunders racing 43 yards up the middle for a touchdown just 43 seconds into the contest.

After stopping CR South on fourth down at the Tigers’ 31 yard line, Truman assembled a 10-play, 69-yard TD drive capped by another Saunders’ score.

It was around this time that Akinwande decided to join the scoring frenzy. Junior defensive back Javeer Peterson had intercepted an ill-advised aerial by Hawks quarterback Christian Jabbar at the 10, returning it all the way into CR South territory on the last play of the initial frame.

On the first play of the second quarter, Akinwande raced 47 yards to paydirt, putting the Tigers on top 21-0 with 11:51 still to play in the half.

On Truman’s next possession, the Tigers needed just four plays to traverse 65 yards of the playing field with Akinwande adding a 30-yard TD run to his scoring line.

For the half, the senior rushed nine times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Saunders notched 92 yards and two TDs before the intermission.

Junior Enzo Poulson added another 67 rushing yards, his five carries capped by a 36-yard touchdown run that put Truman up 35-0 with 3:39 left in the half. Quarterback Dylan Snelling added 72 yards passing, completing three of four first-half attempts.

While Jabbar got his team moving back in the other direction on South’s last possession of the first half, passing for 15 and 12 yards, respectively, to junior wide receiver Andrew Vera and tight end Nick Gallo, Peterson ended the Hawks’ threat when he came up with his second pick of the game at the 15 yard line.

After the break, Tigers junior linebacker James Koliyah ended South’s first possession with a sack on fourth down at Truman’s 31 yard line.

The Tigers used just two plays to put the ball in the end zone again, this time, it was senior Habeeb Baba racing 46 yards for a touchdown that put Truman up 42-0 with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

With the win, the Tigers pushed their way to 4-0 with their third shutout of the season.

Next up for Truman is Neshaminy 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at Harry E. Franks Stadium in Langhorne. The 3-1 Skins rebounded from the previous week’s loss to Downingtown West with a 32-0 shutout win over Council Rock North (1-3), which has lost three straight after opening the season with a win over West Chester East.

CR South hosts Abington at 12 p.m. Saturday at Walt Snyder Stadium in Newtown.

Contact Steve Sherman at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter

HARRY S TRUMAN 42, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0

(Sept. 15 at Truman)

Truman (4-0, 1-0: SONL) 14 21 7 0 – 42

CR South (1-3, 0-1: SONL) 0 0 0 0 – 0

FIRST QUARTER

T — Sayyid Saunders 43 run (Kevin Buckland kick)

T — Saunders 17 run (Buckland kick)

SECOND QUARTER

T — David Akinwande 47 run (Buckland kick)

T — David Akinwande 30 run (Buckland kick)

T — Enzo Poulson 36 run (Buckland kick)

THIRD QUARTER

T — Habeeb Baba 46 run (Buckland kick)