Upper Moreland races away from Quakertown in SOL American showdown

UPPER MORELAND >> Ever since he was little, Caleb Mead was told the sideline is your friend.

Mead tiptoed and dashed alongside it for game-breaking, weaving runs of 70 and 55 yards Friday night to help unbeaten Upper Moreland race away to a 35-14 victory over Quakertown in a showdown for first place in the Suburban One League American Conference.

“This is huge,” Mead said of the win, which got Upper Moreland to 7-0 for the first time since 2003. “This puts us in the lead for the conference and it really just helps us gain more confidence.”

On the final play of the first quarter, Mead swept left, cut back right then raced down the left side for a 70-yard score, forever putting the Golden Bears in front as they raised their conference record to an unblemished 4-0.

With 6:26 to go, Mead took the handoff and broke out to the left, keeping his balance to stay in and showing his sprinter speed to finish off a 55-yard score that pretty much finished off the contest, lifting the Bear lead to 35-14.

Mead rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns in all and Upper Moreland, 17th in this week’s Pa. Prep Live Top 20, broke in its new turf field by racking up 394 yards of offense — 254 on the ground, 140 through the air.

“We liked our speed (coming in). We thought we had a good advantage there on the perimeter,” said Golden Bears coach Adam Beach, who was on that ‘03 staff and is now the head man for a team charging its way up the 5A rankings. “We wanted to get our guys an opportunity, and once we got them an opportunity, they showed what they can do.”

That goes for Mead, who could not be stopped once he got around the corner.

“It’s a luxury to have a kid like that,” Beach said. “On any other team, he’d probably be the back, but we got Sterlen (Barr Jr.), and we can run Sterlen. When he’s getting tired, getting banged up a little bit, we have a pair of fresh legs to come in (with Caleb). And if he gets a step, he can be dangerous.”

In addition to Mead’s breakaways, Barr Jr. pounded out 89 yards on 21 carries, including a one-yard touchdown run that stretched the Upper Moreland lead to 21-7 at the half.

The Panthers (6-2, 4-1 conference), 16th in this week’s Pa. Prep Live Top 20, scored on their first possession of the second half, capping a quick, four-play drive with an eight-yard run by Michael Terra, slicing the margin to 21-14.

But Upper Moreland shut out the Panthers the rest of the way.

“We challenged the defense at halftime,” Beach said. “Quakertown put some drives together and you gotta give them credit, but we made enough plays there, and when (wide receiver Tim Shevlin) went out, I think that really hurt their passing game.”

Down by 14 with seven minutes to play, the Panthers faced a 4th-and-7 at the Upper Moreland 22. Quarterback Brad Bryan completed a pass to Christian Morano, a crunching hit stopping him one yard short of the first down.

Three plays later, Mead raced away into the night, his 55-yard score locking things up.

“It all starts off with the line,” Mead said of a unit that includes 6-foot-4, 315-pound Jake Villanueva. “I have the best line in the conference. I say it every week.

“And having two running backs, it keeps both of us fresh. And I feel that’s an advantage that we have.”

Brendan Olexa, who was a sharp 12-for-15, got the scoring started when he hit Brett Brossman for a 15-yard score and a 7-0 lead on Upper Moreland’s first possession of the night.

Quakertown also scored on its first series, a 10-yard score by Christian Patrick (74 yds) tying things up at seven apiece. On the very next play, Mead broke free for 70, pushing the Bears in front for good.

Mead’s other score came on a six-yarder in the third quarter, stretching the margin to 28-14. Two fourth-down stops by the defense kept the margin at 14, and a 21-yard reception by Cole Kitchen (5 rec/87 yds) led to Mead’s 55-yard burst.

Said Mead, a 100- and 200-meter dash specialist: “I’ve always been told since I was little that the sideline is your friend. Ever since then, I’ve just been hitting the sideline, and no one’s caught me yet.”