Souderton rocks and rolls, beats Council Rock North to get to 7-1
NEWTOWN >> A long bus drive led to drives of all kinds.
Souderton Area overcame a slow start to score from all over the place Friday night, pulling away to its 41-0 blanking of Council Rock North.
“Coming from an hour away, we came out sluggish,” running back Nick Guthre said. “But once we got our minds right and once we got our focus back, we started clicking.”
Souderton is clicking to the tune of 7-1, with a big one on tap for next week: undefeated Central Bucks West, with a chance to move into a three-way tie for the Suburban One League Continental Conference lead.
“It’s a great feeling (to be 7-1),” coach Ed Gallagher said. “If you told me going into the season that we’d be 7-1 going into our last two games, I would have been thrilled. In my mind, we gotta win at least one of these final two games to get a home playoff game and go from there.”
Guthre was at the heart of Souderton success Friday night, rushing for 98 yards, adding a 23-yard score on a shovel pass, and kick-starting the offense with long punt returns.
“I love doing what I can for the team,” he said. “Any way I can help our team find a ‘W,’ I love to help out.”
BIG RED GETS GOING
After a first quarter in which the two teams combined for four punts and three fumbles (none lost), Souderton found its grip on things in the second quarter.
Big Red moved it 79 yards in 10 plays, reaching the end zone for the first time when DeAndre Wakefield swept right then cut back into an open gap and across the goal line for a five-yard score and a 7-0 Souderton lead.
Wakefield soon had the ball back in his hands and was back in the end zone.
On Big Red’s next offensive play, Wakefield got open down the left sideline and hauled in a 32-yard scoring pass from quarterback Andrew Vince, doubling the Souderton lead to 14-0.
Souderton gained seven first downs to Rock North’s one in the second quarter. Big Red outgained the Indians 147 to minus 10 in the period.
Wakefield’s first touchdown was set up in part by Guthre’s big burst, a 50-yard run that moved the ball into scoring position.
Guthre had 98 yards rushing in the first half.
The Souderton defense allowed the Indians little in the first half, with Jeriah Derstine and Ethan Smerecki combining for a 17-yard sack of quarterback Noah Kapusta to force one of Rock North’s five first-half punts.
Smerecki also brought down a tough catch in tight coverage, good for 11 yards, to get Souderton in field-goal position before the half, but the 46-yard attempt by William Leyland was just wide.
Souderton took its 14-0 lead into the break.
FINISHING IT OFF
Big Red needed just seven plays from scrimmage to score three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Wakefield broke away for his third score (48 yds), Vince took off for an 11-yard TD, and Guthre had his 23-yard TD on the shovel pass.
Derstine scored on a two-yard run to send the game into mercy-rule territory in the fourth.
Souderton allowed Rock North just 131 yards in the shutout.
“Our defense tackled much better this week,” Gallagher said. “I was pretty happy overall with the defense. I thought we had a good plan to slow down (Rock North’s Wing-T), and we’ll see. It was kind of a test run because we play a really good Wing-T team in CB West next week.”
