Reporter/Times Herald Football Notebook: Pennridge’s Reutlinger helps during Ida as volunteer firefighter
When the remnants of Hurricane Ida battered the region Wednesday, Pennridge football’s Stephen Reutlinger was among the many emergency responders aiding communities as a volunteer with the Perkasie Fire Company.
“I was out until 3:30 in the morning,” said Reutlinger after the Rams’ 35-0 win over Pennsbury Friday. “It was a long night, I was at the (Covered) Bridge townhouses right there on Walnut Street and Constitution. We were evacuating them and then we were on a bunch of rescues.”
Reutlinger has been a volunteer firefighter for three years and is following his family’s tradition – the senior lineman, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, said both his parents have been doing it for more than 20 years.
“A kid like Stephen who’s a community-type of kid that does everything that he can to be a member of this community, that’s special,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller said.
Ida’s torrential rainfall brought heavy flooding to Perkasie, which has the east branch of the Perkiomen Creek flowing through the borough.
“Right before it got really bad we were roping it and we had lifejackets on and we were going out there,” Reutlinger said. “Once we got out there, we pulled the rope away and they had a big military vehicle come in and help.”
And despite a long day helping during the storm that didn’t end until the early hours of Thursday, it was a quick return back to football and prepping for the Rams’ SOL National Conference opener against Pennsbury.
“Even though we missed a day we were already all set,” Reutlinger said. “On Thursday we ran it back and had a hard practice, trying to get ready for the game after a day off.”
Reutlinger was part of the defensive line that helped Pennridge bounce back from a season-opening loss to Downingtown East, holding the Falcons offense to 143 yards in a shutout victory.
“Just a lot of energy,” he said. “Everybody’s picking each other up even if somebody had a bad play everybody’s just picking each other up.”
Reutlinger, who is considering a future in law enforcement and is looking at a couple FCS schools – he mentioned Bryant, Lehigh, Monmouth, Villanova and St. Francis (Pa.) Friday – to continue his playing career.
Clean Slates >> Pennridge blanking of Pennsbury marked the third straight season the Rams have posted a shutout.
Pennridge began the 2019 season with a 13-0 win over Delaware Valley then last season posted three consecutive shutouts against Neshaminy, Central Bucks East and Central Bucks South.
“They have a great fullback there (at Pennsbury), quarterback’s got some good wheels to him so it was just playing assignment football,” said Muller of the Rams’ 35-0 win. “All week we really preached on who’s got quarterback, who’s got fullback, who’s got pitch and just making sure the guys just did their assignment.
“We say it all the time, ‘Do your job.’ I think that’s a Bill Belichick thing and it holds true for just all levels of football. So I think our guys stuck to what they were told to do and it showed tonight.”
Souderton and Pope John Paul II also ended their games Saturday without conceding a point – the Indians besting Truman 41-0 in their SOL Continental opener while the Golden Panthers I rolled past New Hope-Solebury 51-0.
The last shutout for both Souderton and PJP II came in Week 8 of 2019 – Big Red blanked Council Rock North 41-0 while the Panthers beat Pottstown 28-0.
Upper Dublin was close to back-to-back shutouts, the Cardinals following a 43-0 win over Wissahickon last week by defeating Council Rock North 38-7 Saturday. Archbishop Wood has allowed just six points through two games after beating Neshaminy 37-0 Sept. 3 then Neumann-Goretti 28-6 Saturday.
High-Scoring Knights >> It was another impressive offensive output for North Penn Friday, the Knights cruising to a 58-8 victory over visiting Abington in SOL National opener for both.
The 58 points was the second-most scored by a North Penn squad under coach Dick Beck, the highest total also coming against Abington when the Knights topped the Galloping Ghosts 63-21 in Week 10 of 2015.
Since falling to Neshaminy 35-19 in the first contest of 2020, North Penn have lit up the scoreboard, registering at least 42 points in the team’s last six games – all wins.
Heading into their trip to Pennsbury, the Knights have racked up 100 points so far in 2021. The most points a NP side under Beck has scored in a 10-game regular season was 407 by the 2016 team that reached the PIAA-6A semifinals. The 2003 team that won the state 4A title was just behind at 406 points.
